Princess Dina Mired: Confronting The Smoking Epidemic Is A National And Moral Responsibility That Cannot Be Postponed

(MENAFN- Amman Net) Princess Dina Mired affirmed that smoking poses a rising threat to the health of children, youth, and women in Jordan, stressing that confronting this epidemic is a national and moral responsibility that cannot be postponed.

Her remarks came during her patronage of the launch event for the fifth edition of the Tobacco Industry Interference Index Report in Jordan's Public Health Policies, which was unveiled today at the headquarters of the Royal Health Awareness Society, attended by Minister of Health Dr. Ibrahim Al-Bdour.

Report Objectives and Findings

The report aims to raise awareness about the extent of tobacco industry interference in Jordan, and to provide policymakers with practical tools to curb this interference, in line with national and international efforts to protect public health. The report is a global tool that monitors tobacco industry interference in public health policies, based on Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The report, which covers the results for the years 2023–2024, revealed a slight improvement in Jordan's performance by two points on the Index compared to the previous edition, reaching (80/100), thanks to the adoption of the National Strategy for Combating Tobacco and Smoking 2024-2030.

Statements from Officials

For his part, Minister of Health Dr. Ibrahim Al-Bdour indicated that the release of this report for the years (2023–2024) was implemented as a core step and an application of the Sixth Objective of the action plan stemming from the National Strategy for Combating Tobacco for the years 2024–2030. This strategy was developed in implementation of the directives of King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, to exert maximum efforts in protecting society and public health from the harms of smoking and tobacco products in all their forms, and in enforcement of Public Health Law No. 47 of 2008 and its amendments.

Ms. Lesley Rae Frazer, CEO of the Global Tobacco Control Alliance, praised Jordan's efforts in monitoring and tracking tobacco industry interference, considering these efforts make Jordan a regional model, and valuing the close cooperation with Jordanian civil society organizations.

Dr. Amal Arifej, Director General of the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS), concluded by emphasizing that the report represents a practical tool for monitoring tobacco industry interference in national policies, stressing the importance of the role of civil society and youth in protecting the right to health and building a more conscious, smoke-free future.

Dialogue Session and Partners

The event included an extensive dialogue session with the participation of Princess Dina Mired and experts from the King Hussein Cancer Center, the Jordanian National Society for Smoking Control, and the No Smoking Association. They discussed the report's findings and proposed recommendations to strengthen preventive measures and limit unnecessary interaction with the tobacco industry.

The report was prepared in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Global Tobacco Control Alliance, and through the efforts of civil society organizations including: the King Hussein Cancer Center, the No Smoking Association, the Jordanian National Society for Smoking Control, the Association of Jordanian Universities' Union for Combating Tobacco and Smoking, the Royal Health Awareness Society, and the Middle East and North Africa Field Epidemiology Training Programs Network (EMPHNET).

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