TOBACCO CONTROL CAPACITY PROGRAM- GHANA: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR APPLIED RESEARCH TO REDUCE TOBACCO-RELATED HARM IN LOW & MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the world. Globally, smoking kills more people every year than HIV, tuberculosis and malaria combined. By 2030, more than 80% of the world's tobacco-related deaths will occur in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Preventing people from starting to use tobacco, and encouraging users to stop is a global priority. In Ghana for instance the rising tobacco epidemic particularly among the youth, the availability of an unregulated tobacco market and the lack of effective policies on tobacco control, it is timely to examine and evaluate some of the tobacco control policies in Ghana such as the illicit tobacco trade and smoke-free policies. The GCRF/TCCP study thus aims to evaluate the illicit tobacco trade market in Ghana and also assess the level of compliance including the assessment of knowledge and awareness with Ghana’s smoke-free laws in public places including hospitality venues.