On 28 May, WHO, alongside the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan and the Uzbekistan Medical Students’ Association (UzMSA Phenomenon), launched the “Commit to Quit” nationwide campaign online in association with World No Tobacco Day, with the aim of expanding access to services for those looking to quit tobacco.
Tobacco use causes a significant health burden, killing over 8 million people a year around the world. Seven million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, with a further 1.2 million non-smokers dying from exposure to second-hand smoke.
According to WHO, in 2018, 17% of young people aged 15–24 used tobacco worldwide, and 11.5% of girls and 13.8% of boys aged 13–15 used tobacco in the WHO European Region.
Recent monitoring undertaken by the Ibn Sino Public Fund in Tashkent and Samarkand identified that the sponsorship of tobacco products, along with advertising and promotion near schools and other public places, was attracting more and more young people to engage in tobacco usage.
Within the framework of the “Commit to Quit” campaign, the WHO Country Office in Uzbekistan, together with WHO/Europe, WHO headquarters, United Nations partners, the Ministry of Health and other governmental and nongovernmental entities, will carry out several activities over the next 12 months.
Deputy Minister of Health of Uzbekistan Dr Elmira Basitkhanova highlighted the country’s 100-day campaign, which promotes “100 reasons to quit tobacco” through different activities designed to ensure access to resources for those attempting to quit.
COVID-19 and tobacco
The COVID-19 pandemic has led millions of tobacco users to want to quit smoking. Of the 1.3 billion tobacco users globally, about 60% wish to quit smoking, but only 30% of the world’s population has access to appropriate tobacco cessation services. Currently, only 23 countries provide comprehensive tobacco cessation services.
WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Uzbekistan Dr Lianne Kuppens, in her opening remarks during the launch of the “Commit to Quit” campaign, highlighted that WHO, the United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, PATH, and other partners have come together to help deliver essential tobacco cessation services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Commit to Quit” campaign aims to help at least 100 million people around the world quit tobacco through various initiatives and digital tools. Moreover, it will help create healthier environments conducive to quitting smoking by supporting strong tobacco cessation policies, while expanding access to tobacco cessation services, raising awareness of tobacco industry tactics and supporting people to quit tobacco.
Young people support “Commit to Quit”
An essential segment of the nationwide campaign is the introduction of various WHO quitting toolkits. These include Florence, a WHO digital health worker who guides tobacco users towards the necessary tools and solutions available to help them quit, and the Quit Tobacco Challenge in WhatsApp messenger, which provides advice on how to quit tobacco.
These WHO-recommended tools for quitting are being promoted in the country with the help of governmental and United Nations agencies, and by young people who are actively increasing the campaign’s reach among a wider audience.
Under the coordination of the Centre for Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles and Physical Activity in the Population, campaigns and activities include calls for a tobacco-free environment in the workplace, national competitions, television programs, and youth campaigns at schools and colleges.
Ms Helena Fraser, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan, commended Uzbekistan for taking important steps to provide an enabling environment for people who wish to quit to do so safely, healthily and with the proper support. Together with partners, WHO will continue to provide people with the tools and resources to support them in their attempts to successfully quit tobacco.