Uganda praised for strong stance against tobacco industry interference

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Uganda’s strategy in countering multi-pronged approaches by the tobacco industry to promote its products has been hailed by stakeholders at the forefront of the campaign against the illicit tactics of the tobacco industry.

Speaking at the launch of the third edition of the Africa Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025 report on November 12, 2025, experts noted that no conflict of interest was recorded among key decision makers, policy makers and civil society in Uganda during the reporting period.

The report also indicates that Uganda, Gabon and Ethiopia have taken strong legal steps through legislation to protect public health policy from tobacco industry interference.

During this reporting period, a total of 20 African countries participated in the survey. Of these, 18 updated their previous reports covering the period from April 2023 to March 2025. Additionally, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo provided their responses for the first time, also covering the period from March 2023 to March 2025.

The report also indicates that Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Chad are among other African countries which did not support any industry-related corporate social responsibility activities in this period of reporting.

It’s important to note that Uganda promulgated a tobacco control Act in 2015, which has several provisions, including outlawing the sale of cigarettes to and by minors, where a minor is anyone below 21 years and provides for the creation of smoke-free environments, where smoking is prohibited within 50 metres of public places, workplaces, and public transport terminals.

The report indicated that the three countries of Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique recorded the highest scores for tobacco industry interference from 2020 to 2025.

Malawi recorded the highest scores for unnecessary interactions between the government and the tobacco industry in this period, and is the only country whose delegation to the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) included officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Trade that aligned with protecting tobacco's economic role.

Why it matters to shun tobacco use

According to the World Health Organisation, Tobacco causes over eight million deaths annually (WHO 2024). The WHO report also indicates that the tobacco industry remains the single greatest barrier to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) implementation.

The 2025 tobacco industry Interference index indicates that in 53 countries, the overall prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents was 14% highest in southern Africa and lowest in East Africa, except for shisha, where it was highest in North Africa and lowest in Central Africa.

Ethiopia outshines other countries in Tobacco control.

In a bid to mitigate the impact of untold suffering arising from the use of tobacco products, Ethiopia has adopted various approaches to counter the tactics of the tobacco industry.

As a result, the Ethiopian government has drafted a legal regime (Article 51(5) which prohibits financial, in-kind, or charitable contributions by the tobacco industry. He said this aligns with Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which protects the public health policy from tobacco industry interference.

To strengthen implementation of the legislation, efforts have been made to translate information, education and communication (IEC) materials on the tactics of the tobacco industry, orientation and training of key actors and adoption of collective responsibility, accountability and enforcement.

Tobacco Industry Participation in Policy Development

The 2025 tobacco industry interference index shows that one of the most direct forms of interference is the Tobacco industry’s involvement in policy formulation.

The report indicates that in many countries, tobacco companies are invited to consultations or technical committees during the drafting of legislation.

The index shows a high level of industry interference in policy development in several countries, specifically the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia and the lowest levels of industry participation in policy development were seen in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Chad, Senegal, and Mauritius.

Key concerns

The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) expresses deep concern over the findings of the Africa Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025.

According to ATCA, the report 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 nations.

The report further showed that government officials publicly praised and partnered with tobacco companies on initiatives ranging from school renovations to water projects.

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, according to experts, has the potential to reframe the industry as a public health partner and undermine tobacco control efforts.

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.

Mary Assunta, the head of research and advocacy at the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), a key partner in tobacco control efforts, emphasised that the entire article 5.3 is based on the principles of good governance and anticorruption.

“For the immediate, I recommend that the report should be sent to the African Union (AU) for further discussions and consideration, and I urge ATCA to take the lead. I also appeal to the media to expose not only the wrongdoings by the tobacco industry but also the response of governments in the implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC,” Assunta said.

Prof. Olalekan Ayo Yusuf, director of the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM), noted with concern the hotspots in tobacco industry interference in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique and attributed this trend largely to policy delays in these countries.

“Ethiopia has institutionalised transparency in the tobacco control efforts, which is why progress has been recorded insofar as tobacco control is concerned. A consistent enforcement of legislation in a structured manner has led to the gains the country has registered. Uganda has also overcome conflict of interest because of a similar approach,” Prof Ayo emphasised.

He recommends strengthening legal and regulatory protections, institutional safeguards, capacity building and public engagement and advocacy by the civil society.

The lead Author of the report, Dr Arti Singh from the University of Ghana, notes that the tobacco industry sees Africa as a potential market for tobacco products, presumably because of a huge youthful population and a weak regulatory framework.

She said government officials, journalists and advocates should receive training on tobacco industry interference monitoring and other strategies of countering the tactics of the tobacco industry.

Key recommendations of the TI index report

The anti-tobacco campaigners have made several recommendations to protect Africans from the harms of tobacco and tobacco industry interference. Some of the recommendations include that governments must reject all forms of tobacco industry-sponsored CSR and enact legislation that prohibits such partnerships and endorsements, and that governments must reject tobacco industry-funded science and ensure that policymaking is based on independent, evidence-based research.

ATCA and partners appeal to governments to establish clear codes of conduct and conflict-of-interest policies to prevent breaches and ensure that public health is free from commercial influence, and that governments must act swiftly to exclude industry-affiliated officials from health delegations and fast-track the passage of FCTC-compliant laws.