The Ministry of Health Uganda has launched a campaign requiring officials involved in tobacco regulation to declare that they have no conflict of interest with the tobacco industry, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency and protecting public health.
The initiative, which targets members of the National Tobacco Control Committee and other public officers engaged in tobacco-related decision-making, was unveiled during the launch of a drive to popularise the declaration requirement.
Officials say the measure is designed to ensure that individuals responsible for implementing tobacco control policies do so independently and without influence from the tobacco industry.
Speaking at the launch, Hafsa Lukwata said the declaration will help safeguard public health by ensuring that government officials act in the best interest of citizens.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Lukwata serves as Assistant Commissioner for Mental Health and Control of Substance Use, and the National Tobacco Control Focal Point at the health ministry.
She said the campaign is aimed at encouraging transparency among officials involved in regulating tobacco and ensuring that they remain free from industry influence.
"We are gathered here today to witness the launch of the popularisation of the no conflict of interest declaration mainly by members of the National Tobacco Control Committee and other public officers who have anything to do with controlling tobacco," Lukwata said.
According to Lukwata, protecting Ugandans from the harmful effects of tobacco remains a key priority for the ministry.
She noted that tobacco continues to cause significant illness and death, warning that its health impacts extend across multiple diseases and affect large segments of the population.
"We know that tobacco is dangerous in all its forms and it is causing a lot of deaths to our people," she said.
Lukwata explained that tobacco use is a major risk factor behind the increasing burden of Non-communicable diseases, which are now responsible for a growing proportion of deaths among adults in Uganda.
Health experts say conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and chronic respiratory diseases have been rising steadily in Uganda and across the region, partly driven by tobacco consumption and other lifestyle-related risk factors.
Lukwata said the requirement for conflict-of-interest declarations is anchored in Uganda's Tobacco Control Act 2015, which aims to reduce tobacco use and protect the public from exposure to tobacco smoke.
Under the law, individuals who hold positions that allow them to influence tobacco-related policies or enforcement must disclose any interests that could compromise their independence.
She said the rule was introduced because the tobacco industry often attempts to influence policies that could restrict its operations.
"We know that the industry can always manipulate whichever decisions are taken to control it or to ban some of their interventions," Lukwata said.
According to her, requiring officials to declare that they have no ties to the tobacco industry is essential in ensuring that decisions related to tobacco control are guided by public health interests rather than commercial considerations.
Public officers involved in tobacco regulation, she said, must assure the public that they have no connections to the tobacco industry and that they will perform their duties without external influence.
"It is very necessary that whoever is seated in a position which takes decisions around tobacco should declare that they have no conflict of interest and that they will do their work diligently without the influence of the industry," Lukwata said.
Civil society organisations have welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step toward strengthening accountability in tobacco control.
Kenneth Mwehonge, Executive Director of Health Equity and Policy Initiative (HEPS Uganda), said the signing of conflict-of-interest declarations by committee members demonstrates their commitment to transparency.
Mwehonge said the declarations reassure the public that officials responsible for regulating tobacco have no professional or financial ties to the tobacco industry.
"We are witnessing the signing of the conflict of interest declaration with the tobacco industry by the committee members, which shows their commitment to ensuring they have no attachment to the tobacco industry," he said.
HEPS Uganda serves as the secretariat and host of the Tobacco Industry Interference Monitoring Team, a civil society initiative that monitors attempts by tobacco companies to influence public policy.
Mwehonge said civil society groups are closely tracking tactics used by the tobacco industry to undermine tobacco control measures.
He warned that companies continue to develop increasingly sophisticated strategies aimed at weakening public health regulations.
"As civil society, we monitor the tactics used by the tobacco industry every day. They are innovating new and sophisticated tactics, and it requires transparency in the response," Mwehonge said.
According to him, one of the tactics involves the use of researchers and academic studies that fail to disclose funding sources linked to tobacco companies.
Such research, he said, can mislead policymakers and the public about the risks associated with tobacco products.
Mwehonge also expressed concern about the growing presence of new tobacco products on the market designed to attract consumers while disguising their nature.
He said some products are packaged to resemble ordinary items such as pens, flash drives or key holders.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"The biggest danger is the new products we see on the market every day, packaged like pens, flash disks or key holders, yet they contain tobacco products," he said.
He warned that such packaging could make the products more appealing to young people and first-time users who may not realise they contain tobacco.
Mwehonge stressed that regulators must remain vigilant and keep pace with innovations by tobacco companies in order to protect public health.
He added that the conflict-of-interest declaration signed by members of the tobacco control committee should serve as an example for other public servants.
"No public servant is supposed to have any attachment with the tobacco industry, and that should be known to all public servants," he said.
Public health advocates say Uganda has made significant progress in tobacco control in recent years, including restrictions on smoking in public places, bans on tobacco advertising and mandatory health warnings on tobacco packaging.
However, they caution that continued cooperation between government institutions and civil society organisations will be necessary to ensure that these gains are protected.
Mwehonge said collaboration between regulators and public health advocates will remain critical in countering tobacco industry interference and safeguarding the health of Ugandans.
