By Sandra Machima in Geneva
As global leaders gathered in Geneva this week to chart the next phase of the world’s fight against tobacco-related deaths, Zambia arrived at COP11 with a move that stunned many in the international health community: it sent a senior official who has no background in public health, no mandate on tobacco control, and no institutional link to the country’s health sector.
While more than 1,400 delegates, including ministers of health, epidemiologists, addiction experts, and environmental specialists — convened to strengthen the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC), Zambia was represented by Chembo Mbula, Director General of the Emoluments Commission, a body responsible for salaries and conditions of service for public officers.
COP11, the eleventh Conference of the Parties to the WHO-FCTC, is the world’s highest decision-making forum on tobacco control, shaping Zambia’s legal obligations, access to global health support, and future public health policies. It brings together countries that have ratified the treaty to review progress, strengthen regulations, and adopt measures to curb tobacco use and nicotine addiction.
As a party to the convention, Zambia is obligated to protect public health policies from tobacco industry interference, strengthen its tobacco control laws, report progress, and send competent, health-focused delegates to these meetings. This context helps explain the concern sparked by Zambia’s decision to send representatives viewed as unqualified or lacking a public health mandate.
For many observers, it was a decision that spoke volumes about Zambia’s seriousness, or lack of seriousness, in confronting a tobacco epidemic that kills more than 8 million people globally every year and is driving rising rates of non-communicable diseases at home. And within hours of the opening ceremony, Zambia’s stance began to spark outrage.?
The opening ceremony featured a high-level strategic dialogue reflecting on two decades of progress under the FCTC, one of the most widely ratified treaties in UN history.
Acting Head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat, Andrew Black, noted that COP11 offers a critical opportunity to strengthen environmental protections, reduce tobacco consumption, tackle nicotine addiction, and protect populations from second-hand smoke.
During a ministerial roundtable hosted by Belgium, delegates raised urgent concerns about the rising nicotine addiction among young people, driven by e-cigarettes and new nicotine delivery systems.
Representing Zambia, Mbula argued that tobacco remains an economic lifeline for many rural households and continues to make a substantial contribution to national revenue. He called for “balanced policies” that reconcile public health objectives with socio-economic realities.
Mbula reiterated Zambia’s commitment to an inclusive approach to treaty implementation and supported the re-establishment of the working group for Parties, stressing that countries should prioritise completing and strengthening existing obligations before introducing new measures. He also warned that abrupt policy changes could disrupt livelihoods in developing countries where thousands depend on tobacco farming and related industries.
However, civil society organisations pushing for stronger tobacco control were left stunned. Many said Zambia’s position was completely at odds with the purpose of the meeting and undermined global public health efforts.
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?Several delegates accused the Zambian team of “betraying the Zambian people” by siding with tobacco industry interests instead of defending public health. They argued that at a time when Zambia is grappling with rising non-communicable diseases, the country should have been represented by qualified public health experts—not officials with no background in health.
Tobacco Free Association of Zambia (TOFAZA) executive director Brenda Chitindi criticised the government’s choice of representative, saying Mr. Mbula’s delegation “misrepresented Zambia’s health priorities”.
She added that sending a delegation with no mandate or capacity to contribute meaningfully to the Convention’s work amounted to a waste of public resources, especially when “there is nothing to bring back home in terms of benefits, commitments, or progress for the Zambian people”.
Chitindi appealed directly to President Hakainde Hichilema to scrutinise the officials selected to represent Zambia on global platforms. Poor representation, she warned, not only undermines the country’s credibility but also “exposes the calibre of the nation” before the international community.
TOFAZA has called on the government to ensure that future delegations to global health conferences consist of competent, mandated, and sector-appropriate officials capable of advancing Zambia’s public health interests.
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?“What does a meeting on public health have to do with someone from the Emoluments Commission when Zambia has a Ministry of Health, the custodian of health matters?” she asked.
Chitindi further cautioned that Zambia risks losing global health funding if it fails to demonstrate compliance with its treaty obligations, an outcome she said could jeopardise the health of millions.
In a separate interview, health expert Dr. Chrispin Sichone said Zambia was making steady progress on the Tobacco Control Bill, despite resistance from some interest groups. He stressed that healthcare remains the foundation of a stable nation and expressed confidence that Zambia would uphold its WHO obligations to protect public health.
A number of delegates linked to the tobacco industry were also seen at the event, raising additional concerns about possible industry interference—an act strictly prohibited under the WHO-FCTC, which Zambia has ratified.
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