National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh

A delegation combined from United Forum Against Tobacco (UFAT) and Bangladesh Network for NCD Control & Prevention (BNNCP) met with Mr. Mohammad Nasim, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on 21st June 2016 at Bangladesh Secretariat. Thedelegation led by National Professor Brig. (Rtd.) Abdul Malik, Founder & President, National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh. ProfessorAKM Mohibullah, President, Bangladesh Cardiac Society; Professor MollahObayedullah Baki, President, Bangladesh Cancer Society and Professor Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of Epidemiology & Research, National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh were other member of the delegation.

To draw attention of honorable minister, during the meeting members of United Forum Against Tobacco (UFAT) and Bangladesh Network for NCD Control & Prevention discussed about-

• Implementation of tobacco control law in every sector of tobacco control.
• Impose higher tax on all kind of tobacco products
• Develop a high level national committee under the leadership of honorable minister, to control & prevention non-communicable diseases ensuring the representation of relevant ministries, institutions & organizations from government and private sectors, like- United Forum Against Tobacco (UFAT) and Bangladesh Network for NCD Control & Prevention.

Honorable minister said that tobacco tax should be increase to protect people from tobacco related harms. To defend public health step should be taken for law implementation effectively. In this time he agreed to develop a high level national committee to control & prevention non-communicable diseases.

At the ending of the meeting Honorable Minister has given the direction to the relevant officials to take necessary measures to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of tobacco control law and to take steps to develop the high level national committee for NCD control and prevention.

Prof Dr Deen Muhammad Nurul Haque, Director General, The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) was also present in the meeting.

Delegation of UFAT and BNNCP submitted written proposals before the honorable minister for his kind consideration. Below are the proposals:

•       ♦ Strict implementation of tobacco control law
•       ♦ Proper implementation of Graphical Health Warning according to the law
•       ♦ Increasing tobacco taxes in such level that the price of tobacco products will be high to decline consumption and earn more revenue in accordance
          with Honorable Prime Minister's guidelines.
•       ♦ Impose 2% health surcharge sale of tobacco products which is now 1%.
•       ♦ Allocate budget in FY 2016-17 through Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to organize awareness programs on law implementation, arranging task
          force meeting in district & upazilla level, conduct mobile courts, organize training program for relevant officials etc.
•       ♦ According to FCTC article-14, ensure the availability of treatment and medicine for tobacco cessation in Bangladesh.
•       ♦ Under the leadership of honorable minister, develop a high level national committee to control & prevention non-communicable diseases ensuring the
          representation of relevant ministries, institutions &organizations from government and private sectors, like- United Forum Against Tobacco (UFAT) and
          Bangladesh Network for NCD Control & Prevention.
•       ♦ Ensure more importance to include the treatment facilities of non-communicable diseases in the management system of government of Bangladesh
•       ♦ Ensure availability of adequate medicine, medical equipment for proper diagnosis
•       ♦ Undertake the activities for prevention of NCDs, research works and to develop skilled manpower