The Department of To***co Control at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease is dedicated to achieving a world free from poverty, disease and death caused by to***co. The Union is an international scientific Institute strong in technical assistance, operational research and education, addressing the challenges of tuberculosis, lung disease, HIV/AIDS and to***co control in low
and middle-income countries. The Union has been working in to***co control for more than 25 years. Today, The Union manages to***co control projects in over 40 countries. To***co use is the single greatest cause of preventable death worldwide – a risk factor not only for lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, but also for a host of other diseases. More than 6 million deaths occur annually due to to***co-related illnesses, with the majority occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In 1994, The Union helped found the International Non Governmental Coalition Against To***co (INGCAT) and hosted the coalition's secretariat for several years. INGCAT provided a voice for The Union and other non-governmental organisations throughout the development of the world's first public health treaty: the Framework Convention for To***co Control (FCTC). The FCTC came into force on 27 February 2005. It was one of the most quickly ratified treaties in United Nations history, with many developing countries among the early signatories. In 1996, The Union established a To***co Prevention Division to develop practical strategies for to***co control and smoking cessation in these low- and middle-income countries. This Division also conducted early research on links between to***co use and tuberculosis, which have now been established. Since late 2006, The Union has played a key role in implementing the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce To***co Use, working to implement to***co control interventions in the countries with the highest burden of to***co-related disease. Under the Initiative, The Union currently manages to***co control projects in over 40 countries. The Union continues to be a global advocate for the changing situation of international to***co control. The Union is a founding member of the Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance which calls for accelerated implementation of the FCTC. In 2012, The Union also became the Secretariat for the World Conference on To***co or Health, which will next be held in Abu Dhabi in March 2015.
