Tobacco use takes a huge toll on the health and economy of the WHO African Region. It is the leading preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are a leading killer in Africa and globally and are increasing around the world.
Even in some countries in the region with relatively lower smoking rates, the lethality of tobacco still produces far too much illness, death, and economic costs.
To reduce the toll of tobacco in Africa and prevent it from increasing, countries in the region must speed up their adoption of evidence-based tobacco control policies outlined in the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Despite overwhelming evidence of the success of these policies in reducing tobacco use and saving lives and health care resources, and recent progress in adopting some of these policies, the reality is that the African region lags behind the rest of the world in adopting them.
Learn more about the burden of tobacco use in the region, its impact on NCDs and their health and economic burden, and the opportunities presented by tobacco control policy change at the links below.
Infographic: Burden of Tobacco Use - WHO African Region
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Infographic: Tobacco and Non-Communicable Disease
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Infographic: Turning Shortcomings Into Opportunities
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Last updated Sept. 20, 2025