THE PROBLEM: TOBACCO DATA ARE NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE

Tobacco products, when used as directed, will kill half of all users. In 2014, over 11% of Kenyans (2.5 million users) aged 15 and above used tobacco products. Tobacco use (smoked and smokeless) was more prevalent among males, at 19.1% (2.0 million users), compared to 4.5% (504,264 users) for females. Although cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use in Kenya, there are new (smokeless/nicotine based) products introduced into the market that are also causes of concern.

Although tobacco control data exist, they are usually only available in disparate sources (individual agencies, research institutions, private sector companies, or civil society organizations), and some are not easily accessible, which presents a challenge for adoption and implementation of tobacco control legislation. Following consultations with tobacco control stakeholders, some of the tobacco control themes that have emerged as priorities in Kenya include: tobacco prevalence, tobacco agriculture, taxation and illicit trade, tobacco industry interference, availability of cessation services, enforcement of the existing tobacco control laws and morbidity and mortality from tobacco use.

THE SOLUTION: A PORTAL TO AGGREGATE AND COLLECT NEW & EXISTING DATA

Development Gateway (DG), a non-governmental organisation that prioritises data for development, in partnership with the University of Cape Town’s Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) is addressing exactly this problem by creating a website that collates and curates these disparate information sources. This portal is a product of the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) through a three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It seeks to consolidate essential data and information collected through rigorous primary and secondary research. We are hopeful that this online resource will assist those involved in tobacco control in Kenya by providing quick and easy access to relevant data.