Republic of Moldova on Verge of Breakthrough in Tobacco Control

Source from:  WHO 02/25/2014

The Government of the Republic of Moldova approved comprehensive tobacco control legislation in December 2013 and is actively promoting its new measures, which are now before the Parliament for final approval.

A policy dialogue to support the Ministry of Health in this effort was organized together with WHO/Europe in Chisinau on 18 February 2014. The event brought together over 70 stakeholders, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Chair of the Parliament, other parliamentarians, representatives of the Central Government, ministries of health, finance, economy and agriculture, academia, National Centre of Public Health, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, National School of Public Health, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, independent local and external experts and the mass media.

Time to act

Mr Iurie Leanca, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova welcomed participants and stated in his opening speech: "We can no longer delay approval and implementation of comprehensive tobacco control legislation, as the consequences of a weak legal and regulatory framework in this area are heavily felt at the levels of public health and economic development. Our inaction today will not be understood by future generations."

The half-day policy dialogue comprised experts' presentations, panel discussions and statements covering a variety of topics, including:
•progress towards implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control at regional and country level;
•progress in implementation of the National Tobacco Control Programme;
•public opinion on tobacco control policies;
•communication campaign targeting current and potential smokers and the general population.

"We are witnessing an historic moment for public health in the Republic of Moldova," said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative. "We are really impressed by the leading role played in this process by the Prime Minister, who brought together the whole Government on this issue to improve the population's health."

Ms Kristina Mauer-Stender, Programme Manager of WHO/Europe's Tobacco Control Programme applauded the impressive progress the country has made in tobacco control in recent years and the capacities in place to implement effective policies. She emphasized the need for strong legislation, a no-compromise policy on smoke-free public spaces, promotion, advertising and sponsorship, and to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products for young people and females.

Ongoing collaboration with WHO

The policy dialogue took place during a broader WHO country mission on tobacco control, carried out from 17 to 20 February and involving experts in this area from WHO headquarters, the Regional Office for Europe and country offices in Turkey and the  Republic of Moldova. In addition to the policy dialogue, the mission comprised a series of high-level advocacy meetings with representatives of the Parliament, Central Government and civil society.

The mission followed from earlier WHO support in the development of a comprehensive tobacco control programme and communication strategy, as well as continuous consultations on the revision of tobacco control legislation. This joint work is part of the biennial collaborative agreement (BCA) 2014–2015 between the Ministry of Health and WHO/Europe. The mission and policy event were also part of a European Commission funded technical assistance programme under WHO coordination. Enditem