World Health Organization (WHO)
Year(s) : 2007, 2008
Grant Recipient Type : Government
Grantor : World Lung Foundation (WLF)
Project goal : To make progress in tobacco control in the PAHO region.
Direct Grant : No
World Health Organization
Key achievement to date:
Building of a strong foundation for accelerated
change going forward.
Objective 1:To achieve tobacco
control progress in Brazil.
Major
accomplishments to date:
- Invited by Ministry of Public
Health to collaborate on a capacity assessment
that also served as pilot test for assessment
methodology developed by WHO.
- Provided technical and financial support for workshops in Campinas (State of Sao Paulo) on smoke-free environments.
- Prepared a draft National Action Plan for Tobacco Control.
- Held meetings between Ministry of Health and PAHO to discuss establishment of a National Office for Tobacco Control.
- WHO capacity assessment provided the tobacco control community with a unique opportunity to see how a national tobacco control program functions and to examine how the international tobacco control community can provide relevant technical assistance through such an assessment.
- GATS questionnaire finalized.
- Conclusion of WHO national capacity assessment of tobacco control policies and World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) activities, which were a great success, particularly a press conference that brought together the Minister of Health, Dr. Douglas Bettcher, Mr. Diego Victoria (PWR/Brazil), and the directors of INCA and ANVISA to present new health warning images.
- Translated MPOWER reports into Portuguese in response to an increased demand following the national capacity assessment and WNTD.
- GATS questionnaire finalized. GATS included as a special survey in the Brazilian National Household Survey; two GATS training sessions planned. Fieldwork begun and completed.
- Participated in national seminars organized by the National Tobacco Control Program, an international seminar organized by PAHO, and meetings of the National Committee for the Implementation of the Framework Convention.
- Smoke-free environment regulations saw notable increases in media visibility following public declarations by the president; São Paulo is discussing new smoke-free legislation.
- Developing anti-tobacco anime comics for adolescents.
- Brazil No Tobacco Day used the theme of smoke-free environments for advocacy of federal and state laws.
- Hosted the Ibero-American
Tobacco Control Network seminar on promoting
100% smoke-free environments.
Objective 2: To achieve tobacco
control progress in Mexico.
Major
accomplishments to
date:
- A general tobacco
control law, which includes health warnings, a
partial restriction on advertisement, promotion
and sponsorship, and smoking bans, was
approved. The health warnings include 30% of
front with a pictogram, 100% of back, 100% of
one lateral, and a ban on misleading
descriptors.
- A law was approved
requiring smoke-free areas in restaurants, bars
and public buildings. Assisted Secretary of
Health to overcome loopholes in new law through
development of regulations; held packaging and
labeling workshops.
- Celebration of
WNTD coincided with the Official Act of the
Federal Government announcing the publication
of the General Law for Tobacco Control in the
Official Journal. WNTD events took place
throughout the country.
- An
advocacy workshop on media was presented to
young adults.
- Training survey and fieldwork for GATS conducted, and GYTS completed in 11 state capitals in the country. Second meeting of the study group on sustainable economic alternatives crops to tobacco took place.
- General Law for
Tobacco Control entered into force. The
National Council Against Addictions convened a
tobacco control working group with state Health
Ministers regarding the regulations of the law.
The National Institute of Public Health
implemented a summer course on smoke-free
places and advocacy. The Institute launched the
campaign on TV, radio, print and billboards in
the Federal District, and WLF completed a mass
media training session in Mexico City.
- Pre-test completed and report submitted to GATS partners; national GATS committee reviewed the final project draft. Final version of GATS questionnaire, and fieldwork scheduled to begin.
- National
Institute of Public Health conducted a series
of economic analyses, including the economic
impact of new legislation banning smoking in
public places.
- Technical support continued for regulation on the General Law for Tobacco Control. Several states approved laws endorsing smoke-free areas in closed spaces. The Fourth National Conference of State Councils Against Addictions showed progress in advocacy, public information and inter-institutional coordination on tobacco control.
- Federal government
launched a national media campaign promoting
the benefits of smoke-free spaces.