International Assistance and Tobacco Control in China

Abstract

Since 1980s, the tobacco control campaign has been supported by financial assistance of international community. Tobacco control donation from major American foundations has increased considerably after China ratified the WHO FCTC in 2006. The research grants are to support the study of health risk of tobacco use, prevalence pattern of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure (SHS), as well as policy assessment of tobacco control. Next, tobacco control as a significant public health measure was introduced project activities in an early health loan of the World Bank. For the past century, such distinguished philanthropies as the Rockefeller foundation (China Medical Board), Ford Foundations have pioneered many fields in China, especially in medicine. The Bloomberg Initiative (BI) Grants and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations provided the biggest support for tobacco control in China. During 2007–2016, BI grant has provided 21.4 million US$ fund to China for tobacco control with 96 projects for national professional organization, local agency of tobacco control, university and non-government organization (NGO). The Grant supported to promote national and local tobacco control legislation, including 100% smoke free environments in project cities, and so on. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation continues to provide more than $34 million (US) to support policy interventions, social marketing and building the evidence base in tobacco control in China. Meanwhile, it is important for tobacco control community should consider how to promote domestic charitable donations to tobacco control.