Kenya strikes at smoking with mass-media campaign

Kenya’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Lung Foundation and tobacco control organizations has launched a Mass Media anti-tobacco campaign, according to a story put out by the Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KTCA).

The campaign, which goes under the name, Smoking Kills, was officially launched in Nairobi last week.

It is aimed largely at educating the public about the consequences of smoking tobacco, and implementing the provisions of the country’s Tobacco Control Act 2007.

There was no mention of what media would be used or how it would be used.

But Joel Gitali, chairperson of the KETCA, said the mass media campaign would be the most effective way to encourage people to change their behaviour: to encourage smokers to “quit the vice”.

“Civil societies and the respective ministries need to work together to ensure the fight against the tobacco menace is won,” Gitali said.