KATHMANDU: In an effort to effectively implement World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Framework Convention Alliance appealed governments of South-East Asian countries to make pictorial health warnings on tobacco products mandatory. The three-day convention that concluded on Thursday has asked the government of Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Philippines to formulate rules for the effective implementation of the convention. Shanta Lal Mulmi, executive director, Resource Centre for Primary Health Care said that they had asked so to help save lives of more than 50,000 people dying annually due to tobacco consumption.xxxxx According to FCTC, the countries would have to implement picture-based warnings on tobacco packs within three years of signing the convention and ban tobacco advertising within five years. The tobacco products only contain four per cent of the warning message in Nepal but it should be more than 50 per cent, said Mulmi. Mulmi has also requested the government to take concrete steps in controlling consumption of tobacco products in public places. FCTC calls for clear provision of prohibiting advertisement of tobacco products in mass media and punishment for those advertising illegally. The convention was quite successful in pressuring governments for creating pressure in prohibiting tobacco products in public places said Mulmi. Most countries in South-East Asia became parties to FCTC by 2004. Nepal had signed the convention in 2003. However, five years later, countries are yet to ban all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship comprehensively and Thailand is yet to meet FCTC requirements for pictorial warnings. FCTC is the first global public health treaty.