Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 10, 2026: Ethiopia has reached a landmark milestone in advancing public health by establishing its first dedicated, government-funded budget line for tobacco control. Although tobacco control has received limited government funding in previous years, these resources were not allocated through a dedicated budget line. Instead, the modest funding was shared with other regulatory and enforcement activities, including the regulation and enforcement of narcotic and psychotropic substances, limiting the resources available for comprehensive tobacco control initiatives.
The government has now allocated a recurrent budget ETB 23,275 million ETB (USD145,469) for the current Ethiopian physical year to the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) for tobacco control activities with specific budget Code. In addition, the Addis Ababa Food and Drug Authority (AAFDA) has allocated ETB 120 million Birr (USD750,000) capital project-based budget to strengthen tobacco control efforts within the capital, Addis Ababa. These historic allocations represent a significant step toward strengthening national and sub-national ownership, sustainability, and implementation of comprehensive tobacco control interventions and demonstrates an unprecedented commitment to financing tobacco control through domestic public resources.
These achievements reflect the strong leadership of EFDA and AAFDA, working collaboratively with key government stakeholders’ national partners, including the Mathiwos Wondu Foundation (MWF). MWF also acknowledges the strategic advocacy, technical assistance, and catalytic grant support provided by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator CSO Advocacy Accelerator Capstone Project, which helped translate evidence-based advocacy into sustainable public financing.
The new federal budget allocation builds upon Ethiopia’s demonstrated commitment to tobacco control, including the implementation of Tobacco Control Proclamation No. 1112/2019 and encouraging evidence from the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey, which highlights progress in reducing tobacco use and strengthening policy implementation.
While this budget allocation marks a major policy achievement, its impact will depend on timely disbursement, effective utilization, transparent financial management, and robust accountability mechanisms. Strengthening tobacco control unit, sustained investment in compliance monitoring, enforcement of tobacco control laws, public awareness, and periodic assessments will be essential to maximizing health outcomes.
This milestone positions Ethiopia among the countries demonstrating that sustainable tobacco control requires not only strong legislation but also dedicated domestic financing to ensure sustainable impact. It reinforces the Government’s commitment to protecting the health of its population, preventing tobacco-related disease and death, and advancing national and global commitments under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Mathiwos Wondu Foundation (MWF)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Recent Comments