700,000 Health Professionals in the Americas Pledge To Combat Tobacco

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 30 May 2005 - 13:00 PDT

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More than 520 health professional and support organizations from throughout the Americas are joining together to support tobacco control activities and to advocate for governments to ratify and implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The organizations have more than 700,000 members and workers in 30 countries.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) invited health professional organizations to sign the "Declaration of the Americas" to increase awareness and motivate action by health professionals to mark World No Tobacco Day, May 31.

This year's theme, "Health Professionals Against Tobacco," calls on health professionals and their associations to be on the front lines of efforts to reduce tobacco use, which claims more than a million lives every year in the Americas.

"Although many health professionals have supported tobacco control as individuals, their institutions have not always been so bold. No one sees the devastating effects of tobacco use on our populations as often and as close-up as dentists, pharmacists, physicians and nurses. Their professional organizations have more reason and responsibility than anyone to lead prevention efforts," explained Dr. Mirta Roses, Director of PAHO.

Dr. Roses said that one of the traditional challenges has been to get health professionals to look beyond treating their patients for tobacco addiction and to also become advocates for government policies to help prevent the addiction. She added that the credibility that health professionals have with policy makers and the public makes their advocacy particularly critical.

PAHO recognized health professionals and journalists as award winners in its annual World No Tobacco Day awards. A minister of health, medical organizations and tobacco control networks are among the winners of this year's PAHO awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to tobacco control in the Americas.

The six award winners are: National Alliance for Tobacco Control of Uruguay; Dr. Ginés González García, Minister of Health, Argentina; Odessa Henriquez and the Honduras Medical Association; Paula Johns of the REDEH Human Development Network; Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, and the St Vincent and the Grenadines Medical Association.

Special recognition for "Exceptional Tobacco Control Journalism" was given to David Brewster (deceased), Trinidad and Tobago Express; Mario Cesar Carvalho, Folha de Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Carola Fuentes and Canal 13, Chile.

Dr. Eduardo Bianco and the Síndicato Médico del Uruguay (the Medical Association of Uruguay) began orienting their tobacco control efforts toward advocacy a number of years ago, with success. "We worked actively with other organizations to urge the government of Uruguay to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The government ratified the FCTC early on, and we believe that our efforts influenced this decision." said Bianco.

Caroline Alexis-Thomas, last year's Caribbean Nurse of the Year for Trinidad and Tobago and coordinator of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Trinidad and Tobago, said that "more involvement in tobacco control initiatives - from policy development to program implementation - should not be a choice but an obligation of all nurses."

The Declaration of the Americas includes a pledge for health professional organizations to reject tobacco industry support, make their institutions tobacco-free, promote inclusion of tobacco control topics in health professional curricula and conferences, advocate for strong tobacco control policies, and supporting their clients in quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke exposure.

"Events in the past year have demonstrated the importance of media coverage in shaping the political environment around tobacco. In at least three instances, the work of individual journalists has played a significant role in influencing government action on tobacco control. We feel that these journalists warrant special recognition," said Dr. Armando Peruga, who coordinates PAHO's tobacco control team.

World No Tobacco Day, observed May 31 every year, aims to spread information globally on the dangers of tobacco use.

For more information please contact Daniel Epstein, PAHO, Public Information, 202-974-3459

Pan American Health Organization