American Cancer Society Co-Sponsors First African Conference on Tobacco OR Health in Morocco

Two hundred delegates from 27 nations participated in the First African Conference on Tobacco OR Health held in Casablanca, Morocco, December 6-10, 2006. The conference was co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the World Health Organization, the International Union Against Cancer, the European Respiratory Society, the Moroccan Scientific Society, and the French National Committee Against Tobacco.  Several American Cancer Society staff and volunteers conducted a symposium on the role of international nongovernmental organizations in controlling the growth of tobacco and disease in Africa, including: President-elect Marion Morra, MA, ScD; New England Division volunteer Frank Vanoni, MD; Atlantic Division Chief Community Officer Gail Roddie-Hamlin; Director of Cancer Science and Trends Thomas Glynn, PhD; Senior Director of International Tobacco Control and International Tobacco Program Assistant Ami Valdemoro; and Society tobacco control-grantee Lutgard Kagaruki.  The group formulated specific objectives to provide training opportunities for health care planners and providers, share epidemiologic and clinical data relevant to tobacco use in Africa, develop alliances and networks among tobacco control partners in Africa, and support the ratification and implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control across the continent.  Conference attendees unanimously endorsed a conference declaration that provides an outline for the next steps in developing stronger tobacco control throughout Africa, and a plan to hold a second pan-African conference in 2008.