N'DJAMENA, Chad — From Sept. 8 to 12, 2025, technical experts from the Convention Secretariat, the WHO Regional Office for Africa and the WHO Country Office in Chad engaged with government officials, parliamentarians, civil society organizations and other national stakeholders in a joint needs assessment to support implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
Chad became a Party to the Protocol in 2018. The mission reviewed current measures, identified implementation needs and addressed continuing challenges associated with illicit trade in tobacco products.
The five-day program opened with a technical session hosted by the Ministry of Public Health and Prevention, followed by a courtesy meeting with Hon. Minister of public Health, Dr. Abdel-Madjid Abderahim Mahamat.
A multi-stakeholder meeting brought together officials from the ministries of finance, commerce, justice and security, along with representatives from the Senate, Parliament, religious institutions, academic bodies and civil society organizations.
At the opening ceremony, Dr. Mbaidedji Dekandji Francine, Secretary of state for Public Health and Prevention, outlined national efforts to reduce tobacco use and protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke. She mentioned limited enforcement capacity and porous borders as key challenges, and called on the mission to help develop practical, cost-effective responses.
Dr. Blanche Anya, WHO representative in Chad, stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration and reaffirmed the agency’s continued support for implementation.
Dr. Patrick Musavuli, Convention Secretariat’s mission lead, acknowledged Chad’s progress in tobacco control but emphasized the country’s vulnerability to regional illicit trade networks due to its geographic location. He called on the Government to accelerate the implementation of the tracking and tracing system by enforcing the existing Law and decree on fiscal marking, which requires each tobacco product unit to carry a unique, secure and traceable identifier, noting that that both the law and its decree emphasizing that these provisions, though adopted, remain unenforced.
In the following sessions, the mission held bilateral consultations with customs authorities, the national tax administration, members of Parliament and the national agency for investment and exports. These discussions enhanced understanding of the Protocol’s provisions and created opportunities to advance its policy measures. The visit concluded with a debriefing at the Ministry of Public Health and Prevention.
The mission identified gaps in Chad’s legal framework and underscored the need for strengthened enforcement, institutional capacity building and improved interagency coordination. It recommended a range of actions, including the establishment of a national licensing system, implementation of the fiscal marking law and its decree, and enhanced border controls. It also emphasized aligning national legislation with the Protocol’s obligations and expanding international cooperation.
Chad has adopted key tobacco control policies, including packaging health warnings and fiscal marking regulations. Implementation remains uneven in areas such as enforcement, border management and systematic data collection.
According to the Investment Case for Tobacco Control in Chad, tobacco-related illnesses cause an estimated 2,500 deaths each year. Among these, 37 percent occur within the country’s lowest-income population groups.