APCAT webinar raised the spotlight on the critical role of local leaders, which becomes even more important during the pandemics. NCDs and COVID-19 pandemics have one common risk factor - tobacco use - which is entirely preventable. Enacting stronger lifesaving health policies, approving the budgets and mobilizing more resources, providing oversight to ensure government accountability in implementation of global and national commitments, ensuring implementation of tobacco control, NCDs prevention and other essential primary healthcare programmes, such as TB control, were among the key recommendations that emerged.
Forward looking next steps for Members of Parliament and Ministries of Health was to ensure inclusion of tobacco control, NCDs and TB services in the national COVID-19 response plan. Mayors, Regents and Governors to ensure effective implementation of smokefree policies, ban on tobacco advertising, ban on donation from tobacco industry, ban on the sale of tobacco and alcohol products during COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure uninterrupted health services for NCDs and TB.
Shobha Shukla - CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla is the founding Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service) and Coordinator of Asia Pacific regional media network to end TB & tobacco and prevent NCDs. Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or visit www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)
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