Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
BackgroundThe World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) is held every three years to foster communication and collaboration on global tobacco control. Very little is known about the nature of interactions between WCTOH attendees and their linkages to tobacco control organizations, so knowing this information could help improve tobacco control efforts.MethodsAt the 2015 WCTOH, we implemented an online survey to assess barriers to global tobacco control activities, which information sources they use for tobacco control information, and with whom they interact regarding tobacco control.ResultsA total of 169 respondents completed the survey, with responses from all six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Respondents worked in all areas of tobacco control; the most common were research (29.2%) and patient care/treatment (23.3%). The top barriers faced regarding tobacco control activities were: funding is weak (56.8%), government commitment (45.0%), tobacco industry interference (43.8%), and lack of coordination (34.3%). The network analysis identified Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) and Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) as the two most prominent groups that people belonged to and where they went to exchange information and best practices. Important regional and country specific groups also appear to be growing, such as the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) and the Argentinian Association of Tabacology (ASAT).DiscussionMapping and better understanding the global tobacco control network is important for informing knowledge exchange and best practices, particularly as increasing attention is being focused on global tobacco control efforts in low- and middle-income countries in particular.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrates that even a subsample of the WCTOH shows considerable collaboration. The full WCTOH network should be mapped in order to foster greater collaboration that has the the potential to improve global tobacco control efforts.
Highlights
The World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) is held every three years to foster communication and collaboration on global tobacco control
The present study demonstrates that even a subsample of the WCTOH shows considerable collaboration
The full WCTOH network should be mapped in order to foster greater collaboration that has the the potential to improve global tobacco control efforts
Summary
The World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) is held every three years to foster communication and collaboration on global tobacco control. The WCTOH has been a consistent venue for the tobacco control community to function as a network, and to Leischow et al BMC Public Health (2017) 17:338 global by expanding inclusion of tobacco control efforts in low and middle-income countries. The tobacco control network has expanded to include a broad array of committed partners, from children in low-income countries who recognize the need to prevent their peers from becoming addicted, to scientists who have clearly demonstrated to the world the associations between tobacco exposure and cancer, to world leaders who shape global policy at the World Health Organization. With 180 countries party to the FCTC as of March 2015 [3], the ‘Articles’ of this treaty call for countries that have ratified the treaty to implement price and tax changes to reduce demand for tobacco, to assure reductions in exposure to secondhand smoke, to reduce advertising and to control packaging and labeling to reduce use, and to help smokers to quit, along with several additional evidence-based tobacco control priorities that together, when fully implemented, could lead to dramatic reductions in tobacco use
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
