Professor David Wood
President, CEO, The World Heart Federation.
As you may have read, September 13th in New York City, a new global initiative was launched named the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. This foundation – whose leadership includes former WHO official Dr Derek Yach – is a tobacco industry-funded initiative, set to receive $80 million of annual funding over the next 12 years from Philip Morris International (PMI).
Alongside our colleagues at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the Union, The World Heart Federation condemns this initiative in the strongest possible terms as an attempt by the tobacco industry to interfere in, and subvert public policy.
Despite funding a foundation that claims its goal is to ‘eliminate smoking’, PMI continues to invest billions of dollars in marketing cigarettes worldwide, focusing many of these efforts in low- and middle-income countries to gain new customers.
Throughout previous decades, the tobacco industry – including PMI – has sought to maintain its profits by sowing misinformation among the public and blocking policies designed to protect public health. PMI’s recent failed attempt to sue the government of Uruguay for implementing anti-smoking legislation is just one recent example of these efforts.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of premature CVD mortality, in some regions accounting for 25-30% of all cardiovascular deaths. According to current WHO projections, tobacco use will kill one billion people this century.
As the leading global advocacy organization bringing together the CVD community to lead heart-healthy lives, the World Heart Federation will continue to support all legitimate efforts to achieve a smoke-free world.
The best path to tackle this epidemic and achieve a smoke-free world is by implementing policies set out in the WHO FCTC – not by engaging with an industry that has shown repeatedly that it cannot be trusted to defend, let alone promote, public health.
We ask you to share information about this foundation with your colleagues and networks so that they can also be made aware of the false nature of this initiative.
In the death stakes #1 is the position to avoid. Stroke and diabetes are the 2nd and 3rd main causes of death in South Africa according to the 2014 figures just released by StatisticsSA. TB remains in unenviable pole position but the number of deaths are dropping each year. Great news.
The ranking looks very different if diabetes and heart/ blood vessel disease are grouped. This makes sense because essentially they kill you in the same way, by cardiovascular diseases (CVD.) So this is what the figures look like done that way around
- 18.7% CVD (stroke, heart attacks, diabetes and other heart conditions) with <0.2% national budget and NO provincial NCDs budgets
- 13.2% TB & HIV/AIDS with 39.6% funding (see figure 2 right.)
Deaths from NCDs increase every year while HIV/AIDS and TB deaths have declined each year since 2007. And that is really good news. (See figure above.) However, it is disheartening that NCDs deaths continue upwards.
TB leads the number of deaths in the 15-64 age groups. The between 15-44 years infections are the big killers with HIV/AIDS in 2nd spot. NCDs don’t feature in the top ten but this changes in those over 44 year. NCDs play a much more important part.
How cost effective is screening 8 million people with diabetes and hypertension via the HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing (HCT) programme? The stats seem to indicate different target age groups for HCT versus NCDs screening which is for at least those older than 45 years. What do you think?
The provincial ranking places the Western Cape in top CVD position followed closely by KwaZulu-Natal.
To get the full picture read the StatisticsSA report.
The NDoH Essential Medicines Programme request comments on the the 3 chapters of the hospital level standard treatment guidelines (STG) essential medicines list (EML). Click here to view drafts
- Chapter 3: Cardiovascular conditions
- Chapter 14: Neurological conditions
- Chapter 15: Psychiatry conditions
Reviewed by: the National EML Committee (appointed by the Minister)
Version reviewed: STG and EML Hospital Level, Adults (2012 edition)
Target users: doctors and nurses providing care at district and regional hospitals to provide access to pharmaceuticals to manage common conditions.
Aim of comment: to identify of gross errors, particularly diagnosis and treatment. Completion of a short motivation to substantiate any comment made is recommendations made.
Where an alternative medicine is recommended, this should be supported by appropriate evidence.
See updated guideline for the Motivation of a New Medicine on the National EML.
Comment by: 8 May 2015
Submit comments to: Trudy Leong, Tel: 012 395 8287 Fax to e-mail: 0862484875 E-mail: [email protected]
The NDoH Essential Medicines Programme request comments on the the 3 chapters of the hospital level standard treatment guidelines (STG) essential medicines list (EML). Click here to view drafts
- Chapter 3: Cardiovascular conditions
- Chapter 14: Neurological conditions
- Chapter 15: Psychiatry conditions
Reviewed by: the National EML Committee (appointed by the Minister)
Version reviewed: STG and EML Hospital Level, Adults (2012 edition)
Target users: doctors and nurses providing care at district and regional hospitals to provide access to pharmaceuticals to manage common conditions.
Aim of comment: to identify of gross errors, particularly diagnosis and treatment. Completion of a short motivation to substantiate any comment made is recommendations made.
Where an alternative medicine is recommended, this should be supported by appropriate evidence.
See updated guideline for the Motivation of a New Medicine on the National EML.
Comment by: 8 May 2015
Submit comments to: Trudy Leong, Tel: 012 395 8287 Fax to e-mail: 0862484875 E-mail: [email protected]
