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Inauguration of Training Course for Journalists on Tobacco Control
Tobacco Control Journalism Award to be introduced this year by PROGGA and PIB

  
     
 
The harmful effects of tobacco on human health are well known. Tobacco is probably the only legal product that kills people. Yet tobacco use is increasing and so is increasing the deaths and diseases due to it. In Bangladesh as well, use of tobacco is not declining.

Rather the use of smokeless tobacco along with smoking is increasing alarmingly. The latest survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and WHO in 2009 reveals that more than 40 million people in Bangladesh use tobacco. In addition, 42 million people are victims of second hand smoking.

According to a study of WHO, at least 57,000 people die every year in Bangladesh due to tobacco related diseases, and few hundred thousand suffer illnesses and disabilities.
  

 

  
 
Complete banning of tobacco advertisement in the mass media of Bangladesh has undoubtedly been a major success. But the media is not yet completely free from sponsorship of different types from the tobacco companies. At the same time, it has not really been possible to strongly associate the mass media with the mainstream tobacco control movement of the country.

Considering this reality, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) have jointly undertaken an initiative to integrate the mass media of Bangladesh in the on-going tobacco control movement.

Through this initiative, different activities have been undertaken to create interests and enhance capacity of the journalists on tobacco control issues.


  
 
 

Through this PROGGA-PIB initiative, Tobacco Control Journalism Awards are being introduced for the first time. The awards will be given regularly from this year. PROGGA and PIB are going to conduct a number of trainings and workshops for the journalists on tobacco control issues. The first of the two residential workshops for the senior journalists has already taken place recently. For the relatively junior and mid-level journalists, the first of the five batches of training course is starting through this inaugural ceremony. In addition to these, a training course on investigative journalism for tobacco control will be conducted, which will be followed by a fellowship on investigative journalism for tobacco control.

PROGGA Chairman Taifur Rahman shared these facts at the inauguration of the training course for journalists on tobacco control held at PIB on 15 February 2010. Dr. Captain (retd.) Mozibur Rahman Fakir MP, Honorable State Minister for Health and Family Welfare graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. National Professor Dr. Nurul Islam and Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique spoke at the ceremony as special guests. The inaugural ceremony was chaired by the Director General of PIB AKM Shameem Chowdhuri.

 
 

 
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