2021-12-15-世界卫生组织-Tobacco_Lesotho_2021_country_profile_10页_377kb

Lesotho Country Profile Summary from WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic Report, 2021

The following is a concise summary of the key tobacco control indicators and MPOWER measures for Lesotho, based on the WHO 2021 report. Lesotho is a middle-income country that signed and ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) early, with a population of 2 million. However, tobacco control efforts remain limited, particularly in areas like monitoring, enforcement, and affordability.

1. MPOWER Compliance Overview

• Compliance scores (0-10) primarily for Protection (P) and Enforcement (E): Lesotho showed low scores in most categories, with particular weaknesses in monitoring, smoke-free environments, cessation programs, health warnings, mass media campaigns, advertising bans, and taxation.
• No data includes monitoring prevalence, comprehensive smoke-free environmental bans, successful cessation programs, detailed health warnings, or national anti-tobacco campaigns.
• No advertising bans were in place, except for unspecified indirect measures.

2. WHO FCTC Implementation

• Signed on June 23, 2004, and ratified on January 14, 2005.
• Has a national tobacco control program and agency with 2 staff; the program dates back to 2009 (latest expenditure year).
• Income group: middle; population: 2 million, with no recent national surveys on tobacco use.

3. Tobacco Use Prevalence

• No recent data for adults (last survey 2018, via MICS, showing high male use) or adolescents (last survey 2008 via GYTS, showing significant use among youth).
• Estimated age-standardized smoking prevalence for 2019: tobacco use was around 24.7%, with higher rates among males (43.5%) than females (5.9%), and low e-cigarette use.

4. Treatment of Tobacco Dependence and Cessation Support

• Compliance (score 5 out of 10): A toll-free helpline exists, but cessation treatments like NRT are not legally sold. Health services do not cover NRT costs, and support availability varies.

5. Health Warnings on Tobacco Packages

• No mandatory health warnings or related features; scores where applicable are "No," indicating lack of regulations.

6. Mass Media Anti-Tobacco Campaigns

• No national campaigns aired during 2018–2020, with no compliance or evaluation details.

7. Bans on Direct and Indirect Tobacco Advertising

• No measures for TV/radio, print media, billboards, point-of-sale, or internet advertising.
• Similarly, no bans on promotion, sponsorship, or product placement.

8. Tobacco Taxation and Affordability

• Taxes: Total tax rate was 50.58% of retail price for cigarettes (ending 2020). Affordability declined since 2018 and 2010, with a 27.07% increase in GDP needed to buy 100 packs.
• No data on taxes for other tobacco products; no earmarked taxes for health.

9. Enforcement and Comprehensive Measures

• No subnational laws, and enforcement for bans or taxation was minimal. Compliance was incomplete across almost all MPOWER measures.

Overall, Lesotho faces challenges in enforcing comprehensive tobacco control policies, with high affordability, weak mass media efforts, and lack of monitoring and cessation support, despite FCTC commitment.