Fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC (COP5)

On 12–17 November the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) will hold its fifth session (COP5) in Seoul, Republic of Korea. 

On this edition we were represented by Cornel Radu (ENSP). The poster, distributed among the attendants was also sent to high level policy makers of the World Health Organization and the EU ahead of the conference.  

Posters printed

As an another action of our advocacy campaign we have printed big posters with the signatures of the 555 organisations participating. 

The posters will be distributed at the 5^th Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which will take place from 12 to 17th November in Seoul, Korea. 

Thanks for your support and we hope to see you there!

ENSP - European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention also supports the TFU Campaign. 

Thank you!

Last chance to sign up

The TFU signature campaign “Health Professionals for a Tobacco Free World“ is drawing to a close. 

It is now your last chance to sign up and have your organisation’s name figure on the list of signatories to be remitted to the delegates of the 5^th Conference of the Parties of the FCTC,  meeting from 12-17 November in Seoul Korea.

We are now at 43.000 signatures from 73 countries, representing more than 800 organisations world wide showing their support for a strong implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. 

Don’t miss the opportunity to show government delegates from your country that you are personally standing behind strong and effective tobacco control measures!

Please do not hesitate to inform your national and international network partners and encourage them to sign up their organisation to the TFU campaign.

A special thanks to all of you who have already signed up to the campaign!

Campaign update

We are about to go on  holidays. But before that let's see what has happened in  our advocacy campaign in the last few weeks. 

More than 43.000 health professionals from 73 countries have demonstrated  committment to tobacco control policies and want their governments to similarly show their commitment . 

The  campaign coordination team is also very happy to announce that as well as spreading  this campaign  through the social media, it has been shared 186 times from our page to Facebook and tweeted 66 times  

We think it is a very good result considering  that this is a very specific campaign adressed to a highly specialized target. 

We wish you all a well deserved rest and from our part, we will be contact in September refreshed and renewed  to keep growing on our objectives. 


Remember you can sign the petition here: http://www.ensh.eu/tfu-form.php

Happy  holiday!

Ireland, supporting the FCTC since 2009

On the 13th July 2009 the Irish Department of Health and Children signed the Pact and Charter and called on health professionals to publicly support the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.  
It was the first First National Body to support the campaign.


(right-left) Health Promotion Director Dr. Nazih Eldin; Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Office Health Service; Miriam Gunning, Senior HPO for Tobacco of the Health Service Executive in Ireland and Ann O'Riordan former Irish HPH Network Director).


Source: Ann ORiordan, TFU Lead and Coordinator

The Spanish Society of Epidemiologists supports the campaign

The Spanish Society of Epidemiologists (SEE) has  also joined the global campaign "Health professionals for a  tobacco free world". 
The campaign has been announced on its website and on the electronic newsletter and it will reach almost 1000 epidemiologists in Spain. 

Thank you SEE!

A great “thank you” to all of you

After special attention to the TFU campaign around World No Tobacco Day, the campaign now counts 42.193 signatures from 72 countries!

Our next goal is to show policy makers with even more signatures that health professionals stand behind a strong Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.  

We will not let the tobacco industry water down effective implementation of rules and regulations on national level!!

Spain colleting signatures

The Catalan Network of Smoke Free Hospitals and the Health Promoting Hospitals of Catalonia have supported and spread the campaign to collect signatures in Spain. 

Pictures of 31st May, No Tobacco Day,  in the health centre ICO Hospitalet, Barcelona, Spain.

Signatures of the campaign press release

Dr. Shu-Ti Chiou
Chair of the International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services

Dr. Esteve Fernández

Chair of the ENSH-Global Network for Tobacco Free Health Care Services

PRESS RELEASE - World No Tobacco Day 2012

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS FOR A TOBACCO FREE WORLD!

Health professionals call upon policy makers world wide to protect our tobacco control policies from the lethal interference of the tobacco industry in public health matters. Tobacco industry interference in government decisions  has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the greatest barriers to effectively protect people against the health threats posed by tobacco products.

