The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To inform, sensitize and stimulate discussions among decision and policy-makers and to strengthen exiting and establish new collaboration and partners among and with women and youth organizations, non-governmental organisations, media houses, elected District Assembly members and councilors to advocate for effective and comprehensive Tobacco control policy in Ghana by June 2004.

Methods: Presentations and facilitations on the effects of tobacco and on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Group Discussions among participants. Development and distribution of FCTC leaflet. Personal and family Testimonies. Watching of Video documentary on what tobacco is doing to other and efforts being done to control it. Questions and answers. Contributions. Meeting among the selected organisations to follow up on discussed issues.

Results: Representatives of women and youth organisations, non-governmental organisations, Media houses, Assembly members and Councilors educated and informed on the hazardous effects of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke, the FCTC and the activities of the tobacco industry. A national network of NGOs called Ghana Coalition of NGOs Against Tobacco (GCNT) was formed by the organisations who participated in the FCTC ratification campaign. Some Parliamentarians participated in the FCTC ratification advocacy campaign and the FCTC was unanimously ratified by Parliament. The draft tobacco control bill is enjoying favorable comments by Parliamentarians Participants had the opportunity to propose further actions on the next step of advocacy on policy in Ghana. There is currently a better media support for tobacco control and the press report a lot of activities to the general public.