Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre received a high-level commission chaired by Dr. Reyna Roa, representative of the National Commission for the Control of Tobacco Consumption.
Panama, through the representation of the Ministry of Health (MINSA), will host the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the third session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol. For the eradication of illicit trade in tobacco products.
The organizers pointed out that the economic resources for the event come from the Secretariat of the Framework Agreement and Protocol located in Switzerland and from the already established budget through the Tobacco Program which is managed by MINSA, from the sale of tobacco products. product of taxes. ,
He elaborated that experts will meet across the globe to define a road map of strategies for the implementation of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The event will see participation of 1,200 experts committed to the cause; It is a world meeting that takes place every two years, where a member country is chosen as the venue.
It was also reported that Panama will host the 3rd Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol for the Elimination of Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (MOP3 of the Protocol), and aims to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products. This protocol has been ratified by 67 parties to the WHO FCTC.
It has been established, as part of the obligations, to adopt and implement effective measures to control or regulate the supply chain of the goods to which this Protocol applies, in order to prevent illicit trade in the said goods. be deterred, detected, investigated and prosecuted. article, the representatives of Panama indicated.
Currently, Panama has a national prevalence of 5% in the population aged 15 years and older and 7.8% in young people. In this context, it is noteworthy to mention that Panama ranks first in the Americas region with the lowest prevalence of smoking, and we are the third country in the world with the lowest consumption of tobacco and its co-products (cigarettes).
Globally, Panama is also in an excellent position, being the third country with the lowest consumption of tobacco and its derived products worldwide.
The organizers also emphasized that this conference of OMSA member states responds to the need to reach global agreements to combat the tobacco epidemic, which kills approximately 8 million people every year and causes non-chronic diseases. Direct reason. Cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors, lung diseases such as pulmonary emphysema and chronic bronchitis, diabetes.
It should be noted that all of these diseases are among the leading causes of illness and death in Panama. In addition, experts indicated that the use of tobacco products harms sexual and reproductive health, which is responsible for the incidence of frequent miscarriages, low birth weight babies, premature births and sexual impotence.
According to MINSA data, tobacco use causes an average of 2,000 deaths per year in Panama, where the state should invest approximately 400 million per year to address the health damages caused by tobacco smoke use and exposure . ,
This makes it necessary to invest in decision making to design and analyze tobacco control measures and strategies to be implemented at the global, regional and local levels.
