Myanmar National Tobacco Control Policy and Plan of Action

1. Background

The increased use of tobacco is one of the greatest public health threats for the 21st century
and tobacco epidemic is an epidemic like no other, being impossible to blame a biological
pathogen. The tobacco epidemic is increasingly spreading across international borders by a
variety of means, including advertising/ promotion and smuggling.

According to the WHO estimate, today there are more than a billion smokers in the world
(200 million females), the largest share of them in Asia. Recent studies point to growing
numbers of smokers in developing countries, particularly in women. WHO has estimated
that about 4.9 million die due to tobacco annually and that by 2020, it will be the leading
cause of death and disability.1 Research studies show that tobacco is becoming a greater
cause of death and disability than any other single disease. Tobacco poses a major
challenge not only to health, but also to social and economic development and to
environmental sustainability. Tobacco use is a major drain on the world's financial
resources. Although it generates short term income, it has been estimated that tobacco costs
the world over US $ 2000 billion per year.

Recognizing the enormous premature mortality caused by tobacco use and adverse effects
of tobacco on social, economic and environmental aspects, the Member States of the World
Health Organization at the World Health Assembly in May 1996, decided to initiate the
development of a binding international instrument on tobacco control. (WHA 49.17 ) 1

In July 1998, WHO reorganized its tobacco control efforts within a new structure, the
Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI). The long term mission of global tobacco control is to reduce
the prevalence and consumption of tobacco use in all countries and among all groups, and
thereby reducing the burden of disease caused by tobacco. The goals of the TFI are to
galvanize global political support for evidence-based tobacco control policies and actions;
to build new, and strengthen existing, partnerships for action, to accelerate the
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implementation of national, regional and global strategies and to mobilize resources to

support the required action. 2

2. The Goal

The goal of the policy is to improve health and well being, decrease poverty and stimulate
social development in Myanmar through a sustained reduction in tobacco use and tobacco
related harm which can be achieved through a concerted effort based on national
multisectoral approaches and mobilization of civil society.

3. Objectives

3.1 General Objective

The general objective of the national policy and pan of action on tobacco control is to
reduce tobacco uptake and consumption, promote cessation of tobacco use, protect non-
smokers from exposure to second-hand smoke and protect present and future generations
from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco
consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.

3.2 Specific Objectives

3.2.1 To formulate, promote and implement national policy and plan of action on tobacco
control.

3.2.2 To develop, enact and enforce comprehensive national tobacco control legislation in
line with the obligations of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

3.2.3 To increase awareness on the dangers of tobacco use to prevent initiation of tobacco
use and to increase the number of ex-users in the country.

3.2.4 To ban on all forms of tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship.

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3.2.5. To protect non-smokers from exposure to second-hand smoke by taking measures

to designate smoke-free places including health and education facilities, work
places, public places and public transport.

4. Strategies

4.1 Formulation of a high level national committee and tobacco control committees at
various levels to oversee the formulation and implementation of the nationwide
tobacco control programme.

4.2 Development, enactment and enforcement of comprehensive national tobacco

control legislation inline with the obligations of Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control.

4.3 Enhancement of health promotion using mass media programmes on dangers of

tobacco use and the health, social and economic impact of tobacco use.

4.4 Development of education programmes for specific target groups including out of
school youth, school children and women.

4.5 Advocacy campaigns for decision makers, legislative personnel and law-
enforcement personnel.

4.6 Training on tobacco epidemic, hazards of tobacco and tobacco control measures for
health personnel, education personnel, media personnel and the community.

4.7 Appropriate price and tax measures on tobacco products to reduce tobacco
consumption.

4.8 Ban on direct and indirect promotion of tobacco with effective and appropriate legal
actions on advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco.

4.9 Limitation of access to tobacco by minors.

4.10 Provision of guidelines for testing and measuring the contents and emissions of
tobacco products and for the regulation of these contents and emissions.
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4.11 Adoption of effective legislative measures requiring manufacturers and importers of

tobacco products to disclose to governmental authorities information about the
contents and emissions of tobacco products.

4.12 Adoption of effective measures for public disclosure of information about the toxic
constituents of the tobacco products and emissions that they may produce.

