Ps Mochache Says Tobacco Use Burdening Health System In Kenya

KISII, Kenya, May 31- Tobacco consumption is considered to adversely impact the efforts put in place in achieving the UN adopted sustainable development agenda by 2030, which aims at reducing tobacco-related deaths by one-third.

This year’s theme, “Tobacco: Threat to our environment”, aims to highlight the environmental impact of the entire tobacco cycle, from cultivation, production, and distribution to the toxic waste it generates.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that one in every 10 African adolescents uses tobacco.

The emergence of new products, such as electronic nicotine and tobacco products, is also proving attractive to youths, compounding the concerns.

Every year, Kenya loses at least 6,000 people due to tobacco-related diseases.

Speaking during counties a sensitization campaign in Kisii, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said the government was keen on undertaking drastic tobacco control measures because of its impact on health and the environment.

“We are joining the rest of the world as signatories of WHO in controlling the use of tobacco because of the dangers it has caused to our health and environment,” the PS said.

She noted tobacco use has strained the health care system and burdened the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program in the prevention of illnesses.

Tobacco has also increased the number of non-communicable diseases which are attributed to tobacco.

“This is an issue we can’t ignore, a number of lung diseases, such as cancer, and some heart diseases are also attributed to tobacco use,” she added.

Tobacco crop has caused a lot of deforestation and soil degradation as well as loss of soil nutrients, she said.

Kenya’s government through the Tobacco Control Board is encouraging farmers to diversify and start planting alternative crops such as growing beans and maize.

WHO has also joined hands with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Kenyan government to create the Tobacco-Free Farms project.

Launched in March, the project supports farms to switch from tobacco to alternative food crops, that will help feed communities, rather than harm their health.

UN agencies and the Kenyan government provide training, inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, and a ready market for their harvest through the World Food Programme’s local procurement initiatives.

So far, 330 Kenyan farmers have switched to growing beans, with the first harvest yielding more than 200 metric tons.

Ps Mochache said the amount of tobacco production has also reduced.

“What we used to produce five years ago has reduced due to intensive campaigns to reduce and eliminate it completely with a lot of work with farmers because of its impact to our health and environment,” she added.

She asked county governments to allocate funds towards tobacco control and tobacco program to reduce the burden of health care in the progressive attainment of Universal health coverage.

Bio vision Trust Field officer Anthony Mukhokho said tobacco crop endangers biodiversity in the environment by releasing carbon dioxide.

He said tobacco Crop is linked to high consumption of soil nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen leading to soil degradation.

“Tobacco has little benefits compared to the huge destruction it causes to both health and the environment,” said Mukhokho.