Minister for Health Jack Noris Kamet has reaffirmed the Vanuatu Government’s commitment to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Speaking at the annual meeting of Health Ministers in the Western Pacific region, Mr Kamet said the government will continue to work with WHO and other partners to ensure that current interventions on Tabaco control are reviewed accordingly.
The meeting is being held in the Philippines and the agenda covers Communicable diseases, Non Communicable Diseases, Climate Change and Health and Health Security systems in the Western Pacific Region of WHO.
In response to the white paper presented by WHO Regional Director Dr. Takeshi Kasaai, the Minister of Health Mr Kamet presented his intervention Sunday to confirm the country’s support on the Regional Action Plan on Tobacco for the Western Pacific Region 2020 -2030.
Three draft resolutions were adopted in the Tobacco agenda to guide the regional members on their new country plans from 2020 – 2030.
These include endorsement of the new Regional Action plan 2020 – 2030 which urges member’s states to use the action plan to enhance existing efforts to address Tabaco control in their country and lastly the continuation of support from WHO.
The FCTC provides an internationally co-ordinated response to combating the tobacco epidemic, and sets out specific steps for governments addressing tobacco use.
The concerns on the use of electronic nicotine in the region is one of the heated discussions in the forum as this form of smoking is creeping into the region more rapidly than expected and its impact on the health of people is likely to be severer than conventional tobacco smoking.
The meeting called on member states to revisit their plans to address this new method of smoking urgently.
Health Minister Kamet will deliver a conference paper on this matter in the next Parliament sitting in November this year.
Photo supplied Caption: Health Minister Jack Noris Kalmet at the 70th session of the Regional Meeting of Committee