Advancing Tobacco Cessation in LMICs

Tobacco kills more than 8 million people worldwide every year. Over 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the future burden is projected to grow. At the same time, progress in tobacco control has not advanced as far as in many LMICs. In particular, the implementation of tobacco-cessation programs and interventions remains limited. The bulk of the evidence for tobacco-cessation interventions comes from high-income countries and may not reflect the context in LMICs, particularly as resources and training for tobacco cessation are limited. This paper summarizes the current evidence for tobacco-cessation interventions in LMICs and highlights some key challenges and research gaps. Overall, there is a need to build capacity for locally relevant research and implementation science to support tailored cessation interventions and strategies for LMICs.

Automated summary

Tobacco kills over 8 million people annually, with 80% of users living in low- and middle-income countries. However, progress in tobacco control is inadequate in these countries, particularly in the implementation of cessation programs and interventions. Most evidence for tobacco-cessation interventions comes from high-income countries, which may not be applicable to the context of LMICs due to limited resources and training for tobacco cessation.