Dr. Bontle Mbongwe presenting on the Health Effects of Tobacco Use. She said the purpose of the presentation was to:
}Introduce
tobacco as a health threat
}Discuss
the impact of tobacco consumption on the Millennium Development Goals
}Generate
discussions toward tobacco control challenges in Botswana and come up with solutions to the Challenges
Focusing on Tobacco & Poverty Dr. Mbongwe said -
}Tobacco
use is unequivocally linked with underdevelopment and poverty.
}Two-thirds
of the poor nations for which data were available had male smoking rates above
the average 35% prevalence rate for the developed world. (WHO2004 estimates)
}The
poor are most likely to smoke.
}Tobacco
use negatively affects important development objectives such as health,
nutrition, employment and gender equality.
}Money
spent on tobacco consumption reduces the amount of money available to spend on
food, healthcare, shelter and education.
