TOBACCO CONTROL CAMPAIGN

UGANDA

Coordination Meeting

24th – 25th Apr 2013

• Over 40 advocates trained in TC advocacy;

• Action plan developed with clear objectives, activities,

roles & responsibilities shared, expected outcomes,

timelines;

• 4 strategic programs emerged from this action plan:

TOBACCO CONTROL ADVOCACY TRAINING 18TH – 20TH Sept 2012

(1) Engaging MPs (2) Capacity building

for journalists

(3) CSOs

involvement

(4) Usage of New

Media

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIP

CSOs: Academia &

NGOs

Media: Traditional

& New

International

Partners: CTFK, WHO,

CTCA, ACS

Government: MoH, MoFPED, MoAAIF,

MoT, MPs, URA, Kenya

Revenue Authority

Local Government

LAUNCH OF CAMPAIGN 29TH JAN 2013

• Attracted over 100 participants, mainly

CSOs representatives, MPs, health

workers, artists, musicians & journalists.

• Generated a lot of online discussions,

re-tweets & was the #1 trending hashtag

(#tobaccokillsUG) in Uganda that day.

Tobacco Kills: Say

No & Save Lives is a

public awareness and

advocacy campaign

towards having a legal

framework to control

the production and

consumption of

tobacco in Uganda.

Uganda signed and

ratified the Framework

Convention for Tobacco

Control (FCTC). As a

party to this global

treaty, the country is

obliged to have an

FCTC compliant law in

place within five years,

which expired in 2012.

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW

(1) LOBBYING

Local Government Government: MoH,

MoFPED, MoAAIF,

MoT & MPs

International

Partners:

CTFK, WHO,

CTCA, ACS

• Drafting & tracking of the TC Bill by MOH, CTFK/ILC,

CTCA, UNTCA & PFNCD

• Workshop on tobacco taxation by PFNCD, CTFK,

MOH, CTCA, MOFPED and URA

COMMUNITY OUTREACH:

Tobacco Growing Areas

FINDINGS

• District leaders started process of enacting ordinances & by-laws banning tobacco

growing in their areas & mobilizing tobacco farmers to shift to other viable alternative economic activities. • MPs in Yumbe district started control experiments to determine difference in

farmers’ livelihood who grow alternative crops Vs those who cultivate tobacco.

Meetings with over 20 MPs and 350

District leaders from 12 Districts in

Bunyoro, West Nile & Northern

Uganda sub-regions by PFNCD, CTFK,

CTCA, MOAAIF

(2) MEDIA ADVOCACY

Media

Briefings

Media

Dialogues

Field

Excursion

Radio & TV

•175 journalists, mainly from tobacco

growing areas trained in tobacco

control advocacy.

• 8 editors sensitized & a number of

journalists interacted with TC experts

in media dialogues.

• As a result, increased media coverage

in both electronic i.e. TV, Radio & Print

Media, mainly in popular Newspapers.

(3) CAPACITY BUILDING

Trainings: TC Advocates,

Lawyers & Journalists

IEC Materials:

Fact Sheets, Art

Pieces, T-shirts, Fliers,

Community

Empowerment for a

smoke-free environment Stakeholder Mapping

(4) PUBLIC AWARENESS

SCHOOLS ARTISTES

WORKING

PROFESSIONALS

GENERAL

PUBLIC

PUBLIC AWARENESS

•1,565 fans

• Weekly reach of 150,750 people

• Most fans from Uganda & are

between 18 – 34 years old

PUBLIC AWARENESS

OPINION POLL

Expected tax rise on water, fuel, etc. Should taxes on tobacco products be increased instead? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Unsure. Send TAX<space><answer> to 8282 for free

89%

10%

1%

SHOULD TAXES ON TOBACCO

PRODUCTS BE INCREASED?

YES

NO

UNSURE

Alternative

livelihood

Opposition from some

MPs and local

Councilors

CHALLENGES

Inadequate

resources

Tobacco Industry

interference

Tight schedule of

Parliament

Lobbying of the MPs & Govt

to pass the bill

Continuous sensitization &

empowerment of tobacco

farmers

Empower communities to

demand/create Smoke free

Environment ie. Uganda’s

Best Smoke-Free Zone

Award

Continuous engagement

of the media and

stakeholders

THE WAY FORWARD

Signing of petition online &

via SMS (results

communicated with MPs)

Hedge against TI

interference

Launch of a national Radio

Edu-tainment Drama

Document life stories of

the tobacco use victims

FOR MORE INFORMATION