He said these countries previously took World Bank loans, but must now gradually become donors. The World Bank supports the idea of having Hungarian advisors working in other countries to share the experience gathered during Hungary's transformation period, Grawe said. The World Bank will henceforward keep up its contacts in the region from its Warsaw office. The Health 21 Hungarian Foundation and the World Bank s Budapest Regional Office organized a workshop with the participation of renown international experts in the field of tobacco control.
Smoking is one of the most significant public health problem in Hungary today.
The direct and indirect costs of which impose a heavy burden on the Hungarian society. According to a recent study of the World Bank, well targeted anti-tobacco measures may decrease the health expenditures generated by the impacts of tobacco and may increase the revenues of the central budget at the same time. Effective tobacco control can only be achieved through intersectoral cooperation, which among others should result in raising tobacco taxes, banning tobacco advertisements and regulating access to tobacco. The aim of this workshop was to analyze different economic and fiscal tobacco control measures and to review the domestic and international experience in this field. The participants have also discussed the role of NGOs in resolving ethnic tension and settling local conflicts.