In August 2011, the tobacco control directorate of the Ministry of Health organized, for the first time in the country, a workshop on smoking cessation. The workshop represented a major step forward in implementation of the WHO FCTC in the country, in particular of Article 14, Demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation, and Article 12(d), which states that each Party shall promote and strengthen public awareness of tobacco control issues, including through “effective and appropriate training or sensitization and awareness programmes on tobacco control addressed to persons such as health workers, community workers, social workers, media professionals, educators, decision-makers, administrators and other concerned persons.”

In line with these provisions of the Convention, participants included the Minister of Health, professionals from the Ministry, hospitals, and medical centres, and members of the Union of Associations against Tobacco, and training was provided on treatment of tobacco dependence. Participants were informed about the tobacco control legislative and regulatory framework in Burkina Faso and the content of the guidelines on implementation of Article 14 of the Convention.

http://www.who.int/fctc/implementation/news/burkinafaso_news/en/index.html