Environmental health practitioners and stakeholders of the Ministry of Health and Social Services are attending a five-day training workshop on tobacco control at Rundu.
The training aims to raise awareness and build capacity through stakeholder engagement within the government and private sectors, business communities and the general population.
During the official opening of the training, deputy health minister Esther Muinjangue said the present and the future generations of the Namibia nation must be protected from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure.
She said a significant reduction in the use of tobacco products would result in a decline in non-communicable diseases and promote healthy lifestyles, which Namibia, as a signatory to the Framework Convention On Tobacco Control under the World Health Organization, is committed to ensuring.
She said studies have shown the growing use of tobacco in some low- to middle-income countries due to the limited capacity to impose comprehensive tobacco control legislation.
She said Namibia has made tremendous progress on tobacco control. However, the efforts can be intensified through a strengthened and empowered health workforce within the Ministry of Health and Social Services, supported by its development cooperation partners.
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