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The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008
Hard-hitting anti-tobacco ads and graphic warnings on cigarette packs reduce the number of children who begin smoking and increase the number of smokers who quit. However, only 15 countries, representing 6% of the world’s population, mandate pictorial warnings, the first WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic reveales.
The report, recently issued by WHO and the Arabic version of which is launched today by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, presents the first comprehensive data on global tobacco use and control efforts. It shows that currently, most of the countries in the world do not have adequate information about tobacco use and trends, despite the fact that good monitoring tracks the extent and evolution of the epidemic and indicates how best to tailor policies.
The report also shows that only 5% of the world’s population is protected by comprehensive national smoke-free legislation and that, while progress has been made, not a single country fully implements all the key tobacco control measures. The reports outlines an approach that governments can adopt to prevent tens of millions of premature deaths by the middle of this century.
“This report comes at the right time. Tobacco remains the biggest killer, yet the most preventable cause of death worldwide. WHO estimates suggest that tobacco use is responsible for 5.4 million deaths per year globally– 70% of these deaths take place in developing countries. Tobacco could kill one billion people in the 21st century, unless governments start acting now to reduce consumption in their countries. This report is a call to governments to act comprehensively to control this epidemic”, remarked Dr Hussein
A.Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “Comprehensive tobacco control means having stringent laws to regulate the product; it means creating social hostility towards tobacco; and it means taking steps to ensure implementation of legislation. The MPOWER package will enable countries to achieve this”, he added.
Dr Fatimah El Awa, Regional Adviser for Tobacco Control said the “MPOWER package is needed to fight tobacco”. She added “We have come a long way in our struggle to control this epidemic. We now have solid evidence on which to base our interventions. We have six effective policies for governments to use and so bring about a powerful response to the tobacco epidemic”.
The report introduces a package of six evidence based policy “MPOWER” which governments must undertake if they are to fulfil their promise to bring about effective tobacco control.
These six MPOWER policies are:
• Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
• Protect people from tobacco smoke
• Offer help to quit tobacco use
• Warn about the dangers of tobacco
• Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
• Raise taxes on tobacco
The MPOWER report reveals that only 5% of the world’s population live in countries that fully protect their population with any of the key tobacco control measures. The report also reveals that governments around the world collect 500 times more money in tobacco taxes each year than they spend on anti-tobacco efforts. It finds that tobacco taxes, the single most effective strategy, could be significantly increased in nearly all countries, providing a source of sustainable funding to implement and enforce comprehensive tobacco control.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, some countries have set successful examples in some of the important policy interventions. Egypt and Jordan have pictorial health warnings on the cigarette packs, receiving very promising initial response. Other countries are following, Qatar, Egypt, Iran, and Djibouti have moved towards a comprehensive ban on advertising. The Gulf Cooperation Council has adopted a policy to raise taxation on tobacco products.
WHO has also launched a global tobacco surveillance system in the countries to monitor the prevalence of tobacco use across the world. The first of several comprehensive surveys, the Global Adult Tobacco Survey is planned to be conducted in Egypt by the end of 2008.
World Sight Day 2008
The World populations are aging, positive as it is, however this trend bring about different economic, social and health challenges in terms of ensuring better life conditions to a vulnerable segment namely the older people who need better health care services while, in later life, their income reduces due to retirement.
Ensuring the older people right to sight is a fundamental goal for which all foundations and organizations concerned with both eye care and health of elderly should work together to achieve.
A major step in this direction was taken by the international alliance for vision 2020 initiative that dedicated the world sight day 2008 (9October) to the issue of vision impairment in older people under the slogan” Eye on the future: Fighting vision impairment in later life”The WHO regional Office for the eastern Mediterranean with its partners will observe this occasion in an event due to be held on Thursday 9 October 2008 at its premises in Cairo
80% of people living with blindness are over the age of 50 years and 90% of blind people live in low-income countries, where older people often face barriers to health care.
Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness in older people; yet it can be cured with simple, cost-effective operations, but the cataract surgical rate. Other blinding conditions affecting older people are refractive errors, macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.
Due to the improvement of life style and health care, the world populations are aging, individuals are living longer and blindness from chronic conditions is also rising. As a result, numbers of older people suffering from blindness resulting from chronic diseases , like diabetes are increasing. Sadly enough, around 75 % of blindness cases could have been prevented, treated or cured by cost-effective interventions.
Globally, the world available data indicates that around 314 million people are visually impaired (37 million are blind, 124 million with low vision and 153 million with refractive errors), however, it is unjustifiable or acceptable that the suffering of all these people should continue
Regionally, the situation is no better with around 5.3 million are blind and around 37 million are visually impaired Region. In many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Egypt, where over 700,000 are blind, hundred thousands of people suffer from blindness due to reasons as simple as uncorrected refractive errors, which can be easily diagnosed and corrected by a pair of spectacles, and can restore sight to most of these people.
Nevertheless, significant progress has been achieved on some countries in the Region. Dr Hussein Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean expressed appreciation for the initiative recently announced by H.E. President of Sudan to support over US$ 30 Million for strengthening eye care and prevention of blindness programme in Sudan. He highlighted another initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Ben Rashed of Dubai to provide eye care services to one million people on H.H personal expenses. The regional Director also acknowledged the steps taken by the Pakistani government to ensure providing eye care to the most deprived and rural areas in the country.
