๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐
On April 3, 2025, the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, the World Health Organization, and other partner organizations, organized a consultation forum in Addis Ababa to discuss the 2024 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) targeting individuals aged 15 and above.
Speaking at the consultation forum, Excellency Dr. Tadele Burqa, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health, Social Development, Culture, and Sports of the House of Peopleโs Representatives, emphasized that the House is committed to supporting efforts to protect public healthโnot only through the enactment and approval of laws but also by ensuring the effective implementation of Proclamation 1112/2011. He assured participants that the House will continue to stand with them in their mission.
Opening the forum, State Minister of Health Excellency Dr. Dereje Duguma expressed his appreciation for the successful domestic implementation of the national tobacco use survey. He highlighted the importance of using data and scientific research to inform actions that help protect the health of our society.
He further noted that tobacco smoke is a leading cause of various non-communicable and chronic diseases, emphasizing that stakeholders must take an active role in tobacco control efforts, given the significant economic, social, and political burdens it imposes.
In her welcoming speech at the forum, Heran Gerba, Director General of EFDA, stated that while the GATS Ethiopia 2024 study reflects encouraging progress in tobacco control, there are still key areas that need further improvement.
She highlighted that the overall decline in tobacco use, particularly the reduction among women, was a positive outcome of the study. However, she emphasized the need for continued efforts, especially within government institutions, to further strengthen tobacco control measures and enhance performance in this area.
The consultation forum brought together representatives from federal health institutions, regional health regulatory bodies, heads of the Authorityโs branch offices, and various non-governmental organizations involved in tobacco control and public health
