RIH expert participates in the Tenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Global conferences on tobacco control are held in the capital of the Republic of Panama from February 5 to 15, 2024. The delegation from the Russian Federation is headed by Oleg Salagai, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation. The working group from our country includes Victor Zykov, Acting Head of the Department of Risk Factor Prevention and Communication Technologies in Healthcare.

The tenth session of the FCTC and the third session of the Protocol take place in person and consist of a number of plenary sessions, as well as meetings of selected committees and working groups.

Oleg Salagai, Head of the Russian delegation, made a report on the progress of the WHO FCTC implementation in Russia. In his speech, he described the key areas of work in accordance with the Concept of the state policy implementation to counter consumption of tobacco and other nicotine-containing products in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2035, adopted in 2019. During implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in the Russian Federation, the prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults decreased from 39.1% in 2009 to 18.7% in 2023 (Rosstat data).

The tenth session of the WHO FCTC on tobacco control discusses the global process in tobacco control, the regulation of new types of tobacco products and a variety of tobacco products with nicotine, which is aimed primarily at the younger generation.

* The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) as a response to tobacco epidemic globalization. It was signed in 2003 at the 56th World Health Assembly. The FCTC is an evidence-based treaty that affirms the right of all people to enjoy the highest level of health. The FCTC demonstrates significant shift towards developing an appropriate strategy for addictive substances regulation; unlike previous drug control treaties, the FCTC emphasizes demand reduction strategies as well as supply-side issues. Russia joined the treaty in 2008.

The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is an international treaty aimed at eliminating all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products through a package of measures to be undertaken by countries in cooperation with each other: this is a global solution to a global problem.