Mauritius is a good student in the fight against tobacco, but efforts still need to be made.

Each year, smoking causes more than 7 million premature and preventable deaths worldwide, including approximately 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. In this context, the University of Mauritius (UoM), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, and the NGO Vie et Santé (VISA), presented the findings of the 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Index at a meeting held at the Gold Crest Hotel in Quatre-Bornes. The objective was to strengthen coordination among public and institutional stakeholders to protect public health policies in Mauritius. with regard to the tobacco sector[1].

A "champion" country in Africa, but some points of vigilance to observe

Mauritius is recognized by the WHO as a pioneer in tobacco control, having adopted an ambitious and effective policy in Africa. The country ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 and implemented the provisions of the MPOWER program: monitoring the tobacco epidemic, banning advertising, promotion, and sponsorship in 2008, developing smoke-free public spaces, regularly and significantly increasing taxes, displaying graphic health warnings, and adopting plain packaging in 2022. Additional measures have targeted new products, including a ban on the sale and possession of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. These efforts have earned Mauritius international recognition, including two awards last year from the WHO Directorate-General and Bloomberg Philanthropies, for its global leadership in tobacco control.

The country also monitors the implementation of the provisions of the UNFCCC treaty regarding the protection of public policies against the tobacco industry. To this end, it participates in the global protocol established to assess the tobacco industry's interference index by reviewing the various guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties and their practical application in the country. The evaluation assesses the influence of the tobacco industry or its allies in the development of public policies, the management of interactions between industry representatives and public authorities, the transparency of these interactions where they exist, the rules for preventing conflicts of interest, any advantages granted to the tobacco industry, and so on. The lower the score, the less significant the interference. Conducted in 100 countries, including 20 in Africa, Mauritius ranks 15th.^e Out of 100, a relatively respectable ranking internationally and in Africa. However, a relative deterioration of the situation has been noted since 2023 when the country occupied 10th place.

The report highlights the persistent, often indirect, influence of the tobacco industry, particularly in sectors such as tourism and hospitality. This influence has notably led to a weakening of existing legislation, with the current authorization to smoke shisha in four-star hotels. Similarly, shortcomings are identified regarding a lack of transparency, including concerning the tobacco industry's lobbying activities. Conflicts of interest are not addressed through regulations. And although the country theoretically prohibits corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities related to the industry, these activities persist. For example, the leading cigarette distributor has created internships for recent graduates. Finally, there is no official code of conduct for public officials.

The WHO notes that even though the prevalence of smoking has decreased among both men and women in Mauritius, with 18.1 per 100,000 adult smokers in 2021 compared to 19.3 per 100,000 in 2015, it remains high. This high prevalence also affects young people: nearly 19 per 100,000 students aged 13 to 15 reported being smokers, according to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted in Mauritius with the support of the WHO and the CDC in 2016. Tobacco remains a major cause of premature and preventable death and is a significant contributor to non-communicable diseases in Mauritius, which are responsible for nearly 80 per 100,000 deaths. Vinoda Vythelingum, from the WHO office in Mauritius, emphasized that tobacco remains the only legal product that kills half of its users, and that in Mauritius, it causes approximately 1,406 deaths per year, although the actual statistics may be higher due to insufficient data collection on smoking-related deaths.[2].

A necessary fight against interference from the tobacco industry, which risks hindering progress

Despite clear progress, the WHO thus emphasizes the need to strengthen awareness, monitoring and control mechanisms.

The international organization recommends, in particular, the implementation of a code of conduct governing relations between authorities and the industry, a mandatory register of industry stakeholders and lobbyists, greater transparency regarding lobbying activities, funding, and actions, the elimination of certain advantages such as duty-free access and tax exemptions, and a reduction in the visibility of tobacco products at points of sale. Finally, it calls for increased awareness among government agencies and public actors regarding Article 5.3 of the UNFCCC, and for a revision of regulations to guarantee full public access to information concerning the activities of the tobacco industry.

In general, African countries remain very susceptible to the tobacco industry Despite varying efforts to prevent them, these interference practices are a problem worldwide. the tobacco industry continues to intensify its efforts to weaken public health policies.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Public Health – UoM Report — Smoking prevalence remains high, at 18.11%, including among young people, Le Mauricien, published on May 5, 2026, accessed the same day

[2]Mahen Chitamun, Tobacco, a legal product with deadly consequences, lexpress.mu, published on April 28, 2026, accessed on May 5, 2026

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