WINDHOEK, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Namibia is considering major tax reforms for tobacco and alcohol products to curb rising substance abuse and safeguard public health, Minister of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) Esperance Luvindao said Monday.

She highlighted this when opening a four-day workshop on tobacco and alcohol control policies in the capital, Windhoek.

Luvindao said Namibia is committed to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s MPOWER policy package, a comprehensive strategy for tobacco control that includes monitoring use, protecting from smoke, offering cessation help, warning about dangers, enforcing advertising bans, and raising taxes.

She said Namibia enacted the Tobacco Product Control Act in 2010 and its regulations in 2014. "Within this policy and legislative framework, Namibia has made commendable progress in advancing tobacco control, guided by the WHO MPOWER Strategy."

Luvindao said the harmful use of tobacco and alcohol continues to burden the health system, and it is among the contributing factors to preventable illness and deaths.

"It is clear that further deterrent actions are required, particularly in the area of tax reforms, to discourage consumption of these products," she said.

According to Luvindao, the MoHSS, with the support of the WHO, has developed a national strategic plan and is in the process of reviewing the Tobacco Act for amendment to regulate the new, emerging tobacco and nicotine products, including but not limited to hookah, e-cigarettes, and vapes.

"Equally, we are constantly revising national alcohol policies to combat alcohol abuse in the country," she added.

Meanwhile, WHO Representative Richard Banda, in a statement delivered on his behalf, noted that in Namibia, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for an estimated 41 percent of all deaths.

"Tobacco use and alcohol consumption are the key risk factors leading to the development of NCDs," he said.

According to Banda, the workshop is part of a program that aims to strengthen tobacco control measures and strategies to reduce harmful use of alcohol, resulting in better health outcomes at the population level.

The latest data (2022) on alcohol consumption in Namibia is extremely worrying, with a total alcohol per capita consumption of 12 liters of pure alcohol per year for people aged 15 years and older, compared to 3.5 liters at the regional level and 5.0 liters at the global level, he said.

"We must act decisively to protect health by closing the remaining policy gaps, strengthening enforcement, and investing in proven tools, such as MPOWER and SAFER measures," Banda said.

SAFER is an acronym for the five most cost-effective interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm. ■