African states have been urged to adopt harm reduction as an intervention to reduce the negative effects of tobacco in the continent.
African Medical Association President Dr. Kgosi Letlape asked African governments to adopt harm reduction approaches when regulating public health challenges in relation to tobacco.
Speaking in Nairobi during the third annual Harm Reduction Exchange conference themed ‘Amplifying the voice of harm reduction advocacy across Africa’, Dr. Letlape emphasised that harm reduction is a more transformative strategy than prohibition-based policies and is better than simply advocating for complete abstinence.
“Harm reduction is a better approach to reducing tobacco-related death and disease,” said Dr. Letlape.
He explained that harm reduction is a practical and transformative approach that incorporates community-driven public health strategies, including prevention, risk reduction, and health promotion, to empower people who use drugs by giving their families the choice to live healthy and self-directed lives.
“We hope that our lobbying efforts will spark renewed conversations on tobacco harm reduction among all stakeholders, including regulators and policymakers, which could lead to effective regulation and access to non-combustible product alternatives for adult smokers who are unable or uninterested in quitting,” said Dr. Letlape.
He added that across the world, harm reduction strategies have been deployed in public health as a pragmatic and compassionate approach to address various issues, particularly in the context of substance use and other risky behaviours.
Dr. Letlape noted that some of these strategies include needle exchange programmes, supervised injection sites, condom distribution, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), Vaping and E-Cigarettes, and supervised consumption of medications.
Kenyatta National Hospital Resident Otolaryngologist Dr. Vivianne Manyeki said that organisations that practice harm reduction incorporate a spectrum of strategies that meet people where they are on their own terms.
“They may serve as a pathway to additional health and social services, including additional prevention, treatment, and recovery services,” said Dr. Manyeki.
Integra Africa Principal Dr. Tendai Mhizha emphasised the important role that journalists and media houses should play in handling misinformation and disinformation in tobacco harm reduction discussions.
“The media play a critical role in accelerating the progress towards full uptake of harm reduction strategies in all spheres of health across the continent,” she said.
“With the advent of technology, we find that misinformation and disinformation are becoming increasingly prevalent with the democratisation of the information space,” said Dr. Mhizha.
She added that moving forward, there is a need to ensure that stakeholders are well informed with current and relevant information about the science, the changes that occur, and how they can advance towards a smoke-free world.
“Raising awareness for tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) as a public health strategy encourages adult smokers who are unable or uninterested in quitting tobacco altogether to migrate to non-combustible product alternatives. THR has the potential to bring about one of the greatest public health achievements of our time,” said Dr. Mhizha.
Public Health Specialist and Secretary General of the Harm Reduction Society in Kenya, Dr. Michael Kariuki, said that harm reduction is the better path forward.
Dr. Kariuki said that with harm reduction, regulators provide adult smokers with information, choice, and support to expand the off-ramp from smoking while also continuing to drive down underage use.
“Providing adult smokers with less harmful alternatives to cigarettes is a powerful step in achieving this goal,” said Dr. Kariuki.
He further added that several African countries have already implemented THR policies and programmes. For example, South Africa has legalised the sale of cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Kenya has also taken steps to regulate THR products and is considering legalising cigarettes.
“The harmonisation of public healthcare regulation of THR products in Africa would be a positive step towards reducing the harms associated with tobacco use. It would also signal that African governments are committed to public health and protecting their citizens from the danger of tobacco smoke,” said Dr. Kariuki.
By Nice Wambui and Samson Nkooma
