Advertising ban helps keep Kenya on track in fight against tobacco use

Kenya has made great strides in the fight against tobacco use in the last 10 years, according to Joel Gitali, chair of the Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance.

Gitali spoke to The Eastleigh Voice on Friday, following a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) that said Kenya is among nations that are on track to help achieve a 30 per cent relative reduction in tobacco use across the world by 2025.

Gitali said the ban on tobacco advertisements and graphic warnings on cigarette packets are among the measures that have helped reduce tobacco use in Kenya.

"Kenya has a bright future and despite having several challenges in the fight against tobacco use, the efforts made by various stakeholders have helped in the reduction, especially among school-going children," he said.

The report released last week says Kenya is among 150 countries that are successfully reducing tobacco use.

"There has been a steady decline in tobacco use for both males and females in each age group over the observed period - 2000–2022. The age-specific rates are projected to continue declining to 2030 for both males and females," says the report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use for 2000-2030.

In Kenya, the estimated number of tobacco smokers was one in every 20 adults, based on data for the year 2022.

Kenya is considered a leader on the continent as it was the first African country to sign and ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2004, which became the basis for the Tobacco Control Act of 2007.

 Globally, there are fewer people using tobacco now than in the year 2000. There are 1.25 billion tobacco users worldwide, or one in every five adults, now, compared to 2000, when the statistic was one in every three adults.

The best reduction rates among men, by region, were registered in Africa (29 per cent) and South-East Asia (26 per cent).

Tobacco control milestones in Kenya

2004 - The WHO FCTC is ratified

2005 - The WHO FCTC enters into force

2007 - The Tobacco Control Act (TCA) is enacted and the Tobacco Control Board established

2010 - The five-year national tobacco control action plan begins

2013 - The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is signed

2014 - Tobacco Control Regulations (TCRs) are proposed

2015 - The Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2015-2020

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