CANCER ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (CANSA)

 

Friday 13 October 2006

 

Mr Saazi Vuke

Committee Secretary

Parliament of RSA

 

Presentation to Parliament on the No Tobacco Bill

 

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) hereby indicates our interest to make an oral presentation to Health Portfolio Committee hearings on the Tobacco Products Control  Amendments Bill.

 

Background to CANSA

 

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) - a national Non-Profit Organization (NPO) was founded in 1931 by a group of volunteer doctors concerned about the increasing incidence of cancer among South Africans. It was established with the aim of financing cancer research; educational programmes; and welfare services.  With decades of experience and a commitment to creating a Cancer Smart South Africa, this Section 21 Company* has faithfully served the citizens of this country for 75 years.

 

Today it runs education programmes; promotes healthy living and early detection; funds ongoing research programmes; offers community-based services, including the facilitation of patient care; operates a toll-free Information Service; provides counseling; and mans day centres and interim homes. 

 

These services are provided to all cancer patients regardless of creed, affiliation or social circumstance.  Its programmes extend countrywide and also target rural communities using the Primary Health Care model that includes health policy, advocacy and lobbying.

 

CANSA role in Anti-tobacco legislation

 

CANSA has taken special interest in anti-tobacco legislation as tobacco is the single most preventative cause for several cancers including lung cancer, mouth, throat, bladder and pancreas cancer and is a likely contributor to other cancers such as cervical, colon, stomach cancers and also identified as  possible cause in others…It has been estimated that almost one cancer in three is smoking related. (Kune 1999)

 

CANSA is a member of TAG (Tobacco ACTION Group) that comprises of the National Council Against Smoking, CANSA, The Heart Foundation, and the Department of Health). We work in collaboration on health promotion to stop tobacco and prevent young people from taking up this habit. 

 

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CANSA has been actively involved with other organizations and the Department of Health with giving input and mobilizing civil society on the development of the first bill past by parliament in tobacco control. Since then we have been involved in meetings with the Department of Health in discussing successive inputs on amendments to this Act.

 

CANSA role in health promotion

CANSA conducts programmes in schools to educate students on the negative effects of tobacco use, and also gives talks at various audiences to stops tobacco use as part of a package of measures that promotes healthy living for reducing the risks of cancers and other debilitating diseases cause by tobacco use and exposures to second tobacco smoke. We also provide materials such as pamphlets and posters on the effects of tobacco with recommendations on how to quit smoking to support our health promotion.

 

Our submission

 

Our submission to the health portfolio will comprise the following:

 

  • The role and benefits of legislation in health promoting on tobacco
  • The right to health in the context of this amendment  
  • Tobacco and cancer prevention
  • Insights from comparison on incidence and mortality data regarding lung cancer in South Africa with other countries
  • Our response to objections raised on the Bill
  • Lessons learnt from other cancer associations in other countries regarding tobacco control.

 

Thank you very much for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon as to if and when we could make an oral submission to the hearings.

 

Regards

 

 

Joel Perry

Head: Health Programmes

CANSA National Office