Ms Avanesyan, Minister of Health of Armenia,
Mr Gallagher, Ambassador of UK to Armenia
Ms Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative
Dr Storozhenko, WHO Representative
Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
Greetings from the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Geneva.
I am very pleased to join you today in this event to hand over the WHO FCTC Investment Case for Armenia.
The Investment Case is a thorough economic analysis of the costs of tobacco use in Armenia, and of the economic benefits that will come through the implementation of key tobacco control measures in the country.
Tobacco use remains a major problem in Armenia. The country has among the highest smoking rates in the world, with more than half of all men in Armenia smoking.
The Investment Case sets out the wider impacts on the economy of Armenia if action is not taken to reduce tobacco use. And these economic impacts are not confined to just health costs relating to tobacco-related disease.
Given the high rates of smoking in Armenia, it follows that the economic costs set out in the Investment Case are also worryingly high.
Tobacco has negative impacts across the whole of society, and acts as a brake on sustainable development.
By implementing the measures in the WHO FCTC, countries will be able to realize benefits for the advancement of the entire Sustainable Development Goal agenda, not just health and well-being.
For that reason, the WHO FCTC is known as an accelerator for sustainable development. This Investment Case highlights what can be achieved in Armenia.
It is without any doubt that the problem relating to tobacco use is well understood by the Government and Parliament of Armenia.
I wish to take this opportunity to praise the country’s new tobacco law that was enacted last year and is now being implemented.
This commitment to advancing public health through strong tobacco control in Armenia was recognized recently with the Parliament being awarded a UN Interagency Task Force Award.
I congratulate everyone involved in tobacco control in Armenia for the progress that is being made.
From the WHO FCTC Secretariat, we are providing our support to these tobacco efforts as Armenia is a project country in the Secretariat’s FCTC 2030 development assistance project.
Under the FCTC 2030 project, we are supporting Armenia to implement priority tobacco control activities, including a new national tobacco control strategy, the promotion of effective multisectoral coordination, compliance building for the new tobacco control law, and the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products.
We are also supporting efforts to make the case for stronger tobacco taxation in the country. At present, tobacco tax rates fall well below the WHO’s recommendations.
Stronger tobacco taxes would have a profound impact on public health and also raise important new revenues for the Government.
I urge Armenia to consider implementing a policy of higher taxation on all tobacco products.
In terms of next steps for tobacco control in the country, you also have the recommendations from the WHO FCTC Needs Assessment that was conducted last year.
I am confident that the WHO FCTC Investment Case will provide important evidence and justification for the enormous benefits that arise from strong tobacco control, with information that is specific to Armenia and reflects the latest national data.
I hope that the Investment Case will be useful not only for the Ministry of Health, but by all ministries and stakeholders with a role to play in tobacco control.
It is important for me to mention the tobacco industry, and to urge the Government to protect its hard-won advances in public health from the vested and commercial interests of tobacco companies who only have one objective – to maximize their own profit.
I also wish to raise the issue of illicit tobacco.
While the tobacco industry often paints an over-inflated and false picture when it comes to illicit tobacco, it is, nevertheless a problem that must be addressed through enhanced enforcement.
I also encourage Armenia to become a Party to the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products developed under the WHO FCTC and to join the growing international community committed to working together to stamp out illicit trade.
Please let me conclude by turning back to the FCTC 2030 project.
I thank Armenia for joining the project and hope we can continue to support you to achieve Armenia’s ambitions for tobacco control.
Through your clear commitment to ending the tobacco epidemic in your country, Armenia is an emerging regional and global leader in tobacco control.
We hope you will help to encourage others to follow in your footsteps.
I also wish to thank our key delivery partners.
We are very grateful for the support that WHO offers for tobacco control, particularly from the WHO country office.
And, we are also very grateful to the UN Development Programme for the support provided, including in the preparation of WHO FCTC Investment Cases.
I also send our thanks to the United Kingdom -and we are honoured to have Ambassador Gallagher here-, Norway and Australia – generous donors who make the FCTC 2030 project possible.
Thank you to everyone in attendance for your commitment to protecting public health and saving lives through the implementation of the WHO FCTC.
I hope the Investment Case being launched today will be useful in your future work.