Chad on the road to implementing the WHO Framework Convention

To curb tobacco consumption, which is a major public health problem and an obstacle to development, the Chadian government aims to intensify its tobacco control efforts. To do this, it is basing its efforts on a report published in 2019, entitled "Investment Model for Tobacco Control in Chad: The Case for Investing in the Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)." This report highlights the potential benefits of a strong tobacco control policy to save lives and generate substantial economic gains.

On May 31, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, Chad's Minister of Public Health, Dr. Abdelmadjid Abderahim, warned of the aggressive strategies deployed by tobacco companies to target young people.[1]He particularly denounced the colossal expenditures made by the tobacco industry to attract young people through marketing and sales to minors. He thus reaffirmed his commitment to combating smoking and protecting the health of his population by implementing a coherent set of proven measures in accordance with the FCTC, which Chad ratified in 2006.

A strategy aligned with the FCTC

To address this issue, Chad's strategy is based on the good practices brought together in the Framework Convention: The significant and continuous increase in tobacco taxes (Article 6 of the FCTC), the enforcement of smoking bans in public places and the development of other smoke-free places (Article 8 of the FCTC), plain packaging (Guidelines of Articles 11 and 13 of the FCTC) and awareness campaigns (Article 12 of the FCTC).[2]

Chad is a country facing numerous public health problems, and the country's limited resources are an obstacle to improving the health of the Chadian population and its economic development. The tobacco lobby is also powerful in the country. In 2023, following pressure from tobacco manufacturers, the government lowered the specific tax on tobacco products from 100 CFA francs to 50 CFA francs. This tax was introduced to finance scheme 3 of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights (ADC) reminded the government of its international obligations under the Framework Convention and the need to enforce strong taxation on tobacco products.

The costs of tobacco consumption

Tobacco consumption costs Chad around 32 billion CFA francs annually, including 5 billion in health expenditure and 27 billion in lost productivity and reduced household income.[3]

Beyond the significant financial costs, Chad must also address the health policy implications of smoking. Nearly 2,500 deaths are caused by tobacco, including 711 people under the age of 70. Secondhand smoke is responsible for more than 800 deaths annually, including 384 children under the age of 15. These alarming figures demonstrate the urgent need to strengthen anti-smoking policies.[4]

Benefits of anti-smoking measures

By adopting the measures recommended by the FCTC, Chad could avoid economic losses estimated at 105.7 billion CFA francs over the next 15 years. These savings are divided into 88.3 billion in avoided productivity losses and 17.3 billion in saved health expenses.

Furthermore, projections show that these measures could save 10,500 lives from premature mortality, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4, which aims to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030.

The economic benefits of these measures far outweigh their costs, estimated at 7.9 billion CFA francs. Increasing taxes on tobacco products has the highest return on investment of all effective measures to reduce smoking (52:1).[5]. In Chad, other measures that are particularly relevant in terms of return on investment are media campaigns (22:1), smoking bans in public places including workplaces (11:1), and plain packaging (10:1).

The implementation of these measures would not only improve public health in Chad but would also stimulate the country's economic growth as part of sustainable development.

©Generation Without Tobacco

DT

[1] Peter Kum, World No Tobacco Day: Chad mobilizes its youth against the scourge of smoking; Al Wihda, published May 31, 2024, accessed June 6, 2024

[2] Eric Ngarlem Toldé, Fight against tobacco: significant economic and health gains in sight for Chad, Tchadinfos, published on June 4, 2024, consulted on June 6, 2024

[3] Investment Model for Tobacco Control in Chad, UNDP, published February 10, 2021, accessed June 6, 2024

[4] Tobacco, WHO, published July 31, 2023, accessed June 6, 2024

[5] Editor's note: The return on investment (ROI) of tobacco control measures is an assessment of the economic effectiveness of policies implemented to reduce tobacco consumption. It involves comparing the costs of implementing these measures with the benefits they generate, primarily in terms of savings on health care costs and productivity gains. For example, for every CFA franc invested in increasing tobacco taxes, Chad receives 52 CFA francs in return.