World Tuberculosis Day, observed each year on the 24th of March, serves as a reminder that we can greatly accelerate TB Reduction through Tobacco Harm Reduction. We cannot achieve the urgent goal of ending TB in Africa unless we simultaneously address cigarette smoking in the continent.
This year’s theme is “Yes, we can end TB,” highlighting the obligation to establish equitable access to prevention and care, in line with the drive towards Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals.
Addressing cigarette smoking in Africa is critical to effectively control and eliminate tuberculosis, which is a significant public health crisis in the continent. It has been established that smoking increases the risk of developing TB and worsens outcomes for those with the disease.
Despite W.H.O.’s ambitious goal to eliminate TB in Africa by 2035, the prevalence of tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa remains a major driver of the disease. It is crucial to address tobacco use since it is closely intertwined with the risks of developing TB.
To achieve a TB-free Africa, it is necessary for policymakers to seriously consider the role of risk reduction for continuing users of tobacco products. This does not mean that risk reduction strategies must replace other strategies any more than the protection of third parties needs to replace cessation strategies. An ideal public health approach rationally combines the various possible interventions in pursuit of the greatest achievable reduction in deaths and disease.
Achieving this must involve implementing evidence-based policies and interventions and increasing investments in tobacco control and harm reduction. Governments and stakeholders should foster the resilient health systems required to accelerate the TB response in order for Africa to reach the Sustainable Development Goals targets by 2030.
