By Anna Claudia Duker
The Minister for Health Kweku Agyeman – Manu has stated insidious trade fuels the tobacco epidemic, leading to increased health risks for citizens, particularly the youth.
Hon Mahama Asei Seini, the Deputy Minister who represented the Minister, was speaking at a stakeholder meeting, centered around the needs’ assessment mission concerning the protocol aimed at eradicating the illicit trade in tobacco products within Ghana.
According to him, illicit trade in tobacco products poses a grave threat to public health and that it not only increase access to tobacco products, often at cheaper prices, but also undermine the hard-won gains of tobacco control policies.
He further disclosed that, “the government loses revenues, further straining our ability to provide essential services, while inadvertently funding international criminal activities.”
In recognition of the aforesaid, the Deputy Minister noted government of Ghana saw the urgent need to ratify the protocol to eliminate illicit trade in Tobacco products.
He added that this exercise was also essential for Ghana to ensure that we receive the necessary support in the fight against illicit trade.
Hon Seini stated within the last two years and with the support from the WHO FCTC PROJECT 2030, the Ministry with various stakeholders such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) among others, have been able to accelerate tobacco control activities.
“Together, we can make a difference, and together, we can eliminate the scourge of illicit trade in tobacco products, protecting the health and well-being of our people for generations to come” he stated.
The Deputy Minister indicated, the needs assessment exercise will benefit Ghana in documenting our current needs and challenges to facilitate effective tobacco control in line with the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Control and its guidelines.
The Team Lead – Direct Assistance to Parties, WHO FCTC Secretariat Mr Andrew Black has disclosed “the data from Ghana shows that children and young people are becoming increasingly attracted to tobacco.”
The Team Lead revealed, tobacco prevalence is higher today in young girls than adult women in Ghana.
According to him, this is cause for alarm, and suggests that Ghana may not actually be winning the fight against tobacco.
He stated that, it is also very clear that tobacco is harmful to sustainable development, negatively impacting social, environmental and economic development in so many ways.
Mr Black added, tobacco remains one of the world’s greatest public health challenges, killing more than 8million people each year across the world.
“All of this suffering can be prevented if people stop using tobacco, and young people do not start” he noted.
He emphasized that illicit tobacco is serious organized crime. People involved in illicit tobacco are often involved in illicit trade in other things like drugs, weapons, medicines, people adding that, profits from illicit tobacco have been found to be funding terrorism.
The Team Lead noted that, high excise tax is not the key driver of illicit tobacco but It is enforcement that is needed stating that, the capacity to detect illicit products and to bring to justice the people that are behind this criminality.
“There is the need to coordination within government to create the most efficient system possible to tackle the problem of illicit tobacco” Mr Black Stated.
On his part, Mr Seth Senake Deputy Chief Executive (DCE) Health Products and Technology the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) stated Ghana continues to make major advancements in the fight against tobacco use in accordance with the Public Health Act of 2012 and the Tobacco Control Regulations of 2016 (L.I. 2247).
According to him, as a party to the WHO (World Health Organization) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Ghana has progressed over the years with the introductions of legislations, policies and strategies aimed at reducing tobacco use in the country.
He noted, the Food and Drugs Authority in collaboration with other stakeholders in tobacco control such as Ghana Revenue Authority, World Health Organization-Ghana, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Vision for Alternative Development and others have put and implemented several regulatory measures to combat the illicit trade of tobacco products in the country.
He revealed that despite the above measures, there have been setbacks in the control of the tobacco product supply chain and records of tobacco product smuggling is one of such setbacks. The legislative recommendations offered by the Illicit Trade Protocol present a unique operational advantage in advancing our successes as a country in the fight against tobacco and counteracting the infiltration of the illicit tobacco trade in Ghana.
Marjories Mupandare, who represented Prof. Francis Kasolo of WHO, stated the Sustainable Development Goal number 3 places that tackling of tobacco use across the world is a priority. Tobacco control is key in achieving SDG 3 Target 3.4 that calls for one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030.
Target3.a is a means of implementation of SDG 3.4 and calls for strengthened implementation of the WHO FCTC. Beyond health, tobacco Control is a proven approach to poverty reduction, economic development and sustainable development.
Ghana acceding to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products on 22 nd October 2021 is a significant milestone in the history of tobacco control. Illicit trade in tobacco products continues to pose major threat to public health as it contributes to increased access to cheaper tobacco products, which undermines the tobacco control policies, and erodes progress made toward tobacco cessation.
He stated that WHO remains committed to working with Ghana to fully implement the Framework convention on tobacco control as well as achieve the SDGs by 2030.
