Brazzaville, 31 May 2016 - The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, is calling on countries in the Region to prioritize the adoption of stronger warnings on tobacco products including plain packaging.

Dr Moeti's message comes as the global community commemorates World No Tobacco Day, under the theme: “Get Ready for Plain packaging.”

Plain packaging of tobacco products refers to measures that require packages of all tobacco products to have a standard colour and style, and to bear only the name of that specific product. It removes the use of colours, logos and images on tobacco products, thus making them less attractive especially to young people. Plain packaging will have prominent health warnings in both words and pictures.

"Countries should expand policies on packaging and labelling to include pictorial warnings. They should consider totally banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, in line with their obligations to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The adoption of a multi-sectoral approach to tobacco control will be critical,” said Dr Moeti.

Tobacco remains the only legal consumer product that kills when used as intended by the manufacturer. In the African Region, about 146,000 adults aged 30 years and above die every year from tobacco-related diseases. This makes tobacco one of the leading preventable risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. 

As part of efforts to protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco use, countries in the Region are implementing a range of measures.  For example Chad, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia and Seychelles allow pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages. Others have banned the display and visibility of tobacco products at where they are sold. Activities such as cross-border advertising, promotion and sponsorship are not allowed in a number of countries as well.

Evidence from Australia shows that plain packaging is working well as it is helping smokers to realize that all tobacco brands are harmful.

As countries commemorate World No Tobacco Day, the Regional Director is urging individuals, households and civil society organisations to join ongoing efforts to raise public awareness on the public health benefits of plain packaging.

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For more information, please contact:

Technical contact 

Dr Ahmed Ouma Ogwell. Regioanl Adviser for Tobacco Control, + 242 06 508 1108 Email: oumae [at] who.int
 
Media contact

Collins Boakye-Agyemang, Regional Communication Adviser, Tél. : + 242 06 520 6565,  Email : boakyeagyemangc [at] who.int
 
Fabienne Aboua, Communication Officer, Tel. : +242 056627568, Email : abouaf [at] who.int