4.13 Legislation on packaging and labeling of tobacco products ensuring that tobacco
product packaging and labeling do not promote a tobacco product by any means
that are false and that each unit packet and package of tobacco products and any
outside packaging and labeling of such products also carry health warnings in local
language which should be no less than 30% of the principal display areas.

4.14 Improve co-ordination, collaboration and promote new partnerships within the
community and with local, International NGOs, UN agencies and other
international bodies concerned in the South East Asia Region.

4.15 Partnership building with related ministries, UN organizations, international

agencies, national and international NGOs. Strengthening of intra sectoral,
multisectoral and coordination and collaboration between related Ministries.

4.16 Systematic collection of information regarding the prevalence of tobacco

consumption, behavioral patterns and health and socio- economic impacts of
tobacco use.

4.17 Establishment of a systematic surveillance system and Country TFI website and
Online Database System.

4.18 Research to obtain relevant information and data on smoking prevalence, behavioral
patterns, health and socio-economic impact of smoking. Research on mechanisms
to increase capacity, strengthen infrastructure, improve sharing of information and
collaboration between sectors.

4.19 Control and prevention of cross-border influx through smuggling.

4.20 Establishment of tobacco cessation clinics and community-based tobacco cessation

programme.
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4.21 Incorporation of hazards of tobacco in the school curriculum.

4.22 Introduction of healthy lifestyle since childhood.

5. Targets

Short Term by the Year 2010

Enactment and enforcement of National Tobacco Control Legislation.

All schools and health facilities to be tobacco free.

Public transport; designated public places and workplaces to be smoke free.

Comprehensive ban on direction and indirect advertisement, sponsorship and

promotion of tobacco products.

Ban on sale of tobacco products to and by minors.

All tobacco packets and packages to have health warnings in local language
with no less than 30% of the principal display areas.

Establishment of Online Database System for tobacco surveillance modeled on

the Reporting Instrument under Article 21 of WHOFCTC.

Favorable trends in knowledge, attitude and practice in regard to smoking.

A decrease in per capita tobacco consumption of at least 1% by the end of 2010.

Long Term at 20 years

Falling trends in tobacco use.

Falling trends in tobacco production and importation.

Prevalence of smoking reduced by 10%.

Rising trend of smoking related illness to plateau.

Favourable trends in " quit ratio".

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6. Activities

6.1 Formation of National and Sub-national Committees on Tobacco Control

A National Committee on Tobacco Control had been formed by the highest office in 2002
constituting representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of
Information, Ministry for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development
Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance and Revenue,
Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Internal Affairs( Anti-narcotics Division) and National
NGOs.

The Minister for Health took responsibility as chairman of this committee, the Deputy
Minister for Health as vice chairman, the Director General of the Department of Health as
secretary, Director (Public Health) and tobacco control project manager as joint secretaries
of the Committee.

Tobacco control committees will also been formed at State and Divisional levels with the
State and Health Divisional Health Directors taking the leading role.

6.2 Designation of tobacco control focal points

Tobacco control cell will be established with designated national focal point for tobacco
control in the Ministry of Health and also focal persons at State and Divisional Health
Departments.

6.3 Promotion of Community Awareness

Advocacy/training workshops for media personnel will be conducted. Anti-tobacco

campaigns will be conducted through wider media coverage via both paid and unpaid
media in collaboration with UN and international agencies, national and international
NGOs and media personnel. Pooling of limited resources and sharing of experts among
anti-tobacco advocates will be required to generate unpaid media publicity.

Mass media programmes against the use of tobacco, emphasizing on its ill effects on
health, social and economic aspects will be developed. Various forms of electronic media,
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printed media and folk media will be used to give the message that smoking is no longer a
socially acceptable norm. Information, education and communication materials will be
produced and disseminated widely to related departments and to the community.

Preventive education programmes on the dangers of tobacco use will be given, directed to
different target groups, with special emphasis on school and out of school youth. Health
education and peer education will also be given to women, workers and the community.
Seminars or workshops will be conducted for celebrities such as movie stars, pop singers
and sport stars to increase awareness of the health, socio-economic impact of tobacco and
to adopt as well as portray a healthy life style since they serve as role models for youths.
Counter-advertising will also be promoted with active involvement of youth force. Means
of assessing the effectiveness of preventive education activities will be an integral part of
the programme.

