PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Small, Roy
AU  - Nugent, Rachel
AU  - Webb, Douglas
AU  - Hutchinson, Brian
AU  - Spencer, Garrison
AU  - Ngongo, Carrie
AU  - Chestnov, Roman
AU  - Tarlton, Dudley
TI  - Advancing progress on tobacco control in low-income and middle-income countries through economic analysis
AID  - 10.1136/tc-2023-058335
DP  - 2024 May 01
TA  - Tobacco Control
PG  - s3--s9
VI  - 33
IP  - Suppl 1
4099  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/33/Suppl_1/s3.short
4100  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/33/Suppl_1/s3.full
SO  - Tob Control2024 May 01; 33
AB  - Background More than 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where progress to address tobacco and its harms has been slow. The perception that tobacco control detracts from economic priorities has impeded progress. The Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is leading the FCTC 2030 project, which includes technical assistance to LMICs to analyse the economic costs of tobacco use and the benefits of tobacco control.Methods The Secretariat of the WHO FCTC, United Nations Development Programme and WHO supported 21 LMICs between 2017 and 2022 to complete national investment cases to guide country implementation of the WHO FCTC, with analytical support provided by RTI International. These country-level cases combine customised estimates of tobacco’s economic impact with qualitative analysis of socio-political factors influencing tobacco control. This paper overviews the approach, observed tobacco control advancements and learnings from 21 countries: Armenia, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Eswatini, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Laos, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tunisia and Zambia.Results Tobacco control advancements in line with investment case findings and recommendations have been observed in 17 of the 21 countries, and many have improved collaboration and policy coherence between health and economic stakeholders.Conclusions Tobacco control must be seen as more than a health concern. Tobacco control leads to economic benefits and contributes to sustainable development. National investment cases can support country ownership and leadership to advance tobacco control.Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study.