The Ministry of Health has called upon stakeholders and people in media to actively participate in educating the public about the tobacco control Act 2015, which emphasizes the dangers of tobacco abuse to health.

The Senior Programs Officer at the Ministry of Health, Christine Ninsima, made the call during a sensitization meeting held in Arua city on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

According to Ninsima, tobacco abuse nearly damages every organ in the body, leading to diseases such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, and stroke, among others.

“The linkages between smoking and diseases are very many, and it goes without saying that as you smoke, you eventually get cancer of the mouth and other noncommunicable diseases like hypertension or stroke,” she said.

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The Tobacco Act prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship as well as curbing tobacco use within the country.

The ministry emphasized the important role the media plays in accurate information and fostering a better understanding of the provision of the law in the community.

The sensitization meeting’s objectives included raising awareness, promoting healthy practices, engaging stakeholders, and fostering community support by building a supportive environment for those seeking to quit smoking.

The Act further seeks to control the demand for the consumption of tobacco and its products, to control the supply of tobacco and its products to the population, to protect the environment from the effects of tobacco production and consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke, to promote the health of persons, and to reduce tobacco-related illnesses.