Commemorating World No-Tobacco Days every 31st of May could be used as a tool to
promote community awareness and to advocate decision makers and the public.

6.4 Advocacy campaigns

Advocacy campaigns to promote awareness of health, social and economic impact of

tobacco use will be conducted among decision makers, local authorities, educationalists,
the media, community and religious leaders, so as to enhance tobacco control measures.
They will be conducted in all States and Divisions, with priority given to those States and
Divisions where the consumption and production of tobacco and tobacco related products
is high. Advocacy campaigns will be conducted in collaboration and coordination with
national NGOs including Women’s Affairs, Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare
Association, Myanmar Medical Association, Myanmar Red Cross Society, Myanmar
Nurses Association, Myanmar Health Assistants Association, Myanmar Anti-narcotics
Association etc.

Requests will be made either directly or through Motion picture and Video, Music
Associations to movie and pop stars, to refrain from promoting tobacco related products
either directly or indirectly. Producers, script writers and directors will also be requested
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through related departments and associations to include negative aspects of smoking in

movie or video scenes or dialogues.

6.5 Training of health and education personnel

Training of trainers on hazards of tobacco to health and educational personnel from

township levels (preferably Township Medical and Education officers) will be conducted
phase by phase at State and Divisional levels. These trainers will provide multiplier courses
to basic health personnel and school teachers at township level.

Hazards of tobacco including health risks, addictiveness and socio-economic cost of

tobacco consumption and exposure to second hand smoke will be incorporated in the
curricula of basic education schools, medical schools, nursing schools, dental schools,
pharmacy schools, schools for basic health personnel and teachers training schools.

Various aspects of control of tobacco smoking will be included in the curriculum of all
health care providers and during medical education programmes.

6.6 Partnership Building and Community Mobilization

Partnership Building

Partnership with concerned ministries, relevant professional organizations, key community

members and local authorities , including parents, youth groups, teachers, religious leaders,
users, NGOs, women, youth and trade organizations, other programmes and media. Inter-
country partnerships and relationships with regional mechanisms and institutions such as
ASEAN, and the Asian Development Bank, to achieve regional consensus and direction on
tobacco control. Inter-agency development mechanisms with UN agencies and other
international organizations, such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization to
ensure global control interventions.
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Community Mobilization

Community can take part in planning and decision making; e.g., participating in the school
health team or community advisory committee, they can also participate in activities and
services through formal or non-formal education; e.g.; attending tobacco cessation sessions,
school and other community activities to gain knowledge and skills in dealing with tobacco
such as exhibitions, photo expositions, concerts, drama, sport, community wide
entertainment, festivals and health fairs.

Community can also support for resources, in cash or kind; or provide technical support
such as being guest speakers or providing specialist services related to health and tobacco
use.

6.7. Protection of Non smokers from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke

All government institutions and public places like schools, cinemas, hospitals; public
transports, workplaces will be designated as "Tobacco free areas". Establishment of
“smoke free" areas should extend from work places especially in small scale industries and
institutions to towns. Smoking zones will be provided for smokers in certain public places.

6.8. Development of National School Policy

National School Policy on tobacco control will be developed by the Central School Health
Supervisory Committee. It will be targeted that all schools in the country will be smoke
free by the year 2008. Policies should need to meet national and local rules and needs and
should be adapted to health concerns and cultures of different ethnic groups of the school
and the community.

Written policies should guarantee that tobacco use and other health interventions are
carried out for all levels of schooling, starting in the earliest grade and continuing up to the
last grade of school. The creation of tobacco free schools is the best guarantee to protect the
health of the people learning, working and playing in the school and its surroundings.
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6.9 Smoking cessation

Smoking cessation clinics and counseling services will be set up gradually at all levels
within the health care delivery system. Multiplier courses will be conducted for trainers.
Community-based cessation programmes will be expanded phase by phase.

