Chad Hosts Technical Experts from WHO FCTC Secretariat

In September, technical experts from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat engaged with Chad government officials, parliamentarians, civil society organisations and other national stakeholders in a joint needs assessment to support the country’s implementation of the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which it has been party to since 2018.

The mission reviewed current measures, identified implementation needs and addressed continuing challenges associated with illicit trade in tobacco products.

Dr Patrick Musavuli, FCTC Secretariat mission lead, acknowledged Chad’s progress in tobacco control but emphasised the country’s vulnerability to regional illicit trade networks due to its geographic location (landlocked between Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon). He called on the government to accelerate implementation of a tracking and tracing system (as required by the Protocol) by enforcing the country’s existing law on tobacco fiscal marking.