BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Eswatini has today joined the rest of the world in commemorating World NoTobacco Day, under the theme ‘Grow food, not Tobacco’.
Worth noting is that Eswatini loses close to 600 emaSwati annually due to tobacco-related illnesses, according to the Ministry of Health.
During an interview, Health Official Sdumo Lukhele said they were commemorating the day with an all-day event at Mhlatane High School.
He said, this yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organisation (WHO) is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.
The Member States of the World Health Organisation created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes.
In 1987, the World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for 7 April 1988 to be ‘A world no-smoking day’ In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on May 31.
Lukhele said World No Tobacco Day is meant for the country to raise awareness of the negative health, social, economic, and environmental impacts of tobacco production and use.
“As a Ministry, we must protect the public health of the citizens of Eswatini. Tobacco is a major public health issue due to the serious effects of tobacco smoking which tends to shorten the lifespan of direct smokers as well as second-hand smokers,” he said.
He further said it is the single largest risk factor for all non-communicable diseases such as cancers, heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive lung disease and other respiratory diseases. It also results in low-birthweight in babies.
Meanwhile, WHO Representative Dr Kevin Makadzange said reducing tobacco consumption is a key catalyst towards realising the health-related Sustainable Development Goals but, as the environmental evidence illustrates, the benefits go far beyond health.