6.10 Research

Sentinel prevalence studies on tobacco use will be carried out every two years at sentinel
sites. Priority research areas include Repeat Global Youth Tobacco Survey, Study on
Cross-border advertisement, Study on Illicit Trade of tobacco, Study on health impact of
tobacco, Study on women and tobacco, Study on tobacco use among health personnel etc.
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7. National Plan of action 2006-2010

7.1 Objectives of National Plan of Action

1. Strengthening national infrastructure and capacity for tobacco control.

2. Increased public awareness about tobacco epidemic through dissemination of
information using advocacy, strong media coverage and comprehensive
website.
3. Strengthened tobacco surveillance and information system, strengthened
intercountry collaboration and information sharing in tobacco control in the
light of FCTC.
4. Enact and implement appropriate and effective legislation and fiscal measure to
reduce tobacco use.

Objective 1. Strengthening national infrastructure and capacity for tobacco control.

Activity 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

1.1 Establish multi-sectoral national 3

coordinating agency or focal point on
tobacco control.

1.2 Develop and initiate implementation 3

of a National Tobacco Control Policy
and a time-bound Plan of Action for
tobacco control.

1.3 Strengthen resource mobilization for 3 3 3 3 3

tobacco control through national
budgets and special bilateral donor
allocations.

1.4 Establish and implement a system of 3

surveillance for monitoring
implementation of tobacco control
measures, and for monitoring tobacco
related morbidity and mortality.

1.5 Form coalitions of NGOs and

coalitions of professional groups to
provide impetus for national tobacco- 3 3
control policy implementation.
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1.6 Train health professionals,

economists, social professionals and
media personnel on issues related to 3 3 3 3 3
tobacco.

Objective 2: Increased public awareness about tobacco epidemic through

dissemination of information using advocacy, strong media coverage and
comprehensive website.

Activity 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2.1 Develop and initiate sustainable 3

national information, education and
communication strategies to inform
and educate relevant sectors,
communities.

2.2 Carry out advocacy to obtain 3 3 3 3 3

commitment of policy makers on
finance, trade, law, education, labour,
environment, agriculture and social
welfare.

2.3 Intensify public education, community 3 3 3 3 3

mobilization, and prevention and
cessation interventions.

2.4. Heighten the role of media in tobacco 3 3 3 3

control and use the World No-
Tobacco Day theme for year-long,
sustainable education activities on
tobacco control.

2.5. Incorporate tobacco prevention and 3 3 3 3 3

cessation activities into existing
health, social and development
programmes ( e.g, Primary Health
Care, poverty alleviation)
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2.6. Incorporate tobacco control activities 3 3 3 3 3

into related programmes such as
School Health, Non-Communicable
Disease Control and Tuberculosis
Control programmes.

2.7. Establish tobacco control 3 3 3 3 3

programmes at work places as part of
Health Promoting Workplace
programmes.

2.8. Integrate issues related to tobacco 3 3 3 3 3

control into NGO supported
programmes.

2.9. Declare all schools and all health 3

facilities as tobacco free.

2.10. Secure involvement of other UN 3 3 3 3 3

agencies and bilateral donors on
tobacco control at country level.

Objective 3. Strengthened tobacco surveillance and information system in the light of

FCTC.

Activity 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

3.1 Conduct sentinel prevalence survey on 3

tobacco at sentinel sites to estimate per
capita tobacco consumption and to monitor
implementation and to evaluate impact of
the country level plan of action.

3.2 Collect information to quantify the 3 3 3 3

health, social and other economic costs of
tobacco use, the economic impact of
tobacco trade, cultivation and smuggling
and to estimate the effect of tax and price
especially among young people.
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3.3. Conduct research on behavioral and 3 3 3 3

socio-cultural issues related to tobacco
consumption and carry out operational
research on effective and appropriate
interventions to reduce tobacco
consumption.

3.4. Develop a comprehensive national 3 3 3 3 3

database on issues related to tobacco, and
implement a mechanism to collect and
disseminate success stories related to
tobacco control.

3.5 Establishment of standardized 3 3

surveillance mechanism and information
system.

3.6 Publication of regular biennial tobacco 3 3

surveillance report.

3.7 Setting up Country Online Database 3

System and TFI website modeled on the
Reporting Instrument under Article 21 of
WHOFCTC (Reporting and exchange of
information).

Objective 4. Enact and implement appropriate and effective legislation and fiscal
measures to reduce tobacco use.

