Decades of failure to end TB and tobacco use
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Shobha Shukla - CNS
Contd from previous issue
Local actions for global goal to end TB and tobacco
Our leaders need to walk the talk on making health a fundamental human right for everyone.
Dr Tara Singh Bam calls for national laws that support this so that everyone is protected from the deadly impact of tobacco products as well as from TB.
“Break the siloes,” said Dr Bam as there is an urgent need for a range of health and development programmes to join forces at all levels – especially at sub-national level, so that the benefits of this convergence can reach the people most in need.
Once TB, tobacco and other programmes join hands to enhance public health outcomes and resource maximisation, we need to train healthcare workers on both: TB and tobacco.
For example, everyone should get screened for TB in healthcare facilities and those with history of tobacco use, must be offered effective evidence- based tobacco quitting programmes and support. Quitting tobacco will help reduce burden of so many diseases, said Dr Bam.
Local leadership of sub-national leaders in advancing health and accountability has proven to make a major difference in over 80 cities of 12 countries where the Asia Pacific regional network consisting of Mayors, Members of Parliament, Governors, and other sub-national leaders and experts is active. This network is formally known as APCAT (Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development).
In the context of addressing the dual pandemics of TB and tobacco, APCAT has made a huge difference in protecting the people from both – and more (such as NCDs).
There are a lot of doable science and evidence-based actions that must get implemented locally. Some of these are - raising awareness about “saying no to all forms of tobacco use”, screening people for both (tobacco use and TB), early and accurate TB detection and linkage to care, treatment adherence support, ending all forms of TB related stigma, engaging TB survivors meaningfully to make a difference, implementing the full package of evidence-based tobacco control interventions recommended by the WHO (including raising taxes and smokefree policies), ensuring that effective tobacco cessation services are functional across the healthcare facilities, and, most importantly, protecting public health from tobacco industry interference.
Tobacco industry interference in public health policy is the biggest obstacle in implementing tobacco control policies. That is why the legally binding global tobacco treaty, formally called the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, has an important Article 5.3 that was adopted by governments in 2008. Preamble of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 clearly states to protect public health policy from tobacco industry interference because there is a direct and irreconcilable conflict of interest between the two. WHO FCTC Article 19 calls to hold tobacco industries liable for the harm they cause.
“Break the chain of TB transmission and protect all people from tobacco use,” emphasises Dr Bam.
Science has proven that it is critically important to screen everyone in high TB burden settings (not just those with symptoms) for TB with WHO recommended tools and offer them upfront molecular testing and linkage to treatment, care and support. Not doing so is among the factors responsible for decades of failure in TB response.
Same goes for tobacco control. No one needs to suffer from diseases caused by tobacco use or die of them. Not implementing tobacco control policies effectively and protecting everyone from tobacco use worldwide is another major failure.
It is high time we course-correct and prioritise people over profits.
Contd from previous issue
Local actions for global goal to end TB and tobacco
Our leaders need to walk the talk on making health a fundamental human right for everyone.
Dr Tara Singh Bam calls for national laws that support this so that everyone is protected from the deadly impact of tobacco products as well as from TB.
“Break the siloes,” said Dr Bam as there is an urgent need for a range of health and development programmes to join forces at all levels – especially at sub-national level, so that the benefits of this convergence can reach the people most in need.
Once TB, tobacco and other programmes join hands to enhance public health outcomes and resource maximisation, we need to train healthcare workers on both: TB and tobacco.
For example, everyone should get screened for TB in healthcare facilities and those with history of tobacco use, must be offered effective evidence- based tobacco quitting programmes and support. Quitting tobacco will help reduce burden of so many diseases, said Dr Bam.
Local leadership of sub-national leaders in advancing health and accountability has proven to make a major difference in over 80 cities of 12 countries where the Asia Pacific regional network consisting of Mayors, Members of Parliament, Governors, and other sub-national leaders and experts is active. This network is formally known as APCAT (Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development).
In the context of addressing the dual pandemics of TB and tobacco, APCAT has made a huge difference in protecting the people from both – and more (such as NCDs).
There are a lot of doable science and evidence-based actions that must get implemented locally. Some of these are - raising awareness about “saying no to all forms of tobacco use”, screening people for both (tobacco use and TB), early and accurate TB detection and linkage to care, treatment adherence support, ending all forms of TB related stigma, engaging TB survivors meaningfully to make a difference, implementing the full package of evidence-based tobacco control interventions recommended by the WHO (including raising taxes and smokefree policies), ensuring that effective tobacco cessation services are functional across the healthcare facilities, and, most importantly, protecting public health from tobacco industry interference.
Tobacco industry interference in public health policy is the biggest obstacle in implementing tobacco control policies. That is why the legally binding global tobacco treaty, formally called the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, has an important Article 5.3 that was adopted by governments in 2008. Preamble of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 clearly states to protect public health policy from tobacco industry interference because there is a direct and irreconcilable conflict of interest between the two. WHO FCTC Article 19 calls to hold tobacco industries liable for the harm they cause.
“Break the chain of TB transmission and protect all people from tobacco use,” emphasises Dr Bam.
Science has proven that it is critically important to screen everyone in high TB burden settings (not just those with symptoms) for TB with WHO recommended tools and offer them upfront molecular testing and linkage to treatment, care and support. Not doing so is among the factors responsible for decades of failure in TB response.
Same goes for tobacco control. No one needs to suffer from diseases caused by tobacco use or die of them. Not implementing tobacco control policies effectively and protecting everyone from tobacco use worldwide is another major failure.
It is high time we course-correct and prioritise people over profits.