Engaging health and non-health sectors to advance progress on tobacco control

Background and challenges to implementation Despite towering disease and death burden attributed to tobacco use, and severe socio-economic implication thwarting progress on sustainable development, sectors other than tobacco control, seldom join hands for endgame of tobacco. We aspired to increase engagement of different health movements and groups as well as non-health groups to advance progress on tobacco control. Intervention or response Vote For Health campaign hosted by CNS and Asha Parivar, collaborated with government health agencies such as UP State Tobacco Control Cell, National Health Mission, National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), Mental Health and initiatives of Skills and Entrepreneurship Ministry of Government of India; and NGOs such as Family Planning Association of India (FPA India), Hope Initiative, Society for Social Regeneration and Equity, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), among others, to conduct a series of heath interventions like Rights and Responsibilities Trainings Programme, webinars, media dialogues, CSO meetings, media trainings, and sensitization programme at schools, paramedical institutions, nursing institutions, hospitals, workers at construction sites, slums and other public places etc; each month and during specific days such as World No Tobacco Day, World Health Day, World Heart Day, Word AIDS Day, World Pneumonia Day, World Tuberculosis Day etc. Results and lessons learnt Over 200 CSOs have extended their support to tobacco control initiatives facilitated by Vote For Health campaign. Several people's movements in other South Asian, South East Asian, African nations have also endorsed tobacco control initiatives hosted by us. We have generated more the 2000 news clippings in vernacular media reaching out to almost 6 million population. Conclusions and key recommendations United we stand and divided we fall - there is no other way to progress on tobacco control and SDGs but collectively. Partnerships are key to delivering on Agenda 2030