The government has been urged to provide viable alternative crops to tobacco farmers.
The crops are expected to give the farmers an alternative source of income, help eradicate extreme hunger and poverty and also counter negative effects on the environment.
Kenya is known for having good policies to curb excessive tobacco use but but implementation has always been cited as a challenge.
For instance, the Tobacco Control Act 2007 which provides for protection and promotion of interest of tobacco farmers is yet to be implemented.
Tobacco is a key cash crop to at least 55,000 farmers in Kenya.
Though overall contribution to the Kenyan economy is relatively small (about 0.03 per cent of the GDP), tobacco is an important economic activity in the regions where it is farmed.
Apart from being labour intensive compared to other crops, tobacco farming is associated with environmental stresses and health risks associated with ‘green tobacco sickness’.
This is acute nicotine poisoning in leaf harvesting and smoke inhalation during leaf curing.
Kenya has committed to the fight against tobacco use in the country by being party to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The FCTC calls on governments to promote alternative to tobacco farming.
In the recent past, the government has been criticised for listing tobacco products among essential food products during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tobacco is a leading risk factor for most NCDs and the greatest preventable cause of death. This if countered will help prevent the progress of tobacco related NCDs.
NCDs are largely caused by avoidable risk factors including use of tobacco products, harmful use of alcohol and consumption of unhealthy diets.
These chronic diseases are known to cause more than 41 million deaths each year globally, robbing people of their most productive years.
They include cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancer among others.
“Prevention and control of NCDs risk factors translate to timely interventions which saves Kenyans from incurring expenses, most of the times, out-of-pocket- expenses to treat these diseases,” Elizabeth Mbugua said.
Mbugua is the policy development programme officer at the International Institute for Legislative Affairs
“By investing in preventing and control measures, the government makes a huge economic investment,” she said.
She said maximising prevention and control measures is not solely a government job, multi-sectoral partnerships are vital, adding that the private sector and civil societies need to join forces with the government to build a strong sustainable health system that is able to detect and treat NCDs.
“We therefore call upon the government to accord NCDs the action they deserve and help Kenyans realise their right to highest attainable standard of health,” she said.
According to Mbugua, working together to fight NCDs means aligning priorities which is understandably a hard thing to do at the beginning.
“Think of one government department that is tasked with the responsibility of fighting alcohol abuse and another that is responsible to licensing alcohol business.”
