By Jeorge Wilson KINGSON
The members of the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations on Tobacco Control have met at a day’s workshop in Accra to strategize on the way forward in the fight for the passage of a tobacco control bill for Ghana.
This follows the uncertainties surrounding the draft bill in recent times. There are currently conflicting reports as to the exact location of the draft tobacco control bill. While some are of the view that the bill is currently with the cabinet sub-committee on health, others believe the bill has gone back to the Attorney General’s Department for further consultation. There are those who even believe the draft bill has been approved by cabinet and that it is on its way to parliament.
The issue became more confusing, following the recent cabinet reshuffle which saw then Minister of Health, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor replaced with Joseph Yieleh Chireh. Stakeholders fear the new minister may not demonstrate enough commitment to the bill which may lead to its further delay.
At the meeting of the coalition, which was very participatory, members of the coalition were informed that the Tobacco Control Bill has been completed and approved by cabinet. However, a decision has been taken in cabinet that it should form part of the Public Health Bill, which consists of about eight different bills related to the health sector.
The Public Health Bill is a consolidation of all existing legislations on the various issues concerning public health. In includes existing legislations on Mosquito Control, Quarantine, Infectious Disease, Vaccination; Food and Drugs Law. The new additions include Public Nuisance Bill; Tobacco Control Bill; The Patients Charter; International Health Regulations; Ethics in Health and others.
BusinessWeek gathered that though almost all the bills are ready, there are still issues with the Food and Drugs Law, and the Ethics in Health Bill which has necessitated further discussions.
Signals picked up by the paper indicate that cabinet’s committee on health is accelerating its efforts to ensure that the Public Health Bill gets to parliament in the shortest possible time.
After an intensive deliberation on the way forward, the members of the coalition have agreed to embark on a nationwide sensitization walk on April 10, 2011 to raise public awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke and the delay in the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law. Petition will also be presented to the Speaker of Parliament, Office of the President and all the 10 regional ministers.
Ghana became the 39th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 and became the 39th party and the first in the West African Sub-region to have ratified the FCTC.
The country contributed greatly to the development of the FCTC during the inter-governmental negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. Ghana’s Tobacco Bill drafted in 2005 to implement the FCTC is still pending at the expense of the vulnerable citizens who are ignorant of the dangers posed by tobacco use and its smoke.
Ghana has failed to meet its obligations to some provisions of the FCTC. February 27, 2010 was the deadline for the first 41 parties, including Ghana, to have implemented Article 13 which demands “a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship” and Article 8 which calls for “a comprehensive smoke- free legislation.”
While Ghana’s bill is pending, the government of Niger has passed legislation on tobacco control, there is a ban on public smoking in Abuja, Nigeria and the Nigerian Tobacco Control Bill is at the second stage of reading in parliament. The governments of Kenya and Mauritius have passed legislations on tobacco control.
FCTC Articles 5.(2b) mandates governments to enact legislations to protect its citizens from the deadly products of the tobacco industry. Ghana has been a
The members of the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations on Tobacco Control have met at a day’s workshop in Accra to strategize on the way forward in the fight for the passage of a tobacco control bill for Ghana.
This follows the uncertainties surrounding the draft bill in recent times. There are currently conflicting reports as to the exact location of the draft tobacco control bill. While some are of the view that the bill is currently with the cabinet sub-committee on health, others believe the bill has gone back to the Attorney General’s Department for further consultation. There are those who even believe the draft bill has been approved by cabinet and that it is on its way to parliament.
The issue became more confusing, following the recent cabinet reshuffle which saw then Minister of Health, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor replaced with Joseph Yieleh Chireh. Stakeholders fear the new minister may not demonstrate enough commitment to the bill which may lead to its further delay.
At the meeting of the coalition, which was very participatory, members of the coalition were informed that the Tobacco Control Bill has been completed and approved by cabinet. However, a decision has been taken in cabinet that it should form part of the Public Health Bill, which consists of about eight different bills related to the health sector.
The Public Health Bill is a consolidation of all existing legislations on the various issues concerning public health. In includes existing legislations on Mosquito Control, Quarantine, Infectious Disease, Vaccination; Food and Drugs Law. The new additions include Public Nuisance Bill; Tobacco Control Bill; The Patients Charter; International Health Regulations; Ethics in Health and others.
BusinessWeek gathered that though almost all the bills are ready, there are still issues with the Food and Drugs Law, and the Ethics in Health Bill which has necessitated further discussions.
Signals picked up by the paper indicate that cabinet’s committee on health is accelerating its efforts to ensure that the Public Health Bill gets to parliament in the shortest possible time.
After an intensive deliberation on the way forward, the members of the coalition have agreed to embark on a nationwide sensitization walk on April 10, 2011 to raise public awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke and the delay in the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law. Petition will also be presented to the Speaker of Parliament, Office of the President and all the 10 regional ministers.
Ghana became the 39th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 and became the 39th party and the first in the West African Sub-region to have ratified the FCTC.
The country contributed greatly to the development of the FCTC during the inter-governmental negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. Ghana’s Tobacco Bill drafted in 2005 to implement the FCTC is still pending at the expense of the vulnerable citizens who are ignorant of the dangers posed by tobacco use and its smoke.
Ghana has failed to meet its obligations to some provisions of the FCTC. February 27, 2010 was the deadline for the first 41 parties, including Ghana, to have implemented Article 13 which demands “a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship” and Article 8 which calls for “a comprehensive smoke- free legislation.”
While Ghana’s bill is pending, the government of Niger has passed legislation on tobacco control, there is a ban on public smoking in Abuja, Nigeria and the Nigerian Tobacco Control Bill is at the second stage of reading in parliament. The governments of Kenya and Mauritius have passed legislations on tobacco control.
FCTC Articles 5.(2b) mandates governments to enact legislations to protect its citizens from the deadly products of the tobacco industry. Ghana has been a
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