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Launching Ceremony
of Global Adult
Tobacco Survey
(GATS) 2009 held in
Dhaka
 The
Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare
and the World Health
Organization (WHO)
jointly organized
the formal launching
of the Global Adult
Tobacco Survey
(GATS) 2009 on
Tuesday 22 December
2009 at a local
hotel. The survey
was launched and
made available to
the public, with
technical
assistance from WHO
and the Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention, USA. The
data an tables
presented at the
launching event
pertained to the
smoking pattern and
the tobacco
consumption
situation in
Bangladesh. Experts
in the field of
tobacco control and
health education
were present in the
ceremonial
publication of the
results of GATS.
The Honorable
Minister for Health
and Family Welfare
of Bangladesh, Prof.
Dr A.F.M. Ruhal
Haque lunched the
results of GATS in
Bangladesh as Chief
Guest. In his
speech, he called
upon the people of
the country to
reduce smoking of
all forms of
tobacco, and join
hands in the
Government’s effort
to combat the
harmful effects of
tobacco use. Among
others, the
launching session
was attended by the
Advisor to the
Prime Minister,
Prof. Dr Syed
Modasser Ali,
Director General of
Health Services,
Prof. Shah Monir
Hossin, the WHO
Country
Representative to
Bangladesh, Dr
Duangvadee
Sungkhobol, and
Associate Director
of CDC Atlanta Dr
Samira Asma.
Representatives from
other partner
organizations also
spoke on the
occasion. . The
function was chaired
by the Health
Ministry’s
Secretary, Mr Shaikh
Altaf Ali.
 In
his speech Dr A.F.M.
Ruhal Haque, the
honourable Minister
of Health and Family
Welfare stated that
“GATS has provided
important evidence
to raise our voice
against the tobacco
epidemic. It is now
time to build
intervention
programs based on
the findings of this
survey. I trust that
this report has
provided necessary
evidence for:
amendment of tobacco
control act to
control smokeless
tobacco products;
increasing taxes on
tobacco products to
reduce its
consumption”. Most
of the survey
respondents favored
a tax increase and
desired to see
repeat surveys done
every 3 years or so,
to make room for
measuring the impact
of our intervention
programmes.
Professor Syed
Modasser Ali, in his
speech, stated that
the “existing law
does not comply with
the full provision
of the WHO Framework
Convention on
Tobacco Control (FCTC).
We have already
taken initiatives in
the Ministry of
Health to go through
the law for
amendment - such
that the amended
law stands fully
compliant with the
WHO FCTC”.
 WHO
Country
Representative to
Bangladesh, Dr
Duangvadee
Sungkhobol, in her
welcome remarks,
felt that the GATS
report has gathered
important data on
various aspects of
tobacco use and on
the tobacco control
programme in
Bangladesh, She
opined that it was
now time to act by
designing and
implementing
effective tobacco
control policies and
interventions in
Bangladesh.
Dr Samira Asma,
congratulated
Bangladesh for
completing the
survey and assured
continuous technical
assistance from CDC,
USA, for tobacco
control.
About 150 guests and
participants from
different ministries
of the Government of
Bangladesh, the WHO
Regional Office,
national experts on
the subject, WHO
country Office
staff, Bloomberg
initiative Partners,
and representatives
from CDC Atlanta
attended the
launching session.
GATS Bangladesh at a
glance
In Bangladesh GATS
was conducted in
2009 as a household
survey of persons 15
years of age and
older by National
Institute of
Preventive and
Social Medicine (NIPSOM)
in collaboration
with Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics
(BBS) and National
Institute of
Population Research
and Training (NIPORT).
The WHO and Centers
for Disease Control
and Prevention
(CDC), provided
technical assistance
for the
implementation of
the survey.
Financial assistance
was provided by
Bloomberg
Philanthropies under
the Bloomberg Global
Initiative to Reduce
Tobacco Use.
Data were collected
from 200 urban and
200 rural primary
sampling units (mouza
in rural and moholla
in urban areas)
drawn by a
multi-stage,
clustered sample
design to produce
nationally
representative data.
There was a total of
9629 completed
interviews done.
Some information
from the GATS is
reproduced below.
In Bangladesh,
1. 43.3% of
adults aged 15 years
or above (41.3
million) currently
use tobacco in
smoking
and/or smokeless
form
2. 44.7% of
men, 1.5% of women,
and 23.0% overall
(21.9 million
adults) currently
smoke
tobacco.
3. 26.4% of
men, 27.9% of women,
and 27.2% overall
(25.9 million
adults) currently
use
smokeless tobacco.
4. 63.0% of
adults (11.5
million) are exposed
to tobacco smoke at
the workplace.
5. 4 in 10
adults have noticed
cigarette marketing
in stores where
cigarettes are sold
6.
81% of the
respondents favored
a tax increase on
tobacco products. |