title: An overview of tobacco control and prevention policy status in Africa.
abstract: Tobacco smoking prevalence remains low in many African countries. However, growing economies and the increased presence of multinational tobacco companies in the African Region have the potential to contribute to increasing tobacco use rates in the future. This paper used data from the 2014 Global Progress Report on implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), as well as the 2015 WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, to describe the status of tobacco control and prevention efforts in countries in the WHO African Region relative to the provisions of the WHO FCTC and MPOWER package. Among the 23 countries in the African Region analyzed, there are large variations in the overall WHO FCTC implementation rates, ranging from 9% in Sierra Leone to 78% in Kenya. The analysis of MPOWER implementation status indicates that opportunities exist for the African countries to enhance compliance with WHO recommended best practices for monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering help to quit tobacco use, warning about the dangers of tobacco, enforcing bans on tobacco advertising and promotion, and raising taxes on tobacco products. If tobacco control interventions are successfully implemented, African nations could avert a tobacco-related epidemic, including premature death, disability, and the associated economic, development, and societal costs.
authors.affiliation: Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States. Electronic address: MHusain@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Muhammad Jami
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.affiliation: Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
authors.forename: Lorna McLeod
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: English
authors.affiliation: Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organization, Brazzaville, Congo.
authors.forename: Nivo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramanandraibe
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000379:methods; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013660:Taxes / Q000191:economics; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: MPOWER; Tobacco control and prevention policy status in Africa; WHO African Region; WHO FCTC Articles; WHO FCTC and MPOWER implementation status; WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control