From October 1st to 2nd, 2025, the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA), in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Africa and Health for All Coalition, ATCA’s member organization in Sierra Leone, conducted a landmark training in Freetown to bolster national efforts in tobacco industry monitoring and response.

The two-day workshop convened 30 dynamic participants from civil society organizations, government institutions, law enforcement agencies, the media, and other key sectors. United by a shared commitment to public health, these stakeholders were equipped with critical knowledge and tools to counter tobacco industry interference and advance Sierra Leone’s tobacco control agenda.

Participants were immersed in the realities of the tobacco epidemic and the global framework for tobacco control, with a particular focus on Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This pivotal article safeguards public health policies from the vested interests of the tobacco industry, a principle that resonated strongly throughout the training.

Through interactive sessions and actual case studies, attendees explored how civil society actors across Africa have successfully exposed and resisted tobacco industry interference. These lessons provided both inspiration and practical guidance for Sierra Leone’s emerging response mechanisms.

A key highlight of the training was the introduction of ATCA’s specialized data collection tools. These instruments will enable participants to systematically document tobacco industry activities and interference cases, generating evidence to inform advocacy, policy reform, and enforcement. The trained cohort will form Sierra Leone’s inaugural Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Response (TIMR) team, a national watchdog committed to transparency and accountability.

Beyond the training, ATCA engaged high-level stakeholders in strategic dialogue:

Advocacy Visit to the Deputy Minister of Health

On 02 October 2025, the ATCA delegation, accompanied by partners from WHO AFRO, who Sierra Leone, and Health For All Coalition, paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Charles Senessie, Deputy Minister of Health of Sierra Leone. Discussions centered on operationalizing the Tobacco Control Commission, an independent body mandated by Sierra Leone’s 2022 Tobacco Control Act to oversee implementation and enforcement. ATCA also emphasized the importance of adequate taxation on tobacco and other harmful products, advocating for a portion of the revenue to be earmarked for public health initiatives.

Courtesy Visit to WHO Sierra Leone

On 03 2025, the delegation met with the WHO Country Representative to explore avenues for deeper collaboration. ATCA and WHO Sierra Leone reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening tobacco control interventions and supporting Sierra Leone’s journey toward a tobacco-free future.

The mission to Sierra Leone reflects ATCA’s commitment to empowering African nations with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to resist tobacco industry influence and uphold public health. ATCA continues to champion a resilient, African-led tobacco control movement by fostering national ownership and cross-sectoral collaboration.