Statement from HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan and Special Envoy for NCDs at Vital Strategies on the launch of “United Against Tobacco and COVID-19″ campaign:
June 6, 2022 (Amman) — “Much of the world is making progress against smoking and tobacco use, but our region is lagging behind. The cost isn’t just born to the health of smokers and economies of our countries– it means children without parents and communities that are lose valuable and productive members” said HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan and Special Envoy for NCDs at Vital Strategies. “COVID-19 has proven just how vulnerable we are when we have populations sick from chronic diseases caused by tobacco. We need urgent action. I’m proud to launch this campaign and that these four countries – Jordan, Palestine, Iraq and Egypt – are ‘United Against Tobacco and COVID-19′ and committed to highlight the harms of tobacco use. Together, we will reach beyond our individual borders. I hope to see thousands of people quit, tens of thousands of children protected from starting, and millions join in our call to protect the public from tobacco use.”
About “United Against Tobacco and COVID-19″
Tobacco use among adults in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) region is relatively high compared to a global rate of 19.6%, according to latest version of the Tobacco Atlas. Prevalence rates in Jordan reach around 30%, followed by Egypt, Iraq and Palestine at 21%, 17% and 20.2%, respectively as of 2019. Each year, the tobacco industry spends millions of dollars on media and marketing to promote and normalize tobacco and increase its consumption, especially among youth. The “United Against Tobacco & COVID-19” campaign will reach millions of people across the region and will air on television, radio, and social media to counter current tobacco industry marketing and help create healthier environments that are conducive to quitting tobacco, increasing education on tobacco harms and advocating for strong tobacco policies and empowering tobacco users to make successful quit attempts.
The project is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and led by GHD|EMPHNET with technical assistance from global health organization, Vital Strategies. Partner organizations include Ministries of Health in Jordan, Palestine, Iraq and Egypt, as well as the Royal Health Awareness Society in Jordan, Institute of Community and Public Health at Birzeit University in Palestine, United Iraqi Medical Society for Relief and Development (UIMS) in Iraq, and Cairo Association against Smoking, Tuberculosis and Lung diseases- in Egypt (CASTLE). The project is supported by a Technical Advisory Committee composed of WHO-EMRO, CDC-MENA, CDC-Egypt, UNICEF and SESRIC.
About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop and implement sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change. To find out more, please visit vstrategystage.wpengine.com or Twitter @VitalStrat.