Uniting local leaders will translate #globalgoals into change
Nepal's Member of Parliament and former Health and Population Minister Khagaraj Adhikari said to CNS (Citizen News Service) in video interview (youtube.com/c/citizennewsorgcns) that all local lead-actors need to unite to translate these global goals into effective action towards desired change. Well-coordinated local leadership is central to effective implementation of health and development policies. Local actions are the fundamental building blocks to drive nations, regions and the world towards sustainable development. "We have to make agenda at provincial level, central level and local level leadership is key for implementation. With concerted efforts at all levels, Asia Pacific region will become tobacco-free in coming days", said Adhikari.
Nepal has demonstrated strong leadership in tobacco control. Nepal had world's biggest pictorial health warnings (90%) on all tobacco products till very recently, when Timor Leste went for even bigger pictorial warnings (92.5%) pictorial warnings on tobacco packs. Nepal's contribution to tobacco control also got acknowledged with an international award. One of the awardees for 2015 Award for Global Tobacco Control of Bloomberg, was Nepal Ministry of Health and Population.
This Award citation in 2015 had put this on record: "Nepal has taken the lead among Southeast Asian nations when it comes to controlling and reducing tobacco use. Initiated by the Ministry of Health and Population in 2011, Nepal has enacted a comprehensive law comprised of large graphic health warnings, comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorships, as well as a smoke-free law for public spaces - all while facing immense pressure from the tobacco industry. To date, the Ministry of Health has faced 16 extensive court cases brought against the measure by the tobacco industry. Unbowed, the Ministry of Health and Population has won 14 of those cases, with two appeals currently pending."
MP Khagaraj Adhikari shared that he was exposed to tobacco smoke as his father was a chain smoker. 12 years before his death, he had stopped tobacco use. So when he got the opportunity to be Nepal's Minister for Health and Population, despite odds, he made unprecedented progress to advance health promotion, in particular, tobacco control.
"121,000 people die every year due to tobacco in Nepal. Government supports patients of NCDs but this support is not enough. Moreover, prevention is better than cure" stressed Adhikari.
He rightly says that "We should not have had to establish more hospitals" if health promotion was on track, because over 70% deaths are due to NCDs, a majority of which are preventable. He advocates for raising awareness to establish more stadiums and other spaces for increasing physical activity, and thereby reduce risk of NCDs.
He also emphasized on critical need to reach out to the children and young people, so that they do not choose tobacco, but choose health and life. Also young people can help convince their family members and friends to stop using tobacco for their own health and wellbeing.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
