Cambodia has been selected to receive dedicated international support from the United Nations to take action on tobacco use.
The Governments of the United Kingdom and Australia has generously provided funds under the new project to accelerate the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in low- and middle-income countries. Cambodia is one of 15 countries that will receive dedicated assistance through the project for strengthened tobacco control.
Not only is tobacco use extremely harmful to smokers, second-hand smoke is also hazardous to the people near the smokers. Tobacco causes many life-threatening diseases, including cancer, heart and lung diseases, and is one of the world’s leading causes of premature death. People who use tobacco tend to start when they are still children and adolescents.
Tobacco is not only a health problem. Tobacco also poses risks to national development as a cause of many social, economic and environmental problems, including poverty, productivity losses and inequality.
Tobacco control will demonstrate Cambodia’s commitment to placing people at the center of socio-economic development and contribute to Cambodia’s efforts to achieve better health and well-being for all Cambodians. The project will also help to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Cambodia will receive special assistance from the United Nations to fully implement the WHO FCTC, the world’s only health treaty which is completely focused on bringing the global tobacco epidemic to an end. The WHO FCTC is a comprehensive blueprint for governments to stop tobacco use in their countries, and 181 countries have ratified the treaty including Cambodia.
Through the “FCTC 2030” project, Cambodia will be assisted to undertake a government-wide programme of work to strengthen tobacco control. The project, to run for five-years, will bring international support to Cambodia from the United Nations, including the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and WHO. This will include expert advice, technical assistance and peer support to strengthen tobacco control action.
Since Cambodia’s ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005, the Royal Government of Cambodia has adopted the National Tobacco Control Law 2015, which contains key measures to increase taxes on tobacco products, ban smoking in all indoor public places, workplaces and public transport, require pictorial health warnings on 55% of the product packaging, and ban advertising, promotion and sponsorship. The FCTC 2030 project will support Cambodia to strengthen and accelerate the implementation of the Law and the WHO FCTC, with a focus on changing social norms and preventing the noncommunicable disease epidemic in Cambodia.
In welcoming the project to Cambodia, His Excellency Dr Ung Phyrun, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health said, “Cambodia is committed to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and to achieving better health and wellbeing for all Cambodians, which will contribute to sustainable socioeconomic development. Cambodia is very grateful to be selected to receive this new support to strengthen our tobacco control efforts. We must do everything we can to promote a healthy lifestyle and protect our people from the tobacco addiction, especially young people.”
“In many countries including Cambodia, the poor are more likely to smoke. Not only do poor families spend proportionately more of their family income on tobacco, they also bear high out-of-pocket health expenditures on tobacco-related illnesses. We need to prevent catastrophic health expenses that can push poor households further into poverty and trap them for generations.” said Dr Yunguo Liu, Head of WHO Office in Cambodia.
Mr Andrew Black, visiting Cambodia from the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC said “All governments that have ratified the WHO FCTC have committed to implement policies to improve public health through strong tobacco control. Through the FCTC 2030 project, Cambodia will get support to become a leading country in protecting people from the harms of tobacco”.