The Ministry of Health has launched the Tobacco Products Control Convention Strategy-2030 with the objective of reducing the tobacco consumption in the long term.
It is believed that the strategy will provide guidelines to the policymakers, service providers, the related government ministries and bodies, and the national and international non-governmental organizations in the development and implementation of tobacco control programmes.
The National Health Education, Information and Communications Center under the Ministry of Health prepared the Strategy.
Minister for Health Deepak Bohara launched the Strategy amidst a program organized by the Center here Friday.
Addressing the program, Bohara expressed the confidence that the Strategy would be a milestone in controlling the tobacco products which are the main cause of many non-communicable diseases.
He pointed out the need for inter-ministry coordination for the implementation of the Strategy at the local, provincial and federal levels, calling for a ban on the production of the tobacco products.
Nepal signed on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on December 3, 2003, and ratified it on November 7, 2006. The Ministry has already prepared the Act and Regulations necessary for the execution of the Convention.
According to the Ministry of Health, 15 thousand people die each year in Nepal due to the consumption of tobacco products. Consumption of tobacco products causes cancer, long-term respiratory diseases, heart disease and diabetes, among others.
Health Secretary Dr Pushpa Chaudhari stressed the need of reducing tobacco consumption to prevent and minimize the incidences of non-communicable diseases. She directed all the bodies concerned to effectively implement the Strategy.
Director General at the Department of Health Services, Dr Rajendra Panta and Centre director Badri Bahadur Khadka said that controlling the tobacco products would help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Strategy incorporates various measures for tobacco control including monitoring tobacco consumption, declaring more and more smoke-free public areas and motivating the people to give up tobacco.
