Target 3.a of the Sustainable Development Goals on WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Key to recovery from COVID-19 and building back better

On the occasion of the High Level Political Forum 2021, under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) together with the World Health Organization, the Secretariat of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (UNIATF), the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Framework Convention Alliance held a successful virtual side event on 6 July 2021 highlighting the key role of the WHO FCTC to recovery from COVID-19 and building back better efforts in countries.

Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of Secretariat of the WHO FCTC was the moderator and opened the event by thanking the Secretariat of the ECOSOC for providing this opportunity at this important forum. 

H.E. Mr Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva and the President of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC, in his opening speech, remarked that '' there is no better time than now to focus on Target 3.a of the Sustainable Development Goals – to implement the WHO FCTC – as this is truly the key to recovery from COVID-19 and building back better. To build back better, tobacco control should form part of national development and COVID-19 response plans. This should include renewed efforts to smokers to quit, protect the public from second-hand smoke and increase tobacco taxes to reduce consumption and to stimulate COVID-19 economic recovery”.

Ms. Zsuzsanna Jakab, Deputy Director-General, World Health Organization, in her opening remarks, said: ''The evidence shows that smokers are more likely to suffer more severe outcomes of COVID-19. The WHO FCTC is here to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by empowering countries to enact a set of universal and comprehensive provisions to limiting its use”. She further urged governments to take ever greater action to fully protect people from tobacco and COVID-19 by accelerating full implementation of the WHO FCTC.

Mr. Amar Ramadhin, Minister of Health, Suriname said, “In the wake of COVID-19, the world needs a win-win solution for public health outcomes and domestic resource mobilization. Article 6 of the WHO FCTC on price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco is the solution. Reducing tobacco consumption will improve COVID-19 responses and likewise controlling COVID-19 will allow us to continue progressing on all fronts of sustainable development”. 

“Whilst the fight on COVID-19 continues, we must make sure that we build back healthier populations that will be more resilient to future threats. And that is why we must include prevention at the very core of what we do and that includes tobacco control at the heart of our health systems and health policies,” stated Ms. Jo Churchill, Minister for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Health and Social Care, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

During his intervention, Dr Oleg Salagay, Deputy Minister of Health, Russian Federation said, “Tobacco is a multisectoral issue and tobacco consumption has devastating consequences to not only health of people but also the economy and the environment. Tobacco control is an absolute prerequisite for making progress on the range of SDGs”. 

In an era of travel restrictions due to COVID-19, the virtual format allowed the participation of over 100 participants, representing Parties, Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva and representatives from international organizations and civil society.

Dr Palitha Abeykoon, WHO Director-General Special Envoy for COVID-19 Preparedness and Response for South East Asia, and Former Chairman of National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol of Sri Lanka and Ms. Leslie Rae Ferat, Executive Director, Framework Convention Alliance were also among the speakers.

Other important themes raised during the side event included the need to be vigilant of tobacco industry tactics especially during this pandemic period and for preventing tobacco industry interference at any cost which is critical to move forward on efforts to integrate target 3.a into global SDG agendas, the need for greater coordination and collaboration and more global funding and resources for tobacco control.

In her closing remarks, Dr Blanco Marquizo reiterated that: “SDG Target 3.a, through strengthening implementation of the WHO FCTC, is key to global COVID-19 recovery and building back better efforts. The devasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how intertwined the health of our economies, communities and its citizens are. The WHO FCTC was a natural inclusion in the agenda for sustainable development and is now vital to the COVID-19 recovery plans and preparation for, unfortunately, inevitable future pandemics”. 

The side event concluded with a screening of a short video introducing the Global Strategy to Accelerate Tobacco Control: Advancing Sustainable Development through the Implementation of the WHO FCTC 2019-2025.