The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first clinical treatment guideline focused on helping the 750 million tobacco users who want to quit all forms of tobacco.

Supporting tobacco users to quit is core demand-reduction measure of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and a key component of WHO MPOWER policy package. This guideline provides technical guidance on a thorough set of tobacco cessation interventions for adults, and to support WHO Member States to use evidence-based behavioural interventions and pharmacological treatments for tobacco cessation as part of a comprehensive tobacco control approach.

This guideline is primarily intended for use by health care providers working in clinical and community settings where tobacco users may present and be managed. The recommendations on system-level interventions and policies contained in this guideline are to inform policy makers and health service managers on how to enhance the adoption and implementation of effective tobacco cessation interventions.

The guideline provides recommendations on the use of behavioural support, delivered in both clinical and community settings, including: digital tobacco cessation interventions, pharmacological interventions, and system-level interventions and policies to enhance the adoption and implementation of tobacco cessation interventions. No recommendation is made on the use of traditional, complementary and alternative therapies for tobacco cessation due to insufficient evidence. 

The full report is available on the WHO website, through this link.

The WHO press notice that went out yesterday is available at this webpage.

On 21 May 2024, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria announced new measures prohibiting the promotion and glamorisation of tobacco, tobacco products, and nicotine products in entertainment media, including movies, musical videos and skits, produced in Nollywood, a Nigerian film industry.

The NCD Alliance (NCDA) and the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC), which are both observers to the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO FCTC, have launched a new report, titled “Tracking NCD funding flows: Urgent calls and global solutions”.

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Common Reporting Standard (CRS) database recently introduced source codes for funding being channelled into alcohol prevention and tobacco control within NCD policies and services. This new report analyzes the OECD’s DAC CRS data to specifically highlight the breakdown of the 2018- 2021 aid flow types going towards NCD policies and services, as well as the risk factors of tobacco and alcohol. The report also analyzes the breakdown of development assistance going to NCDs as well as DAH going towards NCD policies and services in relation to other global health priorities. In addition, this report will also elaborate on case studies and recommendations to improve integrated international investment for NCDs in time for the Second Dialogue on Sustainable Financing for NCDs and Mental Health (June 2024).

The document can be accessed through this webpage.

In relation to this area, and particularly as referred to in section 2.1 of the report, please, also find additional useful information on the Global Tobacco Control Funding Gap and the Global Case for Investment in Tobacco Control through the embedded links. These technical documents were presented at COP10, held in Panama in February 2024, through a side event, which presentation can be found through this link.