The World Health Organization (WHO) says the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health challenges the world has ever faced, killing more than eight million people globally every year.

The Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said this in her message to commemorate ‘World No Tobacco Day’, celebrated every May 31.

Moeti said: “Africa is experiencing an increase, for instance, the number of adult smokers increased in the WHO African Region from an estimated 64 million in 2000 to 73 million in 2018.

“The tobacco industry’s strong marketing campaigns and increased tobacco product production are also contributing factors to this.”

Moeti appealed to tobacco-growing countries in the Africa Region to step up the implementation of Articles 17 and 18 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

According to her, such can be done by enacting legislation, developing, and implementing suitable policies and strategies, and enabling market conditions for tobacco farmers to shift to growing food crops.

She said such would help their families with a better life while enhancing the protection of the environment and the health of people.

“With such action, we will be growing food, which our populations need, not tobacco.

“The day provides us the opportunity to highlight the dangers associated with tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke,” the WHO official added.

Moeti said it was also an occasion to renew our advocacy for effective policies to halt the tobacco epidemic and its impact on individuals, societies, and nations.

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She stated that tobacco growing and production exacerbates nutrition and food insecurity, adding: “Tobacco farming destroys the ecosystems, depletes soils of fertility, contaminates water bodies, and pollutes the environment.

“Any profits to be gained from tobacco as a cash crop may not offset the damage done to sustainable food production in low- and middle-income countries.

“Nearly 828 million people are facing hunger globally. Of these, 278 million (20 per cent are in Africa.

“In addition, 57.9 per cent of people in Africa suffer from moderate to severe food insecurity,” she noted.

Moeti stated that such action would jeopardise the region’s attainment of SDG 2 which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

The WHO official said the intensification of the major drivers behind recent food insecurity and malnutrition trends, such as conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks, further compounds this situation.

She said Africa faced a grave challenge in food and nutrition security imposed by the increasing tobacco farming in the region.

Moeti added: “Data shows that while the area under tobacco cultivation decreased by 15.7 per cent globally, in Africa it increased by 3.4 per cent from 2012 to 2018.

“During this period, tobacco leaf production globally reduced by 13.9 per cent however, it increased by 10.6 per cent in Africa.

“In recent years, tobacco cultivation has shifted to Africa because of a regulatory environment that is more favourable to the tobacco industry with increasing demand for tobacco.

“WHO is working with Member States and other partners to assist farmers in shifting from tobacco growing to alternative crops.

“In the last two years, an initiative in Kenya has assisted over 2000 tobacco farmers to turn to alternative crops.

“This has resulted in improved food and nutrition security, increased income for farmers, healthier farming activities as well as environmental rehabilitation.”

Moeti, therefore, called for the expansion of such initiative for all tobacco-growing countries in Africa.

The Star