TOBACCO INDUSTRY SURVEILLANCE TRAINING SEMINAR

ATN team visited Francistown on the 4th October 2017, to facilitate a training seminar on the surveillance of Tobacco Industry activities in Botswana. The training that was held at Cresta Thapama Hotel, attracted stakeholders from different districts in the country, being North East, North West, Central as well as Chobe District. 

The purpose of the training was to equip these stakeholders with the necessary information to be able to monitor and identify Tobacco Industry activities in their respective districts. On the 10th of October, the training extended to Gaborone, Cresta President Hotel where it targeted Health Officers from different councils. In her remarks, ATN Executive Director Dr Bontle Mbongwe applauded the attendees for successfully

 completing the training and implored them to effectively implement what they have in monitoring the tobacco industry activities in their respective areas.

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STAKEHOLDERS TRAINING IN PALAPYE

ATN held a three day workshop for Health Workers, Environmental Health Workers and Civil Societies to; formally introduce the ATN as a partner in supporting efforts to curb tobacco consumption and its roles in curbing the global tobacco epidemic in Botswana and;  highlight progress made in Botswana on the enforcement of the Botswana Control of Smoking Act (CSA) and the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which Botswana (FCTC) is a Party to and; solicit ideas participants on how Botswana should approach tobacco control in Botswana and their roles in addressing the devastating effects of tobacco in Botswana as well as; To shape the debate for key legislative issues that ATN is currently advocating for.

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WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY COMMEMORATION, 2016

The 2016 World No Tobacco Day commemoration 

held in Ghanzi (May 31st, 2016) was centered around the theme: 'Get Ready For Plain Packaging"

After we braved the freezing cold and the 20km walk behind our ever-so-charismatic Minister of Health Dorcas Makgato- we joyfully listened to her pledges and commitment to tobacco control.

“The new packaging will see all the attractive features of the old packaging removed. Tobacco will no longer be sold in attractive packs. Now the packs would be plain with large graphic images in both fronts and back of the packets, and the graphic details would depict effects of smoking,” a communique from Ministry of Health stated.

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PUBLIC LECTURE ON THE FCTC

ATN held its first Public Lecture themed "The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) - A catalyst to Public Health" on Wednesday October 19, 2016 at the University of Botswana Faculty of Health Sciences Building Auditorium. 

We were honored to have Dr. Martins OVBEREDJO (WHO Country Representative) as the guest of honor. Dr OVBEREDJO delivered an impassioned presentation on the WHO FCTC to a fully packed room among them, Prof. Yohanna J. S. Mashalla (The Dean Faculty of Health Sciences) and Mr. Setshwano Mokgweetsinyana who was standing in for the P.S. Ministry of Health Ms. Shenaaz El. Halabi

.

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ATN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING-2016

We held our 6th Annual General Meeting recently (December 12, 2016) at Cresta President Hotel in Gaborone. The Highlights of the AGM include dissolution of the inaugural board of directors and the election of a new steering body of the Anti Tobacco Network.

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WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2015 COMMEMORATION, NATA- BOTSWANA

On May 29th 2015, ATN joined joined hundreds of people in Nata Village to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day 2015. The commemoration was held under the theme 'Stop illicit trade of tobacco products'. This theme addressed the current challenge faced by many countries, Botswana included, of illicit trade of tobacco products that continue to jeopardize people's health.

According to the WHO website, Illicit trade is not a problem just in high-income countries; almost all countries throughout the world are subject to illicit trade in some form or another. In response to the threat posed by illicit tobacco trade, the international community negotiated and adopted in November 2012 the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the first protocol to the WHO FCTC.

The aim of the campaign was therefore to educate the public on how illicit trade of tobacco products has affected young people's health due to their easy accessibility as well as affordability as they are sold at lower prices. Furthermore the campaigned raised an awareness on how the illicit trade undermine tobacco control policies, among others. 

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude  to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for the immense support!

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MOTHER PONTSHO FOUNDATION LAUNCH

On Saturday 18 October 2014  ATN joined hands with other community organizations at the launch of Mother Pontsho Foundation in Mmopane.

The tobacco industry for decades has targeted youth in its marketing, and studies show that as much as a third of underage experimentation with smoking can be attributed to these marketing efforts hence Ninety percent of all adult smokers begin the deadly addiction as teenagers.

The Anti Tobacco Network through our campaign targeted to prevention of youth tobacco initiation is therefore working with other community organizations to raise awareness on the ugly impact of tobacco use.

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