World health body to study impact of tobacco in Uganda

The World Health Organisation will carry out a study in Uganda to find out the benefits and cost of tobacco on Ugandans.

A team of 20 researchers, according to Dr Prossy Mugyenyi, the manager of Centre for Tobacco Control will carry out the study are being trained. She said the researchers will focus on how much money Uganda spends on treating patients who acquire cancer due to tobacco smoking and how much money the country earns from the tobacco industry. She said the research would be carried out in hospitals, the finance and health ministries and in tobacco-growing communities to evaluate the related costs.

Statistics show that Uganda loses about 13,500 people to tobacco-related illnesses annually. The Uganda Cancer Institute, which is home to most cancer patients, needs Shs102 billion shillings annually to handle the cases. This is compared to 80 billion shillings got as direct tax from tobacco companies.

Naturally, tobacco contains nicotine. When cigarettes are being processed, some additives like ammonia, lead, butane, chromium, benzene and hydrogencyanide are added.

According to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2011, out of the 33 million Ugandans, about 15 percent of males and three percent of females between the ages of 15-49 use tobacco products. In 2011, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Kinkiizi East MP, tabled the Tobacco Control Bill 2012 that seeks to regulate the manufacture, sale, labeling, promotion, advertising, and sponsorship of tobacco products.

The draft law that is being scrutised by the relevant committee of Parliament also seeks to regulate the distribution and public use of tobacco products, recognise, promote and protect the right to health and the right to life as fundamental human rights among others.

Uganda is a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which implies that is obliged to have a comprehensive Tobacco Control Act.

The FCTC is a comprehensive law is known to protect and promote public health. The Bill is also premised on the fact that the 1995 Constitution of Uganda guarantees the right to health, clean environment and a right to life.
It further provides for the protection and promotion of the interests of tobacco growers by promoting economically-viable alternative livelihoods.