Kampala, 8th July 2014:- Uganda released preliminary results of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) indicating that, 1.3 million people aged 15 years and above currently use tobacco products.

Uganda is the 2nd African country after Nigeria to implement GATS that has provided internationally comparable information on tobacco use and indicators to support implementation of effective tobacco control measures.  Overall, the findings indicate that in Uganda, there is positive environment for tobacco control with public support for key tobacco interventions.

While launching the GATS Executive Summary and Fact Sheet, the Minister of State for Health (Primary Health Care) Honorable Sarah Opendi noted that with this new information, the Tobacco Industry will not be able to undermine tobacco control efforts as has been the norm. “We are extremely glad to share this information and the Ministry of health has noted the policy implications of the data which we shall act upon to fulfill our obligations under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,” she said.

Indeed the GATS points to a number of policy areas that need urgent attention. For instance, the data indicates the existence of exposure to secondhand smoke especially in public places such as restaurants and hotels pointing government to the urgent need to implement smoke-free policies for all public places.

In addition, the Data shows a high level of tobacco dependency among current users with many not able to access cessation services justifying integration of the service into the health care system coupled with increasing capacity of health workers in counseling & cessation services.

Regarding the media, the GATS demonstrates that many people noticed anti-smoking messages in the media and many current Smokers thought about quitting after exposure to these messages   confirming that hard-hitting messages and pictorial warnings on all tobacco products is key to reducing tobacco use among users, discourage initiation and increase cessation. 

Another aspect with policy implication is the existence of cigarettes marketing by the tobacco industry especially at the point of sale. The data also reports tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) in various media outlets underlining the need to implement total bans of TAPS with effective enforcement. 

Finally, GATS Uganda shows that tobacco products are cheap compared to other household necessities such as bread and sugar. Therefore raising the price of tobacco products through increased taxation will make cigarettes less affordable for the majority of the people. 

Speaking at the launch, the WHO Representative for Uganda, Dr W. Alemu said that in the absence of authentic data such as GATS, the Tobacco Industry uses tactics to paint a different picture to recruit the younger generation into tobacco addiction for their financial profits. “We now have the data that should help government to, for instance, totally ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.  This is an area the Tobacco Industry has always used to promote its products thereby increasing the risks and premature deaths associated with tobacco use”, Dr Alemu said

GATS was conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Standards (UBOS) under the coordination of the Ministry of Health with technical and financial support provided by WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

__________________________________________________

For more information please contact: 

Mr Benjamin Sensasi | Health Promotion Adviser
WHO Country Office
Tel 256-414-335500
Email: sensasIb@.who.int