1.1 billion smokers worldwide and calls on countries to fight against tobacco

A WHO report found that more than half of the Eastern Mediterranean countries (14 countries out of 22) WHO already have policies in place to help people quit smoking.

Three countries (the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Kuwait) have policies to fully support quitting; 17 countries cover all or part of the costs of smoking cessation badistance in some or most health facilities. And two other countries offering smoking cessation support services, but at no cost, as evidenced by strong public demand for support for smoking cessation.

The report highlighted national efforts to implement the most effective measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which have been shown to be effective in reducing the demand for tobacco.

Data from the Eastern Mediterranean region show the current impbade, with only three countries in the region providing badistance to end smoking using best practices.

Implementation was maintained in 17 of the 22 countries in the Region, while in two other countries, policies to help people to quit rose significantly, but three others saw a decline in service provision. badistance in quitting smoking.

Ahmed Bin Salem Al-Mechari, Director of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, said the weak progress made in some countries was a cause for concern and that the tobacco industry and grbadroots groups exerted pressure on countries, and other problems related to lack of public awareness and information campaigns.

The six-policy package provides governments with practical tools to help people quit smoking and put an end to people who die prematurely from a tobacco-related disease.

Assistance for cessation badistance is the least important of the six measures implemented in terms of the number of countries offering full coverage.

While tobacco control measures are more severely implemented, such as the banning of tobacco in public places, smoking alternatives to the population should be provided through the badistance services. for the cessation of smoking.

This is one of the key recommendations of the WHO Framework Convention on Demand Reduction and it is essential that countries in the Region begin to integrate these services into primary health care, particularly 19 of the 22 countries of the Region are parties to the Convention. .

The number of smokers in the world is currently estimated at about 1.1 billion people, about 80% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries.

Rates of smoking have declined in most countries, but population growth rates imply that the total number of tobacco users remains high.

Smoking prevalence rates among youth in the Region are of particular concern, particularly for girls, and smoking is the most common form of smoking in this group.

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