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Federal Tobacco Control Strategy - International Component
Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that currently about 4 million deaths per year are attributed to tobacco related diseases, and the figure is expected to rise to 10 million by 2030 if current trends continue. Tobacco will be the leading cause of disease burden by the 2020s, resulting in 1 in 8 deaths, a proportion greater than any other single disease. The World Bank estimates a global net loss of US $200 billion per year attributable to health costs and loss of productivity.
Federal Tobacco Control Strategy
As part of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy, Health Canada supports and promotes international activities in the area of tobacco control.
Objectives
Health Canada has been a leading supporter of global tobacco control initiatives. Canadian priorities are:
- to build capacity within international organizations to assist in national capacity building in countries of need;
- to strengthen research and networks in the South that support policy and program development; and
- to support the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
We do this by:
- undertaking bilateral and international activities with countries and organizations on tobacco control;
- representing Health Canada's interests in multi-lateral fora, including the Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; and
- providing grants to international organizations working in the area of tobacco control under Health Canada's International Health Grants Programme.
To date, our international tobacco control funding efforts have been directed at supporting and strengthening the work of the WHO, including the development and implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and its tobacco control activities, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for research on tobacco control in developing countries.
