Call for papers, issue 6, June 2020 - Deadline for submission: 31-12-2019

Summary

Public Health Panorama is calling for the submission of papers for a themed issue on making tobacco a thing of the past and taking strong action. This special issue will focus on accelerating implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and its contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within the WHO European Region. It aims to celebrate the gains and successes of countries in the Region in advancing the long-term vision of a WHO European Region free of tobacco-related morbidity, mortality and addiction, and will examine the remaining challenges in tobacco control and how these could be overcome.

Deadline for submission: 31 December 2019

Background

Tobacco use poses an enormous threat to public health worldwide, killing more than eight million people every year. Understanding of how to reduce the economic and health costs of this deadly epidemic is now greater, but despite the availability of cost-effective tools, many countries still face a challenge in designing and implementing comprehensive and sustainable tobacco-control strategies. To address these challenges, over the past 15 years several global and regional policy frameworks have been adopted, including the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the United Nations Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, Health 2020, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ideas and theories regarding the transition from tobacco control to the end of the tobacco problem (1) are flourishing in academic papers. Several countries within the WHO European Region are paving the way for a tobacco-free Region and aiming for tobacco-free millennial generations.

The WHO FCTC is the first step to achieving this visionary future, and, in the meantime, to reaching the voluntary global target of a 25% relative reduction in premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and a 30% relative reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use in people aged 15 years and over by 2025 (Global Monitoring Framework (GMF)).

The WHO FCTC is also central to attaining the SDGs by 2030, particularly SDG 3 on “ensur[ing] healthy lives and promot[ing] well-being for all at all ages”. The SDG 3 target aspires to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030, and adds further strength and legitimacy to efforts underway to “strengthen the implementation of the WHO FCTC in all countries, as appropriate” (SDG target 3a).

Prospects for achieving the NCD premature mortality targets in the WHO European Region as a whole are promising. On average throughout the Region, the GMF mortality target is expected to be achieved by 2025 and to even surpass the SDG target in 2030, if current trends are maintained. The levels achieved so far, however, are insufficient to reach the target of tobacco-use prevalence-reduction among the adult population in the WHO European Region by 30% in 2025. Only six countries in the Region are projected to achieve this. This means that close to 90% of the countries of the WHO European Region will not reach the target for tobacco-use prevalence-reduction. Stronger action is needed.

Call for papers

In this special issue of Public Health Panorama, the Regional Office will publish papers that are intended to advance the long-term vision for a WHO European Region free of tobacco-related morbidity, mortality and addiction.

The Regional Office will consider all papers related to the achievement of accelerating implementation of the WHO FCTC and its contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In prioritizing papers for acceptance, special consideration will be given to those papers addressing insights within the following themes:

Supporting innovation within the WHO FCTC

  • paving the way to a tobacco-free future and/or tobacco-free millennial generation;
  • using social media and new technology, with mCessation, eHealth and distance-learning opportunities;

Strengthening the knowledge base on the prevention and control of new and emerging forms of tobacco

  • monitoring patterns of use;
  • synthesizing and interpreting evidence;
  • exploring policy options and investing in translating research into practice;

Reshaping social norms, influencing current and potential tobacco users by creating a setting in which tobacco becomes less desirable, less acceptable and less accessible

  • documenting advanced practices by focusing on new tactics of the tobacco industry, including interference with international policy;
  • promoting the role of health professionals as drivers of behavioural change, serving as role models in society and pioneering progress in tobacco control and advancing policy agenda;
  • advancing health literacy and investing in education, training measures and gender-sensitive communication to warn about the dangers of tobacco;
  • understanding the cultural contexts which underpin decisions to use, sell, or promote tobacco products;
  • identifying best practices to support the reduction in health inequalities through tobacco-control measures.

Learning from the past, to create better tobacco control interventions in the future

  • evaluating effectiveness as well as the financial, social, political and cultural impacts of tobacco control policies over the last decade;
  • drawing on comparative and historical research on other public health initiatives that can shed light on and be useful for future tobacco control action.

Also of interest are papers that reflect on existing and new connections between the tobacco control agenda and other areas such as human rights, gender equality, trade, mental health and the environment.

Guidelines for submitting papers

Public Health Panorama invites papers that showcase examples from the WHO European Region and papers that are intended for policy-makers, planners, researchers, public health specialists, clinicians, educators, civil society and other interest groups.

Papers in the form of original research, reviews, project reports, policy and practice, case studies and short communications are welcome.

Manuscripts may be submitted in either English or Russian, and accepted papers will be published in both languages.

The deadline for submission is 31 December 2019. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines for authors and contributors, and this call for papers should be mentioned in an accompanying cover letter. All submissions should be sent to eupanorama@who.int and consist of the manuscript, duly filled in and signed cover letter and licence agreement.

For further queries, please contact eupanorama@who.int.

(1) This refers to having a prevalence of tobacco use of less than 5%.