On the occasion of this years’ World No Tobacco day, more than 40.000 health organisations and individual health professionals  from  60 countries have pledged their personal and organisational engagement to support strong tobacco control measures world wide.  Health Organisations have demonstrated their organisations’ commitment to implement a tobacco free policy by signing the TFU PACT. Individual Health Professionals have shown their personal engagement to help people stop tobacco consumption by signing the TFU CHARTER . Together they  support a petition in which  governments and policy makers world wide are called upon to step up  their efforts in the fight against tobacco related death and disease.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control  sets a global framework to reduce tobacco related death and disease to prevent tobacco consumption and to protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco use in all its form. On World No Tobacco Day 2012,  175 UN countries (accounting for nearly  90% of the global population) have ratified  the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).  Health professionals can not accept that effective implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is  hindered through interference of economic players whose goal is to maximise profit through the dissemination of death and disease.

Therefore, health professionals urge Governments to take immediate action to suspend participation of representatives of the tobacco industry and related front organisations from the development, implementation and financing of public health policy measures. Furthermore, tobacco control legislation must be protected and prioritised in international trade agreements and investment laws. Health professionals world wide consider it a scandal that the tobacco industry still has the possibility to interfere with  countries’ decision making process in matters of public health. It is simply outrageous that the tobacco industry can take  Australia and Uruguay to court because of introducing better health protection measures.  All Governments, and especially those of the Netherlands, Namibia, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Panama, are called upon to immediately exclude the tobacco industry from any decision making process relating to health issues and to adopt strict transparency criteria in any consultation processes!

It is only through a concerted effort of policy makers, researchers and practitioners together that this man-made epidemic can be stopped!

The TFU campaign "Health professionals for a Tobacco Free World" is a collaborative effort of the International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) and the ENSH - Global Network of Tobacco Free Health Care Services.

By the end of May, all together  61 countries participate in the TFU campaign with about 41.000 signatures collected!

Tobacco and Health

Tobacco consumption is the single most preventable cause of death and disability in the world. 

In 2008 tobacco killed more than 5 million people world wide – by 2030 the death toll will exceed 8 million a year, unless comprehensive tobacco control is fully implemented. Tobacco kills more than tuberculosis, Aids/HIV and malaria combined. Tobacco use harms every organ of the body and kills up to half of its consumers (Mortality attributable to tobacco, WHO 2011).

Furthermore, 600.000 non-smokers die from exposure to tobacco smoke in the world each year. There is no safe level of exposure to second hand smoke. Second hand smoke exposure contributes to a range of diseases including heart disease and many cancers. Socially disadvantaged populations are the most at risk and carry the greatest burden of premature death and disease. The consequences of tobacco consumption in all its forms severely impact socio-economic development of all countries around the world (Systematic Review on Tobacco and Poverty, WHO 2011). The related health care costs are growing and the non-health care costs, such as loss of productivity, are staggering.

In their daily work, health professionals are constantly confronted with premature death and disease caused by tobacco consumption. For them every day is a new battle to reduce suffering and hardship of patients and their families who have been trapped by this deadly habit. Health care workers show leadership in combating tobacco consumption and act as role models for the general population so as to convince them to stop this disastrous habit. This personal and organisational effort needs to be supported by strong legislation. National policies and guidelines are needed to strengthen a tobacco free environment particularly  in  health services and health care environment. Every tobacco user must have access to evidence based and affordable cessation treatment programmes.

International organisations supporting us

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has joined the TFU campaign 

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) by signing the TFU PACT. UICC unites 537 member organisations in 129 countries in the global fight against cancer. 

Lately, the TFU PACT was also signed by the following organisations: 

• Medical Association of Uruguay
• Indionesian Heart Foundation
• Tobacco Control Cell of the Government of Pakistan
• Romanian Society of Pneumology
• FARES Belgium 
• Doctors against Tobacco in Sweden

Source: S.Fleitmann, TFU campaign Manager

Singapore

In support of the TFU initiative the Health Promotion Board of Singapore launched a campaign poster to boost their signature collection.

Source: Amrita Namasivayam, Senior Executive (Substance Abuse Programme), Adult Health Division, Health Promotion Board of Singapore.

Taiwan campaign support and promotion

The Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health, Taiwan strongly promoted the TFU campaign in the run up to the recent TFU Tobacco Free Pre Conference, April 11th 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan.
It was held in association with the 20th International Conference of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services.

Due to this incredible effort, Taiwan had succeeded collected an amazing 35.000 signatures by 18th April 2012!
Source: Han-Ning Wei, Bureau of Health Promotion, Taiwan