Smoking in Namibia
In Namibia, the prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older, according to the World Health Organization, was 11.2% in 2022. This prevalence was significantly higher among males with 19.2%, compared to 4% among females. In terms of absolute numbers, approximately 181,242 individuals in Namibia were identified as smokers in 2022. When compared to previous years, there has been a slight decrease in smoking prevalence from 11.7% in 2020. The adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was reported to be 17.2%, with 27.6% among males and 7.7% among females. The annual number of deaths attributable to tobacco smoking in 2021 was 1,100, with 388 deaths among females and 712 among males. These smoking-related deaths represented 4.1% of all deaths in the country, with gender-specific percentages of 3.24% for females and 4.8% for males. These statistics highlight the ongoing public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in Namibia, necessitating continued efforts for mitigating its health impacts.
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September 25, 2023 by who.int
Namibia strengthens tobacco control
The Ministry of Health and Social Services with support from WHO conducted a five-day tobacco training workshop to strengthen tobacco control measures in the country. Namibia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in November 2005. [...] the Namibian government banned all tobacco product advertisements in the electronic and print media, billboards and promotion well before the Tobacco Products Control Act of 2010 was signed into law.