“We need more generous support and contribution from other leaders to eliminate the avoidable blindness in this Region. We note with appreciation the efforts exerted by many partners specially IMPACT –EMR chaired by HRH Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmed al Saud ” Dr Gezairy said.
“Older people are important members of our families and communities. Vision loss can be difficult for older people to contribute to their full potential. ‘active ageing‘ helps older people to keep health, and healthy eyes help older people to stay active. Keeping in mind that “The right to sight” has no age limit” he added
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Saud, H.E. Minister of Health and Population, Egypt and HE Minister of Health, Morroco are invited to the celebration along with ambassadors of Gulf countries and other Member States and experts and invitees representing organizations concerned with fighting blindness and providing eye care.
World Sight Day: ‘Eyes on the Future’
Blindness and visual impairment is a major public health problem for the elderly people. The World populations are ageing, positive as it is, however this trend bring about different economic, social and health challenges in terms of ensuring better life conditions to a vulnerable segment namely the older people who need better health care services. While, in later life, their income reduces due to retirement and inability to earn money and they become dependant to their families and the cost of health care increases.
VISION 2020-The Right to Sight initiative was launched 1999 by WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to reduce blind population. Today, most of the blind population are elderly. Ensuring the older people Right to Sight is a fundamental goal for which all partners, foundations and organizations concerned with both eye care and health of elderly should work together to achieve.
A major step in this direction was taken by the International Alliance for VISION 2020-‘The Right to Sight’ initiative that dedicated the world sight day 2008 (9 October) to the issue of vision impairment in older people under the slogan” Eye on the Future: Fighting vision impairment in later life”
The WHO regional Office for the eastern Mediterranean in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt, IMPACT-EMR, IAPB , national and international partners involved in the prevention of blindness in the presence of the Media will observe this occasion in an event due to be held on Thursday, 9 October 2008 at its premises in Cairo.
It is worth noting that 80% of the blind population are over the age of 50 years and around 90% of the blind population live in low-income countries, where older people often face barriers to health care including eye care.
Globally, the world available data indicates that around 314 million people are visually impaired (37 million are blind, 124 million with low vision and 153 million with refractive errors), In EMR around 5.3 million are blind and over 37 million are visually impaired causing a huge economic burden to the families and community and society. In Egypt over 700 000 of the population are blind. Sadly enough, around 75 % of blindness cases could have been prevented, treated or cured by cost-effective interventions. However; it is unjustifiable or acceptable that the suffering of all these people should continue.
Around 60% of 5.3 million blind population is due to cataract and the leading cause of blindness in older people. Yet, it can be cured with simple, cost-effective operations, which cost only US$ 50, and can be easily performed by an outpatient surgical procedure. Unfortunately, many of the blind due to cataract had no access to undergo this operation.
In spite of the limited resources, WHO/EMRO along with its partners has supported over 5000 cataract surgeries in the priority countries namely; Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, but further generous support is urgently needed from all sources to eliminate the blindness due to cataract in the Region. Other blinding conditions affecting older people are refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.
Due to the improvement of life style and health care, the world populations are ageing, individuals are living longer and blindness from chronic conditions is also rising. As a result, numbers of older people suffering from blindness resulting from chronic diseases, like diabetes are increasing.. Uncorrected refractive errors, which can be easily diagnosed and corrected by a pair of spectacles, and can restore sight to most of these people.
Nevertheless, significant progress has been achieved on some countries in the Region. Dr Hussein Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean expressed appreciation for the initiative recently announced by H.E. President of Sudan to support over US$ 30 Million for strengthening eye care and prevention of blindness programme in Sudan. He highlighted another initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Ben Rashed of Dubai to provide eye care services to one million people on H.H personal expenses. The Regional Director also acknowledged the steps taken by the Pakistani government to ensure providing eye care to the most deprived and rural areas in the country by expanding eye care to the district level.
Dr Hussein A. Gezairy thanked all partners who are involved in the prevention of blindness activities in the Region particularly Egypt namely; Lions Clubs International Foundation, Rotary Clubs, Universities, Arab Medical Union, Al Noor al Maghrabi Foundation, ,Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, National Eye Centre, National Eye Research Institute, Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), Ophthalmologic societies and others,
“We need more generous support and contribution from other leaders to eliminate the avoidable blindness in this Region. WHO is seeking support for around 2million dollars to reduce blindness in priority countries. We note with appreciation the great efforts exerted by many partners specially IMPACT–EMR chaired by HRH Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmed Al Saud ” Dr Gezairy said.
“Older people are important members of our families and communities. Vision loss can be difficult for older people to contribute to their full potential. ‘active ageing‘ helps older people to keep health, and healthy eyes help older people to stay active. Keeping in mind that “The right to sight” has no age limit” he added
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Saud, H.E. Minister of Health and Population, Egypt and HE Minister of Health, Morocco are invited to the celebration along with Ambassadors of Gulf countries, European Union, other Member States , experts and invitees representing organizations concerned with fighting blindness and providing eye care.
