A Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (RCTC) was inaugurated to have a common platform or one-point reference system for all tobacco control information/updates/ activities and technical resource materials across India.
Dr Jagdish Kaur, Regional Advisor, SEARO; Dr Mira B Aghi Behavioural Scientist and Communication Expert; Anne Jones, Tobacco Control Technical Advisor from Australia, Dr Prakash C Gupta, Director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health inaugurated the Resource Center for tobacco control at the 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health in Bali, Indonesia last week. The tobacco control advocates and leaders from various organizations including Dr. Rakesh Gupta CCE/Deputy Director Health and FW Punjab attended the event. The major collaborating partners are Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, WHO-SEARO and The Union.
Dr. Sonu Goel, Additional Professor, PGIMER, Chandigarh India said that framing a Resource Centre was a much needed step in the country at this stage which shall be able to facilitate speedy implementation of WHO-FCTC, MPOWER and other Tobacco Control interventions. This is a virtual centre which will provide all the relevant information at one place. Besides, it will regularly update the evidences and facts which will solve the current issues of information-gap and facilitate program managers in seeking correct, reliable, updated and contextual data and statistics in tobacco control.
While inaugurating and appreciating this initiative, the Chief Guest Anne Jones stated that keeping in mind that this menace takes a toll of about 1.3 million people per year in India, a tobacco stop watch must be a part of this RCTC. Further she said that the cessation manual focusing on NCD patients is a much needed step for a developing country likeIndia.
Dr Rana J Singh Regional Director The Union said in a telephonic call during the event that this RCTC and manual will be effectively utilized by program implementers, academicians, researchers and other stakeholders for capacity building. He said that the RC will provide momentum to existing coordination mechanisms and collaborations in tobacco control for harmonized initiatives and thus strengthening partnerships in the area.
Dr Mira B Aghi, Guest of Honour told that the interventions by GoI has led to a drastic reduction in prevalence of tobacco use in country, as validated by recently released report of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017. Further, she appreciated the innovative idea which has a potential to help policy makers, implementers, academicians and researchers. She also called upon partner organisations working in tobacco control along with national and state tobacco control cells to work in union towards the development of this resource centre by sharing information (especially innovations in tobacco control at state/ national level), so that this centre becomes one-point source for seeking information on tobacco control.
All the participating organisations attending the event enthusiastically supported the initiative of establishment of resource centre in India.
No comments:
Post a Comment