Safeguarding Children's and Women's Health: Integrating Tobacco-Free Policies into Human Rights, SDGs, and NCD Frameworks in Iraq & MENA Region (Empowering Arab Communities: A Unified Stand Against Tobacco Use)

Abstract

The high rates of tobacco use among children globally (around 40 million) and the targeting of children by tobacco use and trade demand urgent action by governments and civil society working together to create tobacco-free generations as the norm within the next ten years. There is overwhelming scientific evidence for the harmful impact of tobacco use and second-hand smoke on children & women's health, as well as wide documentation on the targeting of children &women by tobacco advertising.

Among the objectives is to coordinate and strengthen support for tobacco-free generations by establishing an alliance of stakeholders in child health to develop and implement a strategy for TFG within a period of up to ten years, and to raise awareness with regular status reports on the impact of tobacco on children & women and their rights to health with regular reporting to government and treaty committees with obligations. Among the key activities focusing on Increasing the quality and quantity of coalition and government reports to protect children & women from tobacco by integrating policy measures into treaties and frameworks. The conclusion includes raising awareness of stakeholders and inserting provisions in treaties for mandatory reporting at country and global levels; strengthening implementation and enforcement of health policies; and changing social norms for protecting children and their families from tobacco exposure in public places and homes based on measurable data sources.