The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today (March 24) condemned the World Health Organization (WHO) for dismissing its recent scrutiny of the WHO’s funding as “misinformation,” when it said it allows billionaire philanthropies to disproportionately influence global tobacco policy.
“The WHO’s hypocrisy is staggering, it attacks critics as purveyors of ‘misinformation’ while allowing private donors like the Gates Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies to steer its agenda,” said Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA Executive Coordinator.
CAPHRA said Euronews confirmed that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is WHO’s second-largest donor, contributing 12% of its total budget, and that Bloomberg Philanthropies has funded anti-harm reduction campaigns in Asia-Pacific nations, including the Philippines and India.
CAPHRA accuses the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) COP meetings of operating “under unprecedented secrecy compared to other UN conventions. No consumer group representing smokers or ex-smokers has ever been granted observer status, violating the WHO’s own guidelines for civil society engagement.” A 2023 WHO Western Pacific Office report emphasized that “meaningful engagement of civil society” is critical to tobacco control—a principle CAPHRA says is ignored by the FCTC.
CAPHRA also says internal documents reveal the FCTC Secretariat controls all COP agendas and materials, with Bloomberg-funded NGOs often drafting policy recommendations for low-income countries, creating an echo chamber that excludes scientific evidence supporting safer nicotine alternatives.
“When billionaires dictate policy while the WHO silences consumer voices, public health becomes secondary to ideology,” Loucas stated. “The FCTC’s failure is undeniable—global smoking rates remain unchanged since 2000, with 1.1 billion smokers worldwide. We demand the WHO FCTC grant observer status to consumer groups at COP11, host open consultations with civil society during proceedings, and implement UN human rights oversight for tobacco control policies. Accountability and inclusion are non-negotiable. The WHO must prioritize science over dogma to save lives.”