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23rd Oct, 2014
Healthcare Issues
1355 دولة الإمارات تشارك في الدورة السادسة لمؤتمر الأطراف في اتفاقية منظمة الصحة العالمية الإطارية بشأن مكافحة التبغ .jpg�

The United Arab Emirates participated in the sixth session of the parties conference regarding WHO Framework convention on Tobacco Control which was held in Moscow between 13-18 2014 chaired by Dr. Weddad Al Maidoor, Director of National Tobacco Control Program in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Amal Al Suwaidi, Public Health Specialist in the Ministry of Health and Amna Al Mandoos, Legal researcher at the customs federal authority.

The conference is held every two years to follow up the tasks of the parties who signed the framework convention on Tobacco control to counter the threat of tobacco dissemination and its consequences in increasing chronic diseases especially coronary heart diseases, strokes, cancer and respiratory diseases.

Dr. Wedad Al Maidoor, head of the delegation reviewed in her speech the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in achieving the strategic goals of the national agenda 2021 to achieve sustainability in health and human resources development, apply the six policies of the framework convention on tobacco control: (1) protect the society from the tobacco smoke, (2) surveillance of tobacco consumption, (3) warning from tobacco dangers, (4) ban advertisements of tobacco products, (5) promotion and sponsorship, (6) tax and price measures of tobacco products.

Dr. Al Maidoor, noted that the framework convention on tobacco taxes is one of the most effective ways to influence the demand on tobacco products. South Africa, France, Mexico and Brazil are the most recognized examples for raising taxes on tobacco and reducing smoking consumption as well as diseases and death rates. The framework convention concerning tobacco control prepared a draft for four years which was participated by the UAE through representatives from the Ministry of Finance to assist the member states on implementing the prices of tobacco products.

Over six days, the conference discussed the decisions that were presented by a number of countries as well as the reports of the convention general secretariat. They agreed on the following:

  • apply article 5.3 of the framework convention to prevent tobacco manufacturing companies from interfering in the governments’ policies to control tobacco.
  • call for continuing the usage of different kinds of tobacco such as e-cigarette and adopt the same procedures and decisions that are applied on regular tobacco and avoid promotion of all forms of smoking.
  • tighten procedures when dealing with chewed tobacco due its high connection to dental cancer.
  • stipulate regulatory procedures with regards to smoking shisha and its contents due its dangerous impacts and dissemination worldwide.
  • the necessity of authenticating the protocol of illegal trade in tobacco products.
  • improve the reports of all the parties concerning tobacco control.

The member states also agreed on setting up a new date and time for the seventh session in India by end of 2016 and the membership of Dr. Jawad Al Lawati in the GCC tobacco control committee as the acting director of the seventh parties conference.

It is worth mentioning to know that the UAE is one of the first countries to approve the framework convention through a federal law No. (108) on 7th November 2005. Since that time, the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the competent authorities and ministries in the UAE agreed to implement the articles of the convention and establish strategic plans to achieve the goals and objectives of the framework convention. The UAE also succeeded in achieving the following steps:

  • accomplish the global survey of tobacco consumption among the younger generations between 13-15 years. Preliminary results reveal that the positive impact of the UAE on reducing the number of student smokers from 18% to 16% in 2005
  • increase the awareness of tobacco dangers by issuing several publications, awareness campaigns for school students, government authorities, launch the national tobacco control campaign “too smart to begin” for three years.
  • issue the executive agenda of tobacco control law according to the cabinet’s decision No. 24/2013 concerning the federal law No. 15/2009 concerning tobacco control.
  • quit smoking services through the increasing numbers of tobacco cessation clinics, awareness campaigns and prohibit smoking in public places to encourage the community members stop smoking.
  • continue the global survey, one of the most important survey to monitor the consumption of tobacco among adolescents and adults. Such a survey would assist the country to establish supporting strategies.
  • prepare the GCC plan for tobacco control and participate in the GCC committee meeting for tobacco control; the plan was revised and updated by the UAE, approved by all the members and sent for authorization for the executive office of the GCC health ministers.
  • participate and supervise the implementation of the protocol of illicit trade of tobacco products. The protocol supports the procedures of eliminating tobacco consumption through enabling the country to impose taxes on tobacco products, fight tobacco smuggling, collect tobacco tax revenues and enhance the competitiveness of the UAE in this field.
  • put warning images on tobacco products and participate in the meetings of the GCC committee in cooperation with the GCC authority for standardization and metrology to improve to warning images to have a better and more powerful impact on the community members.

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