For immediate release

Statement from Mrs. Kouami Kossiwa, Interim Executive Secretary of the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA)

We must take urgent action to end tobacco industry interference across Africa.

Lomé, 12 November 2025

The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) expresses deep concern over the findings of the Africa Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025. The report, covering twenty countries across the continent, reveals a troubling pattern of persistent, and in some cases worsening interference by the tobacco industry in public health policymaking, representing a direct threat to the health, sovereignty, and future of our nations.

The index reveals a worrying situation in several countries, including Zambia, where adoption of the long-awaited Tobacco Control Bill was postponed yet again. Equally alarming is the widespread endorsement of tobacco industry-led corporate social responsibility activities in countries like Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia. According to the index, government officials publicly praised and partnered with tobacco companies on initiatives ranging from school renovations to water projects. We all know that these activities are not acts of goodwill, but rather a calculated strategy to whitewash the industry’s image, gain political access, and manipulate public perception.

In Kenya and Ghana, the tobacco industry is strongly lobbying to weaken regulations on emerging products such as nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, employing tactics like promotion of the harm reduction narrative. This tactic has the potential to reframe the industry as a public health partner and undermine tobacco control efforts. In Nigeria, the delay in implementing updated pictorial health warnings, despite a four-year transition period, reflects tobacco industry influence.

The report also highlights the prolonged stagnation of tobacco control laws in Tanzania and Mozambique, where legislation has been stalled for over a decade. Despite rising tobacco production and exports, these countries have failed to pass laws that protect their populations from tobacco-related harm. Malawi’s record of unnecessary interactions with the tobacco industry is particularly concerning, especially the inclusion of agriculture and trade officials aligned with tobacco industry interests in its COP10 delegation.

These developments reflect a dangerous erosion of the principles enshrined in Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which obliges governments to protect health policy from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry. Such interference compromises the integrity of policymaking and delays life-saving legislation.

There are, however, signs of progress with Burkina Faso standing out for its sustained advocacy and transparency. Uganda, Gabon, and Ethiopia have enacted strong legislative protections against industry interference, demonstrating political will and commitment to public health. These actions reflect growing awareness of Article 5.3 obligations, and these countries should be celebrated and supported to mentor others. ATCA stands ready to support the establishment of a continental peer-learning platform to share best practices in implementing Article 5.3.

In light of the findings of the Africa Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, ATCA reiterates that the tobacco industry’s tactics, lobbying, CSR, economic manipulation, are not acts of benevolence. They are deliberate strategies to delay, dilute, and derail public health policy, and urgent measures must be taken to protect Africans from the harms of tobacco and tobacco industry interference.

• Governments must reject all forms of tobacco industry-sponsored CSR and enact legislation that prohibits such partnerships and endorsements.
• Governments must reject tobacco industry-funded science and ensure that policymaking is based on independent, evidence-based research.
• Governments must establish clear codes of conduct and conflict-of-interest policies to prevent breaches and ensure that public health is free from commercial influence.
• Governments must act swiftly to exclude industry-affiliated officials from health delegations and fast-track the passage of FCTC-compliant laws.
• Enforcement agencies must be empowered to impose penalties and ensure compliance.
• Governments must ensure continued investment in legal capacity and monitoring mechanisms.

Africa must not become the next epicentre of the global tobacco epidemic. We call on all African governments to enforce Article 5.3 with urgency and integrity, and to invest in civil society monitoring and youth-led advocacy.

Economic growth is an important factor that governments must strive to achieve, but it must not come at the expense of public health. We need bold and coordinated action, and ATCA stands ready to support governments, civil society, and regional bodies in building a tobacco-free Africa; one that prioritizes health, equity, and sovereignty over industry profit.

Media contact: communication@atca-africa.org

ATCA Statement

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The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) is a non-profit, non-political Pan-African network of civil society organizations headquartered in Lome, Togo. With membership in 39 countries, ATCA is dedicated to promoting public health and curbing the tobacco epidemic in the continent. The alliance is an Observer to WHO-FCTC Conference of Parties, and Meeting of the Parties (MOP) of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. It has a Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC, it is certified with the equivalence of a US Public Charity organization, and it is accredited as a regional non-state actor with WHO AFRO.