Lusaka — Executive Director of the Center for Primary Care Research, Professor Fastone Goma, has identified persistent tobacco industry interference as a major factor delaying the enactment of Zambia’s Tobacco Control Bill, which has stalled for the past 17 years.
Professor Goma said key drivers of this interference include the tobacco industry’s involvement in policymaking processes and unnecessary interactions between government officials and industry players. He noted that such engagements have left the country vulnerable and weakened efforts to pass comprehensive tobacco control legislation.
He further cited the recent launch of a tobacco manufacturing plant in Kabwe, which was officiated by the President, as a clear example of Zambia’s weak safeguards against tobacco industry influence. According to Professor Goma, high-level government participation in industry events sends the wrong signal and undermines public health commitments.
Professor Goma called for the enactment of a comprehensive tobacco control law in Zambia, emphasizing the need for strong measures such as a total ban on tobacco advertising, prohibition of the sale of single cigarette sticks, and the introduction of pictorial health warnings on tobacco products.
He was speaking during a webinar titled “Strengthening the Capacity of African Policymakers, Researchers, and Civil Society Actors to Counter Tobacco Industry Interference.” The webinar drew on evidence from the Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, with a practical focus on Zambia and Ethiopia.
The webinar brought together policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors to discuss strategies for protecting public health policies from tobacco industry influence and strengthening tobacco control frameworks across Africa.
By Samuel Mbewe
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