WHO News.

WHO News Cigarettes are too cheap, study finds Tobacco products are more affordable now than ever before in many developing countries, according to a new WHO study of 80 countries. The current projection is that over 70% of the 8.4 million tobacco deaths expected to occur in 2020 will be in developing countries. Countries in which tobacco control programmes are still weak and where tobacco prices have decreased in the last decade include Costa Rica, Coˆte d’Ivoire and Viet Nam. In richer countries with strong control pro- grammes, cigarette prices tend to be higher. Australia, China and Norway are examples. However, in countries with high household incomes but no control programme, such as Japan and Switzerland, cigarettes are cheap. In spite of strong international support for the increases in tobacco taxes advocated in studies by leading economists, WHO, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the price of tobacco products has not kept pace with inflation: they are now more affordable than ever. ‘‘Increasing the price of tobacco products remains one of the most effective methods of curbing the consumption of tobacco, and thereby reducing the global deaths caused by tobacco,’’ says Derek Yach, WHO’s Executive Director for non- communicable diseases and mental health. The tobacco industry shares this view: ‘‘Increases in taxation, which reduce consumption, may mean the destruction of the vitality of the tobacco industry,’’ said a perhaps prophetic internal British American Tobacco internal document in 1992. More information can be obtained from Reshma Prakash at the Tobacco Free Initiative, email: prakashr@who.int Former US president calls for resolve to defeat dracunculiasis Armed conflict and lack of commitment are threatening the eradication of guinea-worm disease, despite a 98% drop in prevalence over the last 12 years. This disease, also known as dracuncu- liasis from the name of the worm that causes it, Dracunculus medinensis (the Medina small dragon or serpent) can be prevented by providing safe access to drinking-water through filtering, digging wells, and other interventions. Because the disease causes severe illness and distress, and is preventable by these simple means, an alliance was formed in 1991 by WHO, UNICEF, the Carter Center and others to eradicate it. In Sudan, however, civil conflict has made endemic villages inaccessible and 60 000 cases were recorded in 2001. In the remaining 11 countries where transmission still occurs, the relatively small case-load prompts governments to neglect this disease. Former US President Jimmy Carter said at a meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, from 4 to 7 March to review the eradication effort: ‘‘To overcome these obstacles we need financial support, political will, and diplomatic backing so affected countries can finish the job as quickly as possible.’’ Further information at: www. who.int/ctd/dracun/disease.htm Asian governments are told to remove lead from petrol Environmental and health experts meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, called for Asian governments to move quickly to remove lead from petrol. Researchers working with Thailand’s Mahidol University have found reductions in the level of lead in children’s blood in Bangkok after the introduction of lead-free petrol in the country. Studies in Europe and the USA have shown that the switch to lead-free petrol reduced the levels of lead in children’s blood by 90%. This in turn led to a 30–40% reduction in learning disabilities caused by lead. In Asia, where over half the world’s population lives and 40% of them are under 18 years of age, the damage done by lead and other envir- onmental hazards could be catastrophic, the conference warned at the conclusion of its meeting on 7 March. The delegates also heard how Asia’s industrialization had multiplied the environmental hazards children face. Untreated waste from factories is dumped in landfills and waterways, becoming an immediate hazard to children scavenging dumps or bathing in rivers and canals. In addition, lavish use of pesticides in agriculture has increased the risk of toxic chemicals finding their way into the food chain. These newer hazards come in addition to the long-standing ones of indoor air pollution, arsenic in groundwaters and naturally high levels of fluoride in drinking-water. Further information can be found at www.who.int/phe/ceh WHO seeks major support for reconstruction of Afghan health services WHO is seeking US$ 60 million to support the Afghan Ministry of Health in developing a health system for the country. This is part of a US$ 129 million appeal to international donors by WHO, UNICEF and nongovernmental organi- zations for immediate reconstruction activities in Afghanistan and support for refugees in neighbouring countries. ‘‘Developing a functional health care system must be a top priority in the reconstruction of Afghanistan’’, said Dr Mohammed Jama, WHO’s Regional Coordinator for the Afghan crisis. ‘‘As long as hundreds and thousands of Afghans continue to die from preventable diseases, a stable future for the country cannot be guaranteed.’’ As a result of many years of conflict, Afghanistan’s public health profile is one of the poorest in the world. In a population of 27 million, 16 000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes, 6 million Afghans have no access to medical care, and life expectancy is 46 years. WHO is proposing a package of essential health services based on the primary health care approach, to reduce the current high rates of illness and death. Malaria and tuberculosis between them kill over half a million Afghans a year. The main aims at present are to extend existing programmes for the control of these and other communicable diseases, make motherhood safer, and promote the integrated management of childhood illnesses. n 339Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2002, 80 (4) # World Health Organization 2002