Tobacco kills 30,000 despite government initiatives against its use
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Tobacco diseases kill an estimated 30,000 Nigerians yearly despite government initiatives and the Tobacco Monitoring Dashboard collecting data on tobacco control and disease prevalence to help curtail its use.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative Walter Molumbo expressed concern that non-communicable diseases are overtaking communicable diseases in the number of deaths they cause in Nigeria.
“Close to 30,000 lives are lost yearly due to tobacco related illnesses. This is far more than the 3,000 lives claimed by COVID19 in the three years of the pandemic,” he disclosed.
He warned that tobacco is a silent killer which manifests through cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and other ailments.
Molumbo said the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2022 with the theme, “Tobacco:A threat to our environment,” is an opportunity for Nigeria to right the wrongs of the past when it failed to take measures to check tobacco consumption.
He, however, commended the federal government for the current efforts to curb the negative impact of tobacco on citizens, citing the creation of an emergency inter-ministerial committee to fast track action on advocacy and sensitisation.
The next meeting of the United Nations in September may be an opportunity for Nigeria to add its voice to the global efforts to end tobacco consumption, Molumbo counselled.
Country Lead Development Gateway: An IREX Venture, Seember Ali, said the Tobacco Monitoring Dashboard is being funded by the WHO and Bill Gates Foundation to fill data gaps in damages caused by tobacco consumption in Nigeria.
She explained that the focus is on a one-stop shop for gathering data that will boost anti-tobacco campaign.
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi said one important element of the Tobacco Monitoring Dashboard is that it enables advocates to effectively engage stakeholders on a drastic reduction in the health hazards of tobacco.
______________________________________________________________
Related articles:
Abuja begins sugar tax to increase N414b revenue
Nigeria has highest malnutrition rate in Africa, second highest globally
Abuja spends N1b daily, N100 per child on school feeding
__________________________________________________________________
Tobacco use increasing worldwide
Health Minister of State Olorunnimbe Mamora said tobacco use is increasing worldwide, per reporting by Vanguard.
According to the WHO, tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing up to half of its users with more than eight million deaths annually around the world.
Mamora said more than seven million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke or “what some call passive smoking”.
He warned that tobacco damages the environment by contributing grossly to global warming, and the damage comes from the stages of tobacco cultivation, production, distribution, and usage.
He added: “Beyond the environment, tobacco use including exposure to second-hand smoke has contributed to 12 per cent of all deaths from heart disease and is the second leading cause of cardiovascular disease, second only to high blood pressure.
“While these numbers are bad for tobacco users, it is important to remember that nearly 900,000 people are killed by breathing in second-hand smoke.
“In addition to heart disease and hypertension, tobacco use and second-hand smoke cause other notable non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like stroke, cancers, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
“From the 2012 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 5.6 per cent (4.5 million) Nigerians 15 years and older currently use tobacco products, of which 3.9 per cent (3.1 million) are current smokers.”