About Us
South Asian Regional Consortium Centre for Combating Tobacco (SARC-CCT) is the South Asian tobacco observatory established at the Centre for Combating Tobacco (CCT) under the Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). The main purpose of this tobacco observatory is to monitor tobacco industry activities and implementation of FCTC Article 5.3 in the region of South Asia.
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is a treaty under international law adopted in May 2003 by the 56th World Health Assembly of the WHO. FCTC entered into force from February 2005, legally binding 181 ratifying countries as of 2019. FCTC Article 5.3 requires Parties, or the member countries, to protect their public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. Monitoring of the tobacco industry and their activities is deemed an essential prerequisite in implementation of Article 5.3.
CCT at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo is the current national tobacco observatory for Sri Lanka. CCT provides technical expertise for the project and acts as the coordinating body in the development and maintenance of the SARC-CCT. International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) generously funds this project. The Partner organisations of the SARC CCT are from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka
The grand inauguration of the SARC-CCT is to be held in Colombo on 15th July 2019. The initial capacity building workshop for the member organisations of the SARC-CCT is to be held from 15th to 17th July 2019.
Afghanistan
Organization for Promotion of Health & Community Development (OPHCD),
Organization for Promotion of Health & Community Development (OPHCD), is an Afghan Non-governmental organization committed to contribute to the sustainable development of Afghanistan through provision of development and humanitarian services in Health, Education, Social safety, Human right and Social welfare, Agriculture, Environments protection and Institutional development through capacity building training and skill development programs.
The organization focus on service provision for the most vulnerable groups of the society such as Women/mothers and children, refuges, internally displaced people (IDPs), and other marginalized groups of the society. OPHCD is linked with the National Mental Health and Drug addict’s hospital and Al-Hayat private hospital where the organization provides training services in regard to Mental Health, Drug demand reduction, and tobacco control.
Address: Main.Office: House#503,close Darlaman Road Karte 3 ,PD#6 Kabul Afghanistan
Telephone: +93730385000 & +93729995000
E mail: nazir.jabarkhil@gmail.com & ophcd.afg@gmail.com
Bangladesh
PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress)
PROGGA- Knowledge for Progress, is a non-profit organization for research, advocacy and capacity building in Bangladesh. Tobacco control through media and policy advocacy is one of the core programs of PROGGA. It works with journalists, government agencies, economists and policymakers for supporting implementation of FCTC in Bangladesh. PROGGA facilitates a network of journalists, “Anti-tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA)” of 350 trained journalists working across the country. It also works alongside various regional and international tobacco control networks including Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), NCD Alliance, Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), Prevent 20 and Global Network for Tobacco Free Healthcare Services (GNTH).
Address: House 06 (East Side), Main Road 3, Block A, Section 11, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Telephone: +880-2-9005553
PROGGA: www.progga.org
Tobacco Industry Watch BD: www.tobaccoindustrywatchbd.org
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tobaccoindustrywatchbd/
E mail: progga.bd@gmail.com
Bhutan
Bhutan Narcotics Control Authority (BNCA)
BNCA was established in 2006 following the enactment of the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Act in 2005. Tobacco Control Act (2010) mandates BNCA to serve as the Tobacco Control Secretariat. As a result, it functions as the secretariat to the Narcotic Control Board and Tobacco Control Board and is the nodal agency of the Government for all matters related to tobacco, narcotics drugs, psychotropic substances and substance abuse.
In order to achieve its objective, the authority implements its functions and activities through its two divisions namely the Demand Reduction Division and the Supply Reduction Division. The authority carries out its mandate in collaboration with its stakeholder department and Ministry such as that of Health, Education, Police, Customs, Trade, Road safety, Drug Regulatory, Agriculture and Food Regulatory and Civil Society Organizations.
