World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2011 in Gujarat

Category: WNTD Activities

Published on Saturday, 02 July 2011 17:02

The website (Centre for Tobacco Control and Health Promotion) was launched in Gujarat by the Health & Family Welfare Minister Shri Jaynarayan Vyas at a press conference organized at the Circuit House in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on May 29, 2011. The event was attended by the Commissioner-Health, Ms Anju Sharma, Addl Director- Public Health Shri Paresh Dave, Director of Gujarat Cancer Research Institute Dr. Shilin Shukla and the Additional Director of Family Planning Dr. B. K. Patel. The Hon’ble Minister congratulated the Public Health Foundation of India for conceptualizing and developing the website as a very useful resource for creating awareness against tobacco use. He also highlighted the short courses on Tobacco Control launched by PHFI for various professionals including journalists, health professionals and law enforcers. The conference was attended by more than 80 reporters, journalists and other media personnel.

WNTD was observed in the state and intervention districts under project STEPS with great enthusiasm and community mobilization efforts.

At the state level, a mass rally was organized on May 31st to generate awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco. Young professionals from Medical, Dental and Nursing Colleges participated in the rally which started from the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Participants walked for over a kilometer, wearing caps displaying the message of ‘CHOOSE LIFE, NOT TOBACCO’, carrying placards and shouting slogans. The Superintendent of Civil Hospital, Dean of Medical and Dental Colleges constantly motivated the participants on their way and the rally was finally welcomed by the Hon’ble Health Minister Shri Jaya Narayan Vyas at the Cama Hall, Civil hospital campus in Ahmedabad.

A State level meeting was organized where the Hon’ble Health Minister attended as the Chief Guest. Officials and staff from the State and district Health department, Police department , people from 108 emergency services, Doctors from the IMA, Medical, dental and nursing students, staff nurses; all of whom are involved in tobacco control by means of programme implementation, law enforcement or by the patient treatment, actively participated in the meet. To strengthen implementation of COTPA, five mobile enforcement squads were launched along with the State Tobacco Control Cell website www.tobaccofreegujarat.org. The squad vehicles will aim to oversee better monitoring and implementation of section 4 of COTPA. These enforcement vehicles will not only to act upon the violations but also generate awareness in the community. These five vehicles are decorated with IEC banners and will also distribute various IEC materials in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad districts of Gujarat. One police Inspector and two people from the health department will tour the city daily in the vans.

WNTD 2011 was observed in the six STEPS project districts of Anand, Kheda, Surat, Rajkot, Bansakantha and Tapi in Gujarat. NGO partners collaborated with PHFI to organize events at the district level. A mass rally of about one hundred participants was conducted with banners, posters, street plays, which were flagged off by the District Officials.

WNTD Pictures
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