Activity 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

4.1 Adoption and implementation of 3 3 3 3 3

legislative measures to put a
comprehensive ban on direct and
indirect tobacco advertising,
promotions, sponsorships and product
placements.
4.2 Adoption and implementation of 3 3 3 3 3
executive, administrative and
legislative measures to prohibit
smoking at public places such as
schools, hospitals and health facilities,
public transport and enclosed public
places.
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4.2. Adoption and implementation of 3 3 3 3 3

executive, administrative and
legislative measures to ban sale of
tobacco products to and by minors.

4.3 Provision of guidelines for testing and 3

measuring the contents and emissions
of tobacco products and for the
regulation of these contents and
emissions.

4.4 Adoption and implementation of 3 3 3 3

executive, administrative and
legislative measures requiring
manufacturers and importers of tobacco
products to disclose to governmental
authorities information about the
contents and emissions of tobacco
products.

4.5Adoption and implementation of 3 3 3 3

executive, administrative and
legislative measures on packaging and
labeling of tobacco products ensuring
that tobacco product packaging and
labeling do not promote a tobacco
product by any means that are false and
that each unit packet and package of
tobacco products and any outside
packaging and labeling of such
products also carry health warnings in
local language which should be no less
than 30% of the principal display areas.

8. Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring

The monitoring of the tobacco control activities will be carried out at all levels of
administration, by the township, State and Divisional and central levels.
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Reports of activities conducted will be prepared by parties concerned and sent to the
National Committee for Tobacco Control. This committee will regularly to monitor the
progress of the programme.

Surveys and research activities will also be monitored by the National Committee and
health personnel at various levels. Monitoring visits to different parts of the country will be
made regularly by the National Committee personnel to supervise education activities,
advocacy campaigns and other activities. Progress on legislation and activities of other
Ministries will also be monitored.

Evaluation

Process Evaluation

Activities mentioned will be monitored whether they are implemented according to the
schedule.

Evaluation

Programme review meeting will be conducted at the end of each year to evaluate the
strengths and weaknesses of the programme and to analyze the lessons learnt from the past
to take action for the future. The following indicators will be used at yearly evaluations.

(1) Output indicators

1. Number of advocacy campaigns conducted during the year.

2. Number of health education programmes implemented during the year.
3. Number of schools declared to be " tobacco free".
4. Public places designated as " tobacco free".
5. Actions taken against tobacco advertisement.
6. Training given to health care providers and school teachers.
7. Surveys and research conducted.
8. Development of data-base on tobacco and establishment of TFI website.
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(2) Impact Indicators

1. Prevalence of tobacco consumption in different age groups.

2. Change of knowledge and attitude after health education sessions.
3. Trends in tobacco consumption.
4. Quit ratio among smokers.
5. Prevalence of tobacco related diseases.

9. Conclusion

As a result of Tobacco Control Activities in the whole country, awareness on dangers of

tobacco will be increased and heightened among the target groups as well as the general
population. This increased awareness along with the social and cultural support provided
by health and different sectors with the involvement of the community would provide the
necessary stimuli for behavioral changes to occur. With the increasing momentum of
tobacco control activities, the lasting benefit is that less people will suffer from tobacco
induced illnesses in the coming years. People will live longer and healthier and it will also
be beneficial on social and economic aspects for the country, as the economic burden will
be lessened. The medical cost for tobacco related illness which will have to be borne by the
government as well as the community, could be alleviated by sustained measures aimed at
reduction of tobacco consumption in the country.

References

1. WHO Regional office for South-East Asia Region. Regional Strategy for Tobacco
Control, New Delhi, October, 2005.
2. WHO Regional office for South-East Asia Region. Regional Plan of Action for
Tobacco Control, New Delhi, October, 2005.
3. World Health Organization, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
4. WHO Fact Sheet No: 221, April 1999.
5. WHO Regional office for South-East Asia Region, Tobacco in SEAR
6. World Health Organization Tobacco or Health: A global status report 1999
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7. WHO Regional office for South-East Asia Region; First Action Plan for Tobacco
Control- Years 2000 to 2004.
8. World Health Organization;, A Policy Framework for Tobacco Control.
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