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India Gazette
6 days ago
- Health
- India Gazette
WHO urges members to curb tobacco consumption under
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): World No Tobacco Day, marked annually on 31 May, addresses a major public health challenge--the persistent burden of tobacco use. This year's theme, 'Unmasking the Appeal' compels us to expose the deceptive marketing tactics and manipulative strategies employed by the tobacco industry, especially those targeting our youth and women, a statement by Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia said. Tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of death worldwide and is a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illness. Our Region continues to bear a mammoth share of the global tobacco burden, with some 411 million adult tobacco users across our eleven countries. With one-third of the world's tobacco users, South-East Asia is the epicentre of the global tobacco epidemic. Most concerning is the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use, with the Region accounting for over 280 million users, or 77% of the global total, the statement said. The statement says, despite these alarming figures, we have reason to be hopeful. Between 2000 and 2022, tobacco use among adult men and women in the region declined from 68.9% to 43.7%, and from 33.5% to 9.4%, respectively. These significant reductions are the result of sustained, evidence-based tobacco control efforts led by governments, civil society, and public health advocates. Our collective resolve is paying off. We are on track to meet the NCD Global Target of a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use prevalence by 2025 among people aged 15 years and older, compared to 2010 levels. In fact, we are projected to achieve a 34% reduction, a rare and remarkable accomplishment. However, these gains must not breed complacency, the statement read. Tobacco remains an ever-evolving and formidable threat. We now face aggressive industry marketing of new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs) -- such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and flavoured nicotine pouches. These are being disguised as safer alternatives and deliberately targeted at children and adolescents. An estimated 11 million adolescents aged 13-15 years are already addicted to tobacco products in our region, nearly 30% of the global total in this age group. The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2025 urges us to unmask these dangerous industry ploys. Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products, attractive packaging, influencer endorsements on social media, and misleading health claims are tools of manipulation designed to recruit new users and keep existing users addicted. The statement called on the countries to take bold actions, including: strengthening implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and MPOWER provisions, enforcing comprehensive bans on NENTPs, expanding quality tobacco cessation services, and protecting health policies from tobacco industry interference in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC. The list further added- countering surrogate advertising and misleading promotion of smokeless tobacco and arecanut products, and investing in youth-led campaigns, peer education, and school health programs to build tobacco resistance and prevent initiation. WHO urged its Member States to invest in disaggregated data collection, strengthen research on local tobacco trends and their determinants, and enhance the enforcement of tobacco control laws on the ground to close regulatory loopholes and stay ahead of evolving industry malpractices. The WHO says, Tobacco use not only kills prematurely -- it deepens poverty, damages the environment, and burdens families and health systems. This World No Tobacco Day is a call for vigilance and action. Let us work together to 'unmask the appeal' of tobacco in all its forms and reveal its true face: disease, death, and despair. Together, we can create a future where our children live free from the shadow of tobacco and enjoy healthier, longer lives. (ANI)
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
WHO reinforces commitment to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases
New Delhi: The World Health Organisation South East Asia Regional Director, Saima Wazed, stressed the importance of vaccines for a healthier future. Wazed, in a video statement on Tuesday, said that vaccines are safe, save lives, and immunisation for all is essential. "Each year, in the last week of April, we come together to celebrate World Immunisation Week - a powerful reminder of the life-saving impact of vaccines. This year's theme, "Immunisation for all is humanly possible," reinforces our collective commitment to protect every individual, at every age, from vaccine-preventable diseases ," she said. Children protected against infectious diseases have better educational attainment and contribute more to national development and prosperity. Wazed stated that, over the last 50 years, vaccines have saved approximately six lives per minute. "Over the last 50 years, vaccines have saved over 154 million lives globally--an average of six lives every minute. Our WHO South-East Asia Region has been at the forefront, with an estimated 38 million lives saved across the Region," he said. Wazed highlighted that the WHO has maintained its status as wild poliovirus-free, while maternal and neonatal tetanus remain public health concerns. "We have successfully maintained our wild poliovirus-free status and have upheld the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus as a public health concern. Four of our countries have eliminated measles, five have eliminated rubella, and six have achieved control of hepatitis B through immunisation," she said. "This has all led to unprecedented improvements in childhood survival. In the past two years, three of our countries have launched national HPV vaccination programmes . This is a major step forward in protecting adolescents' health. Today, our region proudly vaccinates over 40 million pregnant women and 37 million newborns each year. We also contribute 46 per cent of the global vaccine supply," she added. Wazed also highlighted that challenges persist, as even now, over 2 million children remain unvaccinated. "Yet, despite all of this, challenges persist. More than 2 million children remain completely unvaccinated. The growing threat of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks reminds us that our efforts must continue," she said. Wazed said that, as contributions to their budget from various nations continue to shrink, it poses a significant challenge to them. "Shrinking global health budgets are placing additional strain on immunisation programmes, on surveillance systems, and on outbreak response capacities," she said. Wazed appealed to the people to end vaccine hesitancy and go for routine immunisation. "To protect our progress and reach every child, we must invest in routine immunisation. We must embrace innovation and combat vaccine hesitancy and ensure that no one--regardless of geography or circumstance--is left behind. The path forward demands united efforts--by governments, health workers, communities, and partners," she said. "On World Immunisation Week, join us in spreading the message that vaccines are safe, that vaccines save lives, and immunisation for all is essential. To do this would be to protect our greatest achievement - vaccines, and our greatest treasure - our children," she added.