Address: Lungtenzampa, P.O. Box No. 429, Thimu, Bhutan
Telephone: +975-02-335371 & +975-02-335370
Website: www.bnca.gov.bt
E mail: bnca@bnca.gov.bt
India
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh is an “Institute of National Importance” by an Act of Parliament of India and ‘Centre of Excellence’ in health care. Department of Community Medicine was established at PGIMER, Chandigarh in 1977 which was upgraded to School of Public Health (SPH) in 2004. The institute aims to conduct post graduate teaching programs and training courses in various fields of public health for national health program managers, to provide consultancy services to health departments and to carry out research in related disciplines in collaboration with various national and international organisations.
Address: Department of Community Medicine & School of Public Health, Sector-14 (Opposite Punjab University) Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
Telephone: 1722755215
Website: www.pgimer.edu.in
Generation Savior Association
Generation Saviour Association (GSA) for more than two decades has been conducting various activities for tobacco control and is technically supporting the government of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to effective enforcement and implementation of tobacco related policies and legislations. The Association intensively works towards saving the present and future generations from the scourge of Public Health issues and challenges. Besides Tobacco Control; Generation Saviour Association also works for reduction in Child Obesity, Trasfat elimination, Hypertension Management, Fighting Depression and fostering Healthy Lifestyle. GSA envisages that Nation shall grow with a healthy generation.
Address: # 338, Phase XI, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, India, Pincode- 160062
Telephone: 01724011338, 9814612960
Website: www.gsa.org.in
E-mail: gsa338@gmail.com
Maldives
Health Protection Agency (HPA) is the specialized public health arm of the Ministry of Health, and was created by an Act of Parliament, “The Public Health Protection Act (Law : 7/2012)”, in 2012, with the overall mandate of promoting and protecting public health, through disease prevention and health information.
The law, mandates HPA with the authority and responsibility to function as the primary institution in the country, in relation to disease control, preventive and promotive health. HPA is responsible for disease surveillance, control of communicable and lifestyle diseases and their risk factors. All public health programs, including immunization, health promotion, reproductive health, environmental and food hygiene through public health inspections are some of the functions of HPA. HPA is a technical organization, headed by the DG of Public Health and reporting directly to the Minister of Health
Address: Health Protection Agency, Ministry of Health, 4th floor, Roashanee Building, Sosun Magu, Henaveiru Male’, Republic of Maldives.
Telephone: +9603014494
Tobacco Control Program: +960 3014411 & +960 3014455
Website: www.hpa.gov.mv
E-mail: hpa@health.gov.mv, tobaccofreemaldives@health.gov.mv
Nepal
Health Journalists Forum Nepal (HJFN):
Health Journalists Forum Nepal (HJFN) was founded on 15 Aug2014. This is a forum of Journalists working on health bit, has got more than 60 Members and number is growing up. HJFN is solely professional organization. Other then Professional security and capacity enhancement of Journalists, HJFN emphasizes on health related agenda. It has conducted several Interaction program with higher authority of government, doctors, WHO representative, civil society, youth, student on anti tobacco Policy implementation. Also it has conducted awareness Program on tuberculosis, Cancer, leprosy, etc. we are happy to inform you that, this year Ministry of Health has awarded HJFN by Blumberg Health Ministry award with NRs 50000/- for its work against anti tobacco campaigner.
Address: Health Journalists Forum Nepal (HJFN) , Kathmandu Municipality -29, Anamnagar Kathmandu
Telephone: 9779841464209
Face Book page: www.facebook.com/Health-Journalist-Forum-Nepal-585349825305515/
Pakistan
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Sri Lanka
Centre for Combating Tobacco (CCT) is the Sri Lankan tobacco observatory established at the Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo under the Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The aim of the CCT is to monitor the tobacco industry activities related to implementation of Article 5.3 in Sri Lanka and the region. The implementation partners of the CCT include; Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC), National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Sri Lanka, the Expert Committee on Tobacco, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) and the World Health Organization(WHO) Country office for Sri Lanka .
Address: Centre for Combating Tobacco (CCT), No 40/18, Park Road, Colombo 05.
Telephone: +94 11 251571
Website: www.cct.lk & www.tobaccounmasked.lk
E mail: tobaccounmasked@gmail.com & admin@cct.lk
Face book: www.facebook.com/tobaccounmasked/