The Africa Regional Tobacco Control Partners Coordination Meeting is underway in Windhoek. 

The main aim of the three-day meeting is to strengthen coordination of tobacco control efforts across Africa and to align strategies to reduce tobacco use and its health impacts.

On the occasion, it was revealed that the use of tobacco continues to threaten public health and remains one of the leading causes of communicable disease. 

According to the World Health Organisation, well over 7 million people die annually from tobacco-related illnesses.

Second-hand smoke, which affects non-smokers exposed to tobacco use, accounts for approximately 1 million of these deaths.

WHO Country Representative to Namibia, Dr. Richard Banda, said while tobacco consumption is declining in high-income countries, the burden remains high in low- and middle-income regions, including Africa.

The continent currently has about 61 million tobacco users, a figure expected to rise if no decisive actions are taken against the use of tobacco.