In a major step toward 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 23rd July 2025 at H&FW Conference hall, Kohima. The launch took place during a State-Level Workshop on Strengthening Tobacco Control and Tobacco Cessation, organized by the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland, in collaboration with Vital Strategies, under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP).
These national resources (HWG &TFV) have been developed by the NTCP, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. The Brief Advice Protocol (Ask about Tobacco Use, Advice for quitting and Refer to Quitline/ Tobacco Cessation Center) has been developed by Govt. of Nagaland with technical support from Vital Strategies, New Delhi. The official unveiling was conducted by Smt. S. Tainiu, NCS, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland, in the presence of Dr. Mereninla Senlem, Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare, and 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.
Vital Strategies’ continued collaboration over the years has supported the state through technical expertise, capacity building, and policy support.
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 (like 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 active 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. This convergence reflects the state’s emphasis on a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach to tobacco control.
Dr. Reyosalu Lase, Jt. Dir (Dental) & 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). 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 DNO Tuensang, was awarded Best District Nodal Officer, Imkumla Aier was recognized as Best Psychologist (Dimapur), Medongunuo Pienyu as Best Social Worker (Dimapur), and Nukshiwati Longchar as Best District Consultant (Mokokchung).
(DIPR)
