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Smoking in Ghana

There has been a downwards trend in current smoking prevalence in the general population in Ghana. In 2000 the prevalence was estimated to be 5%; this decreased to 3.6% in 2015, with a projected decrease to 3% by 2025. Men's smoking prevalence decreased from 10% to 7% between 2000 and 2015, and is projected to decrease further to 6% by 2025 according to WHO trend data. Women's smoking during the same period remained low at just under 1% in 2000, and is projected to decrease to 0.1% by 2025. The WHO published prevalence trend estimates in tobacco smoking, as shown here, in their 2018 2nd edition report, which show slightly different smoking prevalence to the WHO country profiles. Data for the estimates are not age standardised, and were obtained from WHO databases. The trend lines are projections, not predictions, of future attainment. A projection indicates a likely endpoint if the country maintains its tobacco control efforts at the same level that it has implemented them to date. Therefore the impact of recent interventions could alter the expected endpoint shown in the projection. While the methods of estimation used in the first and second editions of the WHO report are the same, the volume of data available for the second edition is larger i.e. 200 more national surveys. The results presented are therefore more robust.

Read articles from Ghana

October 28, 2024 by myjoyonline.com

Quit or Switch: The urgency of Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategy in Ghana to reduce the harm caused by smoking

Combustible tobacco remains a major cause of preventable disease globally, leading to serious health consequences from nicotine addiction and tar exposure. As the world addresses tobacco-related illnesses, many countries are turning to Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), an approach focused on reducing smoking's health risks by offering safer alternatives. The THR approach is particularly pressing in high-smoking regions. Ghana, in particular, stands at a crucial juncture, where embracing strategies based on controlled approaches—like "quit or switch"—could reduce tobacco-related diseases, marking a shift from the traditional "Quit or Die" stance to a more flexible, life-saving approach.

August 21, 2023 by ghanaweb.com

Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Effectiive Tobacco Control Strategy

According to medical experts, smoking is destructive to body organs and public health. People who smoke end up developing lung cancer, colon cancer, brain tumour, etc. Every year, there are seven million tobacco-related deaths worldwide of which 80% are among tobacco users in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.