TRACKING____The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire on Monday said a research finding published in 2021 by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa showed that 29,472 deaths in Nigeria were attributable to smoking.
He said this in Abuja while quoting the 2018 Tobacco Atlas report, during the commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day.
He said the theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day, ‘Commit to Quit” came at a good time when the global community was battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is especially so, as evidence has shown that tobacco users and those with underlying non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are at higher risk of severe Covid-19 outcomes. Assisting people to quit tobacco use will therefore improve COVID-19 treatment outcomes,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria records over 16, 100 deaths from tobacco-related diseases every year, stressing that “The death toll from tobacco is high in Nigeria.”
He said tobacco use or exposure to second-hand smoke is the leading preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, stroke, cancers, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
