The
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Center for
Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA), recently held a forum for National Assembly
Members on Tobacco Control (TC) and National Communicable Diseases (NCDS) in
The Gambia.
The
meeting brought together members from the multi-sectorial working group.
The
forum was held to present a case to the TC stakeholders / TC Coordination
Mechanism for the establishment of an advocacy forum within the National
Assembly to support the bill to agree on a strategy for establishing the
National Assembly Forum on TC and NCDs.
It
was also held to identify the champions within the National Assembly who would
spearhead the process, develop a roadmap/action plan for supporting the
establishment and sustainability of the forum.
Speaking
at the forum, Ronald Bagaga, Technical Advisor on Compliance at the CTCA, said
The Gambia became a party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on
17 December 2007.
He
said since then it had progressively taken strides in implementing the
provisions of the same, by putting in place measures to curb the use of tobacco
products, and a TC Bill is now due for tabling before parliament.
According
to him, the constitution of The Gambia establishes the National Assembly as the
peoples’ representative voice, and it portrays the National Assembly as the
collective forum for citizens to air their views on any matter of national
significance.
This,
he said, makes the National Assembly the most august assembly where Tobacco
Control Agenda must be visible.
From
previous engagements with members of the National Assembly, members were
supportive of the idea of streamlining Tobacco Control into the overall
national development agenda as a way to preempt the imminent NCDs epidemic.
He
said it is important to leverage on this positive stance by the members of the
National Assembly, to organise them in a formal group of champions to spearhead
the oversight of the executive efforts at policy level towards tobacco control.
