Ouagadougou: The coordinator of the African Association Against Tobacco (ACONTA), Adama Zango, presented on Friday the 2025 report on the tobacco industry interference index in Burkina Faso, which positions the country 8th in the world and 3rd in Africa in the fight against smoking.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Burkina Faso participated for the fourth time in the development of the tobacco industry interference index and recorded, in the 2025 edition, a score of 39/100 compared to 42/100 in 2023, thus ranking it 8th in the world and 3rd in Africa. Speaking to the press in Ouagadougou on Friday, Mr. Zango explained that this index, based on 20 questions divided into seven indicators, assesses the influence of the tobacco industry on public health.
This score reflects a reduction in tobacco industry interference and an increased commitment from authorities to protecting public health, said the head of ACONTA. According to him, seven indicators were used to measure the degree of tobacco industry interference. These include the tobacco industry's participation in policymaking, corporate social responsibility initiatives, benefits granted to the tobacco industry, and unnecessary interactions with it.
Added to this are transparency in relations with the tobacco industry, conflicts of interest and preventive measures taken by governments to protect their public health policies against this interference. "No industry representative was involved in the development of public policies or official delegations, in accordance with the country's commitments under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control," the assessment tool reports, argued the ACONTA coordinator.
According to him, the document reports the absence of tax advantages or incentives for the tobacco industry, as well as the near absence of corporate social responsibility activities involving public authorities during the period studied. 'The report indicates that, from a health perspective, smoking remains a major concern, with approximately 4,700 deaths per year, 35% of which are linked to passive smoking. The economic cost is estimated at 57 billion FCFA in 2019, including productivity losses and health expenditures,' added Adama Zango.
To reduce the phenomenon of tobacco use, his association called for the adoption of the revised anti-tobacco law, the issuance of a decree aimed at preventing interference from the industry, and the finalization of plain packaging for tobacco products. Mr. Zango also advocated for increased resources for the national tobacco control program in Burkina Faso, while welcoming a government decision condemning the tobacco industry for violating advertising regulations, as well as the recent seizure of non-compliant cigarettes by the Mobile Brigade for Economic Control and Fraud Repression.
The coordinator urged the people of Burkina Faso to mobilize in a general way to preserve present and future generations. As a reminder, the report covers the period from April 2023 to March 2025 and highlights significant progress, including the adoption of several decrees relating to plain packaging, traceability of tobacco products and the strengthening of the national tobacco control committee.