India to host international summit on tobacco-control

India will host a crucial global summit in November to eliminate the illicit trade of tobacco products in which delegates from 180 countries will take part.
"India is hosting the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC)," Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
She said the summit scheduled from November 7-12 at the Indian Exposition Mart in Noida will aim "to eliminate illicit trade of tobacco products."
About 1,000-1,500 delegates from 180 countries along with observers in official relations with the WHO FCTC are expected to participate in the summit, Patel said.

"India has ratified FCTC in 2004 and is a party to it."
Patel, however, said that no decision has been taken yet on the composition of the Indian delegation for the event.

Replying to another question, she said according to the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Cancer Registry data, the estimated number of cancer cases in the country stood at 14.5 lakh in 2016.
Based on this report, the percentage of tobacco-related cancers is 43.8 among males, 16.0 among females and 30.1 of the population as a whole, she said.
Patel said generating awareness on harmful effects of tobacco use is the key national and state-level activity under the National Tobacco Control Programme.