WHO urges countries to tackle tobacco epidemic

New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) Monday urged countries to commit necessary resources to tackle the epidemic of tobacco use, which kills nearly six million people globally every year.

"WHO is urging governments to prioritise tobacco control, seek alternative methods to finance tobacco control and commit necessary human and financial resources to tackle the tobacco epidemic in their countries," said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO regional director for South-East Asia.

He also asked countries to work on implementing WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

"This is the only way that the WHO Framework Convention can live up to its promise of protecting present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco," Plianbangchang added.

The FCTC is the world's first ever global public health treaty developed and adopted under the auspices of the WHO.

Globally, nearly six million people die each year from tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke. The annual global death toll from the epidemic of tobacco use could rise to eight million by 2030.

In the WHO South-East Asia region, over 240 million adults smoke tobacco and nearly the same number of adults use smokeless forms of tobacco.

The Framework Convention embraces all elements of tobacco control. It entered into force and became an international law Feb 28, 2005. It is one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations in terms of number of signatories, with 172 member states of the WHO being parties to the convention till date.

Explaining the importance of the Framework Convention, Plianbangchang said: "It includes provisions for reducing demand as well as supply of tobacco products. It also recognises the importance of international cooperation and helping low-and middle-income countries to meet their treaty obligations."

In South-East Asia, the countries that are signatories to the WHO Framework Convention are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

India commissions study on black money

The Indian government said Sunday it had commissioned a study to examine how black money is generated and recommend ways to   »

India to set up new agency to trace black money: Pranab

Why hide names of foreign account holders, asks apex court

No request from India for secret bank data: Swiss Ambassador

  Most Read

Manmohan invokes NAM, questions West's control of IMF

With Western powers not willing to loosen their grip over key global institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday invoked the Non-Aligned  »

NATO airstrike in Afghanistan kills 12 kids

At least 12 children, some under two years, and two women have been killed in a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan, Sky News reported. The incident took place in Nawzad district in Helmand province late Saturday. Dawood Ahmadi, the provincial government spokesman, said NATO was targeting insurgents but instead   »

  News Pick

Nepalese PM agrees to quit, crisis averts by hair's breadth

After holding an anxious nation hostage for over a day, Nepal's beleaguered Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal finally agreed Sunday to step down in exchange for the three major parties signing a deal to extend the  »

Gaddafi sets terms for relinquishing power

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is ready to relinquish power on the condition that he and his family would not be prosecuted, Arab newspaper Al Sharq Al Awsat reported Sunday. Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam is heading   »

Chhattisgarh in no hurry to punish corrupt IAS officer

The Chhattisgarh government is no haste to take action against a serving IAS officer accused of mind-boggling corruption, an official here said Sunday. Babulal Agrawal has been accused by the Income Tax (IT) department of amassing  »

This is no age to marry, village teenagers tell peers

Gautam Kumar, a student of Class 10, eagerly waits for his school to get over so he can join his friends - not to play games, but asking others his age not to marry. The 16-year-old is among around 200 members of a young brigade  »

From Punjab to Bihar to IIT, three 'super' stories

One is the son of a grocer, one's father sells chole-kulche from a cycle cart and the third's runs a mobile repair shop - but all three have risen from these humble  »

Picture of the Day

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing the Joint Session of Ethiopian Parliament, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 26, 2011.