Declaration of Conference on Tobacco Control and Health Promotion

National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC)- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Asian University for Women, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka International University, HealthBridge-Canada, National Tuberculosis Prevention Association (NATAB), National Center for Control of Rheumatic Fever and Heart Disease, Paribesh Bachao Andolon, The Peoples University of Bangladesh, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust has jointly organized Conference on Tobacco Control and Health Promotion at Krishibid Institutions in the capital on 4^th January 2016.

The goal of the conference is:

1. The death rate of non-communicable diseases is increasing. Unhealthy diets, unhealthy environment, unplanned infrastructure, lack of inclusive development is the cause of increasing the risk. As well as the use of tobacco products is one of the main cause of increasing risk of all types of non-communicable diseases. The government is playing an important role in health protection. For the development of public health, in particular, policies and legislation, and a variety of effective measures have been taken. Formulation of Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act and rules and its timely and effective amendment is one of the examples. There are a lot of progress in terms of implementation and obey of the law.

2.  Public health protection, particularly non-communicable diseases has become very difficult to prevent due to different types of business activities of tobacco companies. These commercially active people sometimes interfere with the activities of government policy and legislation and have been seen to apply different types of wit in order to violate the existing policies and laws. Companies are conducted direct and indirect promotional activities applying showy language by spending millions of taka to encourage people falling in tobacco uses.

3. The government as well as non-governmental organizations across the country is contributing to progress on tobacco control activities. Especially organizations played an important role in formulation of tobacco control act and rules, amendment of act and raising demand in order to increase taxes on tobacco products, increase tax on tobacco products and in raising awareness at the local level to implement the law. Organizations involve in tobacco control activity has already been working in healthy diet, healthy environment, planned infrastructure development and inclusive development for health protection.

4. Basically our country's health related discussions and steps are treatment centered. High priority is being given on treatment instead of prevention for the development of public health. Hospital, beds, doctors, nurses, machinery, medicines etc is meant as Health. For that reason, despite the increase in the health budget every year, the crisis always remains in this sector. In contrast to getting benefit of the treatment of sickness, it becomes necessary to create a healthy environment. safe food, clean soil, clean wind, water, removal of barriers to tobacco control, walking environment and sports field needs to be ensured to build a healthy nation.

5. Focus need to give on all classes of people of the society, community, income, race and persons with disability in the development of public health. Particularly despite of having some special requirement for disabled persons, women, children and elderly people, they almost being neglected everywhere. Even though there are instructions given by the policy and law to provide advantages, its benefits cannot be found for the lack of implementation.

(6)    Budget deficit was shown when the discussion rose to provide fund for tobacco control, creating congenial environment for mobility, playground / park,  ensuring safe access to food and above all, disease prevention. In that case, sustainable funding will help to reveal the new direction. Although the disease preventive activities through sustainable or continues funding first started in Australia, it is popular in 25 countries, including Thailand and Nepal. Bangladesh has imposed 1% surcharge on tobacco products. Thus other products that are harmful for health such as: AC, soft drinks, fast food, private car that means imposing surcharge on those products that harms to health, a sustainable funding can be run for disease prevention.

In this context, the following recommendations came out from the conference which should speedily implement by the people and the state:

1. All classes of people of the society, community, income, race and persons with disability have to take under consideration in the development of public health.

(b)   Giving priority to disease prevention instead of treatment and ensuring safe food, clean soil, clean wind, water, walking environment and sports field and controlling tobacco uses for that.

(c)Personally:

- Discourage family members, relatives and colleagues for tobacco uses and taking unhealthy food and introduce Healthy food.

- Encourage to comply with the relevant policies and laws.

- Taking initiatives for the cultivation of vegetables in rural and urban area and encourage others.

- Regular travel by walking and encourage children for walking.

-  Going for play and exercise in the park and play field.

-  Campaigning in social media.

(d)Socially/Locally

- Discourage for tobacco cultivation; founding walking club.

- Organizing different programs at playfields and parks.

- Community-wise fruits and vegetables production and selling.

- Raising awareness to control the use of fast-food and soft drinks.

- Working on creating enable environment for person with disabilities.  

(e) National level:

- Encourage to obey and implement the tobacco control law.

- Proper implementation of of all the relevant policies and laws including Health policy, Food Safety Act, Rights and Protection Act for Persons with Disabilities, Women policy, Integrated multi transport based national media policy, Consumer rights protection act, City corporation act, Playfield and wetland conservation act and make amendment or formulate newly if need.

- Ministry of Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Food, Environment and Forest Ministry, Local government, BSTI, Consumer Rights Protection Department, Planning Department / authorities and relevant agencies will coordinately conduct activities.

- Ensuring sustainable funding by imposing health tax on unhealthy products.

- Establishing a health promotion foundation and founding a platform/committee by private organizations to achieve the goals.

- Ensuring accessibility of disabled persons in educational institutions/workplaces/park-field-recreation center/road/transport everywhere.

- Creating environment for smooth and independent mobility focusing the special needs of women.

- Ensuring safe and smooth walking facilities everywhere for all including children and elderly people in the urban area.

- Controlling tobacco uses and tobacco cultivation.

- Encourage to produce fresh vegetables-fruits; control chemical and pesticide uses in agriculture; use organic fertilizer.

-  Preserve agricultural land in urban area.

-  Introducing market system at the local level.

-  Bringing vendors under proper management.

-  Controlling fast food, cold drinks and unhealthy food.

-  Control/banning of unhealthy food advertisement.

-  Infrastructure development for not only exercise but also for walking.

-  Ensuring accessibility for all by creating and preserving parks/play field and by providing user friendly infrastructure and equipments.

-  Private car control and improving public transport system.

-  Prevent factory made water and air pollution.

Declaration:

The government will conduct policy, law, planning, management, supervision, budget, infrastructure and institutional activities giving priority to disease prevention rather than treatment. Govt. will play role to protect public health by preventing Tobacco Company and other commercial organizations wit. At the same time, private institutions will be strongly involved in the activities and will greatly increase public awareness. Organizations participating in the conference will conduct a series of activities at national and local level as associate contributor of the govt. to achieve the goal. That will contribute to the advancement of the country and the nation by developing healthy generation as well as the development of public health.