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Tobacco control in Africa

Harare
Zimbabwe
27 Oct, 2014

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) are working on a partnership on tobacco control in Africa.

Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death. In Africa, most countries lack strong tobacco control policies and have limited awareness of the health effects of tobacco and its use.

The tobacco industry has enormous influence and actively undermines tobacco control by interfering in policy formulation and implementation.

ACS is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major concern for health. Their focus in Africa is to reduce the incidence of tobacco-related cancers in low- and middle-income countries with a special emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa.

In collaboration with a worldwide network of partnerships, ACS is urging governments and international organizations to recognize that cancer is a global priority requiring an urgent response. The ACS has also been involved in grant making and building capacity for tobacco control of the Civil Society in Africa particularly through the Africa Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA).

ACBF received funding from  the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support strategic grant-making and capacity building of Civil Society Organizations to advance evidence-based Tobacco Control policies in Africa including tobacco taxation, advertising bans, graphic warning labels, and smoke-free environments.

The partnership with ACS aims at sustaining the work and gains made by the Africa Tobacco Control Alliance and its member organizations. While the current support of ACS to ATCA ends in November 2014, the ATCA has new Management who are working on implementing their new Strategic Plan and the partnership between ACS and ACBF would ensure a smooth transition for the on-going work in different countries of focus.

Thomas Kwesi Quartey

ACBF has been granted the status of a specialized agency because of the potential to transform Africa through capacity development.


H.E. Thomas Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson, AU Commission
Erastus Mwencha

The recognition of ACBF as the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development launches the beginning of a new era for capacity building by ACBF, which will require an appropriate level of political commitment and financial support from all stakeholders.


H.E. Erastus Mwencha, Chair, ACBF Executive Board
Lamin Momodou

The remarkable achievements ACBF has registered over the past 26 years is not by accident in our opinion. They have come through hard work, dedication, commitment, purposeful leadership, support from the member countries as well as productive partnership building.


Mr. Lamin Momodou MANNEH, Director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa
Goodall Gondwe

Africa needs ACBF as much, probably more now, than at the time it was created in 1991.


Hon. Goodall Gondwe, former Chair of the ACBF Board of Governors and Minister of Finance – Malawi
Ken Ofori Atta

Ghana’s partnership with ACBF is a tremendous blessing for us and therefore the opportunity for Ghana to host the 26th ACBF Board of Governors Meeting is something that we treasure.


Hon Ken Ofori Atta, Chair of the ACBF Board of Governors and Minister of Finance - Ghana
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