Times24.net : In a landmark announcement at the 2025 World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTC2025), the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) unveiled the Budget Advocacy Toolkit for Tobacco Control—the first comprehensive, evidence-based global resource designed to help advocates secure sustainable national funding for tobacco control at Dublin, Ireland.
This cutting-edge toolkit empowers civil society, public health leaders, and government allies with practical strategies and tools to effectively advocate for integrating tobacco control into national budgets. By offering a clear roadmap for budget advocacy, the toolkit strengthens local voices working to advance public health policies and protect communities from the harms of tobacco.
“Too often, tobacco control efforts are underfunded despite the massive burden tobacco places on health systems and economies,” said Yolonda Richardson, President and CEO of CTFK. “This toolkit fills a critical gap by helping advocates speak the language of finance and policy to influence where it matters most—inside national budgets.”
Key features of the toolkit include Campaign Planning, Campaign Implementation, Budget Accountability, Budget Sustainability. Using this four-step Budget Advocacy Framework, countries can work toward building political will and accountability for long-term investments in tobacco control and epidemic preparedness. The steps are flexible, often overlapping or occurring simultaneously depending on each country’s unique context and needs.
This toolkit represents a vital contribution to the global tobacco control movement, supporting WHO FCTC implementation and reinforcing the financial infrastructure needed for sustainable public health programs.
The Budget Advocacy Toolkit for Tobacco Control is adapted from the Budget Advocacy Framework for Increased and Sustained Epidemic Preparedness Investment, developed by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) through its Prevent Epidemics program, this toolkit is principally authored by Vandana Shah, vice president of GHAI/CTFK.
At the conference, Mr. Iqbal Masud, Director, Health and WASH sector represent Dhaka Ahsania Mission from Bangladesh.
