R enowned Cancer Specialist of India Dr Bishal Rao in a meeting with Health Secretary Lokman Hossain Mia has emphasised on enacting an urgent Tobacco Control Law to check spread of non-contagious diseases like cancer.
It is learnt, a team of Healthcare Global Enterprise(HCG) headed by Dr Bishal Rao is visiting Bangladesh as a part of its consciousness programmes in the countries facing the risk of Cancer. The team is exchanging views with various gov't and non-governmental organisations. HG team members also held meeting with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the treatment of Cancer and its reisistance in Bangladesh.
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Dr Bishal Rao in the meeting mentioned that it is apprehended that the Cancer would spread alarmingly and rapidly worldwide by 2030. The cancer can spread like a pandemic due to consumption of tobacco and wine in one side and of applying various chemicals, pesticides in food stuff and consumption of adulterated foods in the other.
He said, a concerted initiative and necessary step should be taken immediately to check this pandemic. He suggested the following important actions to check the virulent spread of cancer immediately:
According to the recommendations of the World Bank, the price of tobacco products should be increased so that the use of tobacco is decreased and the additional revenue earned from this sector should be used for detection of Cancer and upgradation of standard of treatment. Advertisements of various tobacco products like Bidi, cigarette and smokless tobacco should be banned.
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Banning of use and sell of tobcco and tobacco products within 100 yards in public places, hotel and educational institutions and banning of use, sell and making of e-cigarettes and identical electronics devices was essential. Speakers at the meeting emphatically opined to revise the prevailing Tobacco Control Act to implement the bans.
Health Secretary Lokman Hossain Mia said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared to make Bangladesh tobacco free by 2040 and the Ministry of Health is working to implement the declaration on the utmost priority basis. He further mentioned the works for revising the Tobacco Control Act have already been started.
