Union Health Minister inaugurates Seventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC

Maithripala Sirisena, President, Sri Lanka, was present on the occasion

JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, recently inaugurated the Seventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

“We are committed to strengthening non-communicable disease programmes and interventions and implementation of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) as an integral part of the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Nadda. Maithripala Sirisena, President, Sri Lanka, was present on the occasion.

Faggan Singh Kulaste, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, CK Mishra, Secretary (Health), Dr Oleg Salagay, President of the COP, Dr Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, Head of the Convention Secretariat were also present at the inaugural session.

Nadda said that the government continues to take strong steps for regulation of the smokeless tobacco products and have prohibited the production, sale, transportation and storage of certain forms of smokeless tobacco products under our food safety regulations. “There is now a complete ban on the manufacture and sale of gutkhaand pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine, a form of chewing tobacco,” Nadda added.

“We have, in coordination with the Convention Secretariat, set up the ‘Global Knowledge Hub for Smokeless Tobacco’ which will act as a global repository of knowledge related to smokeless tobacco. India has successfully launched a toll-free Tobacco Cessation Quitline as well as mCessation services under the Be Healthy Be Mobile Initiative,” the health minister elaborated.

The Union Health Minister further stated that the Indian Government has done pioneering work in regulating promotion of tobacco use through films and TV programmes.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first global evidence-based public health treaty that recognises the right of all people to the highest standard of health. The treaty was developed by countries in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic. There are currently 180 parties to the convention.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the Governing Body of the WHO FCTC and consists of all Parties to the Convention. It keeps under regular review the implementation of the convention and takes the decisions necessary to promote its effective implementation, and may also adopt protocols, annexes and amendments to the convention. The regular sessions of COP are held at two yearly intervals and therefore, this time, the Seventh Session of Conference of Parties (COP7) is being hosted by Government of India in partnership with the WHO FCTC Secretariat, which is based at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

Also present on the occasion were Ministers of various countries, distinguished delegates and participants, Members of the COP Secretariat, officers of WHO, Observers to COP, civil society representatives and senior officers from the Ministry of Health.