Panama to strengthen strategy to reduce world tobacco deaths

Panamathrough the Ministry of Health (MINSA) is preparing for the implementation of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Control Framework Convention tobacco and the third session of the Conference of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, funded from the Secretariat of the Framework Convention and the Protocol, based in Switzerland, and from a budget developed through the Tobacco Program administered by the Ministry of the Interior.

Experts will meet around the world to define a strategic road map for implementing the WHO FCTC.

The event will bring together 1,200 experts dedicated to the cause; it is a biennial world conference in which a member country is chosen as its venue.

Likewise, the Republic of Panama will host the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (MOP-3), whose goal is to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products. , which has been ratified by 67 parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

As part of the obligation to adopt and apply effective measures to control or regulate supply chains for items to which this Protocol applies in order to prevent, deter, detect, investigate and prosecute illicit trade in said items.

Panama currently has a national prevalence of 5% among the population aged 15 and over and 7.8% among the young. In this regard, it is worth noting that Panama has the lowest smoking rate in the Americas, ranking first.

Globally, it also stands out, being the third country with the lowest consumption of tobacco and its derivative products in the world.

Precisely because of the country’s leadership in the field of tobacco, it will be the place where experts from around the world gather to define a strategic roadmap for the implementation of the WHO FCTC. tobacco control.

The commitment of States Parties to prevent interference by the tobacco industry and to establish mechanisms to ensure international cooperation, technical and financial assistance and civil society participation in all areas will be emphasized.

These conventions meet the need for a global agreement on how to tackle the smoking epidemic. The smoking epidemic kills nearly 8 million people every year and is the direct cause of non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, malignancy, and lung disease. Emphysema, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, all of these are leading causes of disease and death in Panama. In addition, tobacco product use can impair sexual and reproductive health, leading to recurrent abortions, low birthweight babies, premature births and sexual impotence.

Deaths from tobacco products in Panama

In the case of Panama, an average of 2,000 people die each year from the burden of chronic disease caused by tobacco products, implying that the country invests nearly US$ 400 million annually to address the health damage caused by tobacco use. and exposure to tobacco smoke.

This makes it critical to invest in decision-making to develop and analyze measures and strategies for tobacco control applicable at the global, regional and local levels.

Given the global context of tobacco-induced disease, disability and death, negotiations began in Switzerland on the text of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, signed in 2003, approved by the World Health Assembly and made available to the public. . The Republic of Panama ratified the Convention by Law No. 40 of 2004. .

This is the first global public health treaty, and it is classified as a human rights treaty because it protects the health and lives of people around the world. To date, the treaty has 182 parties, making it the most ratified UN global treaty.