Jamaica: visit of the needs assessment team
A team from the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC together with colleagues from WHOs Department for Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and the United Nations Development Programme visited Jamaica in August 2014 for a joint needs assessment.
A series of meetings were held with more than 100 stakeholders from various Government agencies, civil society, academia, UN and donor organizations, to discuss achievements and challenges and to identify needs and gaps in implementation of the WHO FCTC.
Jamaicas Health Minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson, noted that the tobacco legislation is only the beginning. We have lots of work to do to meet our obligations under the WHO FCTC. Speaking about further steps, he pointed out that Jamaica is getting ready to put in place a comprehensive tobacco control bill.
Dr Tibor Szilagyi from the Convention Secretariat lauded the tobacco control measures implemented by the Jamaican government as a great achievement, and said that the Secretariat can assist in the next steps. The report of the mission will be completed jointly by the visiting team and the Government of Jamaica. For more information on the mission please contact Ms Sheryl Dennis, Legal Officer of the Ministry of Health, Jamaica (email: denniss@moh.gov.jm).
Photo: CSF and WHO PAHO meet with Jamaica’s Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Fenton Ferguson.