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Professor Ima-Obong Ekanem
By Akpan David, Calabar
Tobacco has been described as an epidemic, and which has become the world’s biggest public health threat ever faced.
This disclosure was made by Professor Ima-Obong Ekanem, director of Calabar Cancer Registry and Chief Consultant Pathologist in the department of pathology, University of Calabar as well as at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
She said that, according to the World Health Organization, each year tobacco kills over seven million people.
She that without urgent action, the death would rise above eight million by 2030.
She spoke at Army Day Secondary School in Calabar at this year’s edition of World Tobacco Day which had the theme: “Commit To Quit”. It was organised in collaboration with the Calabar Cancer Registry
This year’s event was organised by the Calabar Cancer Registry, UCTH, Calabar in collaboration with the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Calabar as a way of targeting the vulnerable youths in schools.
According to Prof Ekanem, “nearly half of tobacco users die, while 890,000 non-smokers die yearly from exposure to second hand smoke.
“Sadly, tobacco products consumption is rising globally especially in LMIC but decreasing in some high and upper middle-income countries (HUMIC).
“About 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) Nigeria inclusive.”
Ekanem raised the alarm that there is a very high rate of tobacco consumption among school students in Nigeria, adding that it is quite worrisome since tobacco causes 1 in 10 adult deaths and nearly half of current smokers die of tobacco-related diseases including cancers.
“This negative impact of tobacco use on the health of the individual, family and community, increases health care costs. Its overall adverse effect on the economy also impoverishes people especially the vulnerable youth and the poor in the society.
The renowned pathologist quoted the 2012 WHO Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in Nigeria, and said that “4.2 million men and 0.5million women currently use tobacco while 3.1 million adult Nigerians (7.2% men and 0.3% women) smoke cigarettes.
“Among the Nigerian youths aged 13-15 years, in public secondary schools, the 2008 WHO Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) found that 14.6% to 26.1% were currently using any tobacco products.”
She encouraged governments to impose higher taxation on tobacco saying it will reduce consumption.
“An increase in tobacco taxes by 10% by government has been shown to decrease tobacco use by 4% in high income countries (HIC) and in LMIC by 8% or more. Therefore, enforcement of the strong taxation policies such as advocated in the National Tobacco Control law, signed since 2015 would certainly facilitate the domestication of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a powerful public treaty which Nigeria is party to and a signatory of since 20th October 2005.”
