IN a bid to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country, Tobacco products will from now on be regulated by the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA).
TMDA noted in its statement to the media on Tuesday that pursuant to Section 18 of the Tobacco Products (Regulations) Act, Cap 121, the Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children has designated the authority as the regulator of tobacco products.
“In accordance with this designation, TMDA will now assume the roles of inspection, enforcement and regulation of tobacco products,” says the statement signed by the TMDA Director General, Adam Fimbo.
The statement further adds: “It should be noted that prior to this directive, there was no regulator of such products in Tanzania, and this has unequivocally contributed to upsurge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) related to tobacco use.”
In connection to this, TMDA is currently consolidating a framework for regulation of such products and all dealers and stakeholders will be notified on the next steps to streamline the process.
The WHO STEPS survey which was carried out in the country in 2012 showed that the levels of risk factors are high, with tobacco users accounting for 15.9 percent.
The National NCDs Strategic Plan II (2016-2020) for the Prevention and Control of NCD was prepared in response to the growing problem of NCDs in Tanzania.
It is estimated that NCDs account for 27 percent of all deaths. The strategic plan had it that with the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, emphasis was shifting from treatment or curative services to preventive services.
Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases contribute about a third of all deaths in the country and are a source of an increasing disability in Tanzania.
The indicated new approach of focusing on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases marks the beginning of a new era on the provision of affordable health service while keeping equity and quality health services operational, including those affected for life by chronic diseases and disability.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that deaths from NCDs in the African region will increase by 27 percent by the year 2030, which is 28 million additional deaths.
According to the Non- Communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance, by 2030, NCDs are projected to account for more than 75 percent of deaths worldwide.
The alliance points out that the NCDs are not predominantly diseases of the affluent world: 80 percent occur in low and middle income countries, arguing that tobacco use is the single greatest preventable cause of the NCDs.
Tobacco use kills more than 15,000 people a day and accounts for one in six of all NCD deaths. Although fewer people are using tobacco in some countries, the global trend is on the rise.