Lagos training equips African public health advocates to monitor tobacco industry

Public health advocates from 12 African nations gathered in Lagos, Nigeria for the third edition of the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM) training course. The five‑day event, held in Nigeria for the first time, was led by Prof. Lekan Ayo‑Yusuf, Head of the School of Health Systems and Public Health at the University of Pretoria and Director of ATIM, with support from lecturers at the University of Bath and researchers from the United States, Brazil and Togo.

The program aimed to strengthen participants' capacity to identify, document and counteract tobacco‑industry interference in public‑health policy. Trainees received guidance on analysing industry tactics, locating front groups, interpreting industry documents and drafting effective tobacco‑control policies and advocacy strategies.