The Global Fight Against Cancer

Tobacco Control Leaders in Congo Drive Home Need for 360° Approach in French Speaking Africa

Workshop reinforces need to fight for enforcement of new smoke-free laws while engaging in new campaigns to change social norms around tobacco

Brazzaville, Congo – A network of Congolese tobacco control organizations (Réseau des ONG Congolaise de Lutte Antitabac - ROCAT) expressed satisfaction at the end of a tobacco control leadership capacity-building workshop sponsored and facilitated by the Africa Tobacco Control Consortium (ATCC). The workshop took place at the Vouela training center (20 km from Brazzaville) from November 29 - December 02, 2011. 

Célestin ZOUMA, President of ROCAT described the four-day training as a first-time, unique opportunity, “We had the opportunity to eliminate all misconceptions on tobacco control; we have just acquired new skills. We need to act without delay.”

Two Members of Parliament counted among 18 participants spanning civil society, media, and religious authorities.  The Congolese Ministry of Health and Population was also present through tobacco control point person Mrs. LIKIBI BOHO Rosalie. Select topics covered included the rationale for tobacco control with highlights on the health, economic, social and environmental reasons for tobacco control from both a global and African perspective. Facilitators walked participants through guidelines on the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) provisions including smoke-free public places (art.8), tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (art.13), packaging and labeling (art.11), and protecting tobacco control measures from tobacco industry interference (art.5.3). 

“I enjoyed the work groups. The gathering gave me an opportunity to deepen my knowledge of tobacco control,” said Alexis BABINDAMA from a Congolese consumer association (Association Congolaise pour la defense des droits des consommateurs).  

Most training modules were theoretical and practical. Other topics covered included provisions of a comprehensive tobacco control law, techniques for effective coalition-building using ROCAT as a case study and media advocacy techniques with focus on message development and transmission. 

“Although a smoke-free legislation was passed by the Congolese parliament, many citizens and decision makers are not aware of the magnitude of problems related to tobacco demand and supply,” said Eugene BIBOKA, one of the training participants and member of the health, social, family and gender committee at the Congolese National Assembly.

Now that a law has been passed by parliament, it is important for us to start preparing for its revision.  

“This is because we don’t know how compliant it is with the FCTC,” said Dr. Ebeh Kodjo Fabrice, Executive Secretary of the Alliance for Tobacco Control in Africa (ACTA) and one of the co-facilitators.

Information gathered in the course of the training revealed that the tobacco control law recently passed by parliament was not thoroughly revised by specialists in the field. Again, civil society and other tobacco control stakeholders present at the training neither had a copy of the law nor could talk about its content comprehensively.

 The training also gave an opportunity to understand ROCAT and to review its objectives, governing structure and reflect on how to strengthen its human resources capacity. “There is a lot to be done in Congo. It is therefore indispensable for us to give a new impetus to our network. The clock is ticking, people are dying, there no time to waste,” ZOUMA said, adding that they will between now and February 2012 convene a special general assembly in order to elect members of the board of directors to their network. 

“We count on the continuous support of the ATCC,” he concluded.

 
— Tih A. Ntiabang

 

American Cancer Society Joins 'Million Moms Challenge' to Tackle Second Leading Cancer Killer Among Women in Developing Countries

The Society Joins ABC News, United Nations Foundation's 'Million Moms Challenge'

to Raise Awareness of Cervical Cancer Globally

Atlanta, Dec. 5, 2011 — Although largely preventable through early detection, cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in developing countries, where more than 85 percent of the estimated 529,800 cervical cancer cases worldwide in 2008 occurred. While cervical cancer screening rates have decreased by as much as 65 percent over the past four decades due to screening, incidence rates remain high in developing countries in Central and South America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southern Asia where girls and women do not have access to prevention services such as education, HPV vaccination and life-saving pre-cancer screening and early treatment.

The American Cancer Society has joined ABC News and the United Nations Foundation in the recently launched Million Moms Challenge (www.millionmomschallenge.com ), an initiative aimed at connecting millions of American women with millions of moms in developing countries and raising awareness of maternal issues such as pregnancy, childbirth, children's health and moms' health worldwide. As the world's leading voluntary health organization, the American Cancer Society lends its expertise and resources to the Million Moms Challenge to raise awareness about cervical cancer, a leading cause of death among women worldwide and a disease that affects maternal health, especially in developing countries.

 "There is a great need to increase access to and improve quality of cervical cancer screening programs for women in countries where resources are not available," said Otis W. Brawley, M.D., the American Cancer Society's chief medical officer. "The American Cancer Society is proud to join the Million Moms Challenge in raising global awareness of cervical cancer and providing opportunities to save lives and reduce suffering from this highly curable and preventable disease."

The American Cancer Society recommends cervical cancer screening for women 18 and over approximately three years after a woman begins having vaginal intercourse, but no later than 21 years of age. Screening should be done every year with conventional Pap tests or every two years using liquid-based Pap tests. At or after age 30, women who have had three normal test results in a row may get screened every two to three years.

 The American Cancer Society is a member of Cervical Cancer Action, a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to eliminating cervical cancer deaths worldwide by raising global awareness and advancing a global call to action to address cervical cancer. For more information on the American Cancer Society's global efforts and how to join the movement, visit www.global.cancer.org  
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end cancer for good. As a global grassroots force of three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping you stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early, helping you get well by being there for you during and after a diagnosis, by finding cures through groundbreaking discovery and fighting back through public policy. As the nation's largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

The Million Moms Challenge is part of an ABC News year-long global health series "Be the Change: Save a Life," which is sponsored in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about the Million Moms Challenge visit www.millionmomschallenge.com or facebook.com/millionmomschallenge. To get involved in the conversation about healthy moms and babies around the world, follow @AMillionMoms on Twitter and use the hash-tag #AMillionMoms. Watch for the Diane Sawyer primetime special on maternal health airing December 16th.

SOURCE American Cancer Society