The WHO Deputy Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti has hailed the Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) and the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) for the commendable work they are doing in their respective areas of work.

CTCA based in Uganda, was set up by WHO with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and currently works in five African countries and aims at reducing the consumption of tobacco by supporting governments implement evidence‐based tobacco control strategies. On the other hand, JCRC is an HIV/AIDS care and research institution located in Uganda, established to respond to and provide a scientific approach to the national HIV/AIDS challenge.

At CTCA, Dr. Moeti pledged WHO’s support so that the Centre excels in its work, adding that Non‐Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and associated risk factors including Tobacco consumption, are now priority areas not only in Africa but also globally. She emphasized the need for CTCA to leverage the relationship with WHO at all levels, in technical and policy aspects to ensure tangible results especially in the target countries.

Dr. Moeti urged CTCA to build a critical mass of people knowledgeable on Tobacco Control beyond the target countries. For this, she advised CTCA to develop training programs on Tobacco Control and establish courses as well fellowship programs for the benefit of the entire continent.

In his remarks, the Centre Director, who is also Dean of the Makerere University School of Public Health, Professor William Bazeyo, applauded Dr. Moeti’s invaluable support and contribution to the initial resource mobilization process that culminated into the establishment of the Centre.

Prof. Bazeyo called on WHO to support the Centre to develop its internal capacity to enable it evolve into a regional tobacco control training resource centre. “We need technical people to come and build our capacity in order to effectively support the ministries of health,” he said.

JCRC is in the final stages of becoming a WHO Collaborating Center and for this, Dr. Moeti urged the Executive Director Professor Peter Mugyenyi and the WHO Representative Dr. Joaquim Saweka to ensure that the process is expedited. She pointed out that “as resistance to some ARV has been reported in some countries, we must work very fast on the problem through JCRC so that we don’t lose time and people as it happened in the early years of the epidemic in some countries”. She added that given JCRC’s long experience and knowledge in HIV/AIDS treatment, WHO was eagerly looking forward to a successful collaboration and partnership.

Earlier Professor Mugyenyi explained the operations of the centre emphasizing that presently, treatment, and viral resistance to ARVs that has been noted in a number of African countries are the major areas of focus. He added that the centre will continue to serve as a knowledge hub for the African region noting that their major limitation was how to “efficiently utilize the little we have”.

For more information please contact :

Benjamin Sensasi, Health Promotion Adviser, WHO Country Office

Tel: 256-41-334400 Email: sensasib [at] ug.afro.who.int (sensasib[at]ug[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)