…Global report reveals success stories but calls for bolder action to close policy gaps and protect millions of lives
By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to urgently step up tobacco control efforts after its latest Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report, launched at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, revealed rising industry interference is putting decades of progress at risk.
The report outlines achievements through the six proven WHO MPOWER measures , policies such as smoke-free laws, health warnings on cigarette packs, advertising bans, and tax increases, which have saved millions of lives. Since 2007, 155 countries have adopted at least one MPOWER policy at best-practice level, protecting 6.1 billion people worldwide.
Four countries — Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and Türkiye — have adopted all six measures. Seven others, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, and Spain, stand one policy away from reaching this milestone.
“Twenty years since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By uniting science, policy and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies or steals futures. Together, we can end the tobacco epidemic.”
Despite progress, serious gaps remain. Forty countries have yet to implement a single MPOWER measure at best-practice level, and 30 still allow cigarette sales without any health warnings.
The report also revealed a “sea change” in graphic health warnings, adopted by 110 countries — up from just 9 in 2007 — reaching 62% of the global population. However, plain packaging and enforcement still lag behind in many areas.
“Since Bloomberg Philanthropies started supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, there has been a sea change in the way countries prevent tobacco use,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “But there is still a long way to go. Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to WHO’s urgent work – and to saving millions more lives together.”
Key areas needing action include higher tobacco taxes, affordable quit services, stronger advertising bans, and more consistent public awareness campaigns. The report also highlights rising regulation of e-cigarettes — up to 133 countries in 2024 — and calls for policies on smokeless tobacco and effective messaging.
“Governments must act boldly to close remaining gaps, strengthen enforcement, and invest in the proven tools that save lives,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion. “WHO calls on all countries to accelerate progress on MPOWER and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against tobacco.”
With 1.3 million people dying annually from second-hand smoke and youth especially vulnerable to aggressive marketing tactics, the WHO report underscores that sustained political commitment and public investments will determine whether the world can defeat tobacco for good.