Anti-tobacco control in Chad: the judicial framework is being put in place
June 24, 2020
Par: chef-projet@dnf.asso.fr
Dernière mise à jour: June 24, 2020
Temps de lecture: 3 minutes
In Chad, a workshop to popularize Decree No. 1523, relating to the prevention of interference by the tobacco industry, was organized by the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with the International Union Against Tuberculosis.
Informing the legal professions
During the implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO (World Health Organization) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the FCTC, Chad adopted Decree No. 1523 in 2019, which addresses the issue of tobacco industry interference.
According to the Deputy Director of Disease Control and Health Promotion at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Chérif Baradine, "tobacco industry interference is a set of tactics and strategies used directly or indirectly by the tobacco industry to interfere in health policies, undermine tobacco control efforts, and oppose measures that go against its financial interests."
It was therefore important that prosecutors, judges of the N'Djamena court, clerks and presidents of the N'Djamena court chambers could benefit from clarifications on this decree and its applications.
Raising awareness among mayors
A workshop was also organized for mayors, delegated administrators and hygiene and sanitation agents from the 10 districts of the capital. According to Dr. Dionko, presenter of the decree, "mayors and administrators must work within this framework to protect the health of their population." Daoud El Hadj Adam, representative of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, added that "the Union's wish is to see the mayors of Chad join the list of champion mayors in the fight against tobacco, following the example of Michail Bloomberg, former mayor of New York, who is also a WHO ambassador and a donor to the Union."
The 3 powers in action
For Daouda Elhadj Adam, the legislative and executive branches have fulfilled their role by providing Chad with a framework to effectively combat smoking. It is now up to the judiciary to step in, play its role and sanction non-compliance. It remains to be seen how these laws will be applied in the future.
[i] "Chad says no to Imperial Tobacco's maneuvers" https://www.generationsanstabac.org/actualites/le-tchad-dit-non-aux-manoeuvres-dimperial-tobacco/
Source: “Chad: magistrates made aware of the prevention of interference from the tobacco industry”, www.tchadinfos.com, October 18, 2019 https://tchadinfos.com/politique/tchad-les-magistrats-sensibilises-sur-la-prevention-de-lingerence-de-lindustrie-de-tabac/
Alexis Beramgoto, “Chad: Mayors trained on prevention and interference by the tobacco industry in public health policy”, www.tchadinfos.com, September 26, 2019
