Tobacco free initiative
Regional Workshop on Sustaining Action for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and Training on Tobacco Control Policies and Programmes
Manila, Philippines, 20 - 27 August 2008
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1. BACKGROUND
Tobacco use is the second major cause of death in the world today. One third of the world’s smokers reside in the Western Pacific Region, where it is estimated that two people die every minute from a tobacco-related disease. In response to the epidemic, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control drives the global tobacco control agenda. Steady progress has been made since it came into force in February 2005. And yet the politics of tobacco control continues to pose many challenges and barriers that require sustained action and advocacy.
The WHO FCTC has also been accompanied by an unprecedented acceleration of tobacco control activities at global, regional and national levels. Countries are now facing the need to engage in tobacco control efforts on many fronts simultaneously, and in most instances the human resources and infrastructure to respond are limited and the capacity to link evidence to policy and action may be constrained.
In this regard, two activities will be held in Manila. First, the Regional Workshop on Sustaining Action on the WHO FCTC to prepare national focal points and senior officials for the third Conference of Parties (COP-3) on 20-22 August 2008 and second, a Training on Tobacco Control Policies and Programmes to strengthen skills of national focal points and surveillance officers on 25-27 August 2008.
2. OBJECTIVES
Regional Workshop on Sustaining Action on the FCTC
(20-22 August 2008)
At the end of the workshop, the participants will have:
(1) introduced MPOWER (six proven cost-effective tobacco control measures) and explored opportunities for linking this to the priority actions for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control;
(2) prepared countries for COP-3 and other WHO FCTC related activities; and
(3) developed regional and national strategies for sustaining action for the WHO FCTC.
Training on Tobacco Control Policies and Programmes
(25-27 August 2008)
At the end of the training, the participants will have:
(1) reviewed progress and identified ways to strengthen programmes and policies on tobacco control in countries;
(2) developed additional skills in tobacco control programme management; and
(3) identified specific strategies for strengthening the use of evidence for tobacco control policies and programmes.