Nagaland launched the Health Worker Guide and Tobacco-Free Village guidelines to strengthen tobacco control and public health.
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DIMAPUR — In a major step towards advancing public health efforts in the state, the Health Worker Guide (HWG), Brief Advice Protocol, and Tobacco-Free Village (TFV) guidelines were formally launched in Nagaland on Wednesday at the Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) conference hall in Kohima.
According to a DIPR report, the launch took place during a state-level workshop on strengthening tobacco control and tobacco cessation, organised by the Directorate of H&FW, in collaboration with Vital Strategies, under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP).
Vital Strategies is an international public health organisation that works to improve global health by strengthening health systems, promoting policies, and supporting efforts to reduce preventable diseases such as tobacco use.
It was mentioned that these national resources (HWG and TFV) have been developed by the NTCP, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
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The Brief Advice Protocol (Ask about Tobacco Use, Advice for Quitting, and Refer to Quitline/Tobacco Cessation Centre) has been developed by the Government of Nagaland with technical support from Vital Strategies, New Delhi.
The official unveiling was conducted by S. Tainiu, Secretary, H&FW, in the presence of Dr. Mereninla Senlem, Principal Director, H&FW, Dr. Avile Zao, Mission Director, NHM, and officials from the department.
The tools aim to equip frontline health workers and community institutions with practical guidance to promote behaviour change, deliver brief cessation advice, and support tobacco-free environments.
Key technical sessions were delivered by Dr. Puneet Chahar, Technical Advisor, Vital Strategies, who guided participants through various topics, including the legal frameworks under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA).
He also led discussions on the integration of brief advice protocols into routine primary care, collaboration with vertical programmes (such as NTEP, NP-NCD, RKSK, NMHP, etc.), implementation of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (TOFEI) guidelines, and learnings from across India on Tobacco Vendor Licensing (TVL).
The workshop witnessed the participation of district-level NTCP teams and stakeholders, the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), and the Department of School Education.
Dr. Reyosalu Lase, Joint Director (Dental) and State Nodal Officer (SNO), NOHP, chaired the workshop. An overview of Nagaland’s progress under NTCP was presented by Dr. I Simon Sumi, Deputy Director (Dental) and State Nodal Officer, NTCP. Updates on guidelines for implementation of tobacco vendor licensing were shared by Dr. Arenla Walling, Additional Director (Dental).
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A peer learning session titled "Enhancing programme efficiency through sharing of best practices in record-keeping and report maintenance" was delivered by Temsuchila Walling, social worker, Kohima.
To acknowledge sustained contributions to the tobacco control programme at the district level, Dr. O Daisy Ovung, Senior Dental Surgeon and District Nodal Officer (DNO), Tuensang, was awarded Best District Nodal Officer; Imkumla Aier was recognised as Best Psychologist (Dimapur); Medongunuo Pienyu as Best Social Worker (Dimapur); and Nukshiwati Longchar as Best District Consultant (Mokokchung).