International health experts have urged African policymakers to adopt Sweden’s tobacco harm reduction strategy to combat tobacco-related deaths and improve public health across the continent.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by the Africa Harm Reduction Alliance (AHRA) to discuss the urgent need to implement Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategies in Africa.
The panel highlighted the success of countries like Sweden and the United Kingdom, which have embraced lower-risk alternatives to cigarettes, resulting in reduced smoking rates and tobacco-related diseases.
The experts stated that Nigeria and other African nations can save millions of lives, alleviate the strain on healthcare systems, and work towards a healthier future for their populace by embracing less harmful alternatives to smoking and THR strategies.
The Secretary-General of the AHRA, Dr Delon Human, said Sweden’s success story should be celebrated as a public health revolution and a case of victory that is emulated all over the world to decrease the health risks associated with the consumption of tobacco products.
Dr Human stated that efforts are all geared toward saving lives and improving the quality of life for smokers who have been unable to quit.
He added that Sweden, over the past 15 years, has reduced its smoking rates from 15% in 2008 to 5.6% today.
“This is the lowest smoking rates in Europe with corresponding health impact. For instance, Sweden now has a 41% lower incidence of cancer than other European countries and a 39% lower mortality rate than the European average from all tobacco-related diseases.
“These achievements highlight Sweden’s smoke-free strategy and underscores the potential benefits of adopting a similar approach in other societies.”
He however said for Nigeria to achieve a smoke-free society, it is vital to adopt these learnings that have been successfully implemented within the context of its unique cultural and socio-economic contexts.
“Policymakers, public health professionals and the scientific community need to foster international research collaboration, ensure that accurate and evidence-based information is readily available to consumers, and actively engage in constructive dialogue among a diverse array of stakeholders,” he said.
A consumer advocate, Kurt Yeo, called for a rethinking of the approach to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the potential of THR in addressing the smoking pandemic issue.
A global health consultant and founder of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Dr Derek Yach, stressed on the need for better access to reduced-risk alternatives and more accurate diagnostics for tobacco-related conditions.
