BANGLADESH, April 20 -- President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has been sent an appeal to urgently strengthen the response to corona virus disease in the country, by stronger enforcement of comprehensive and evidence-based tobacco control measures, which includes immediate ratification of the global tobacco treaty (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control). Studies in various countries globally show that people with pre-existing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are more likely to become severely ill or die from COVID-19. Tobacco use is a common major risk factor of most NCDs.
This appeal to the President of Indonesia is endorsed by forty two associations of senior academicians, medical doctors, specialist doctors (ex...