company’s positive impact on society and the environment while at the same time promoting a product that contributes to death and disease. Tobacco use in Africa is reinforced by the perceived “Western� status given to cigarette use. Limited data on smoking and its associated disease burden has led to a low reported prevalence, but there is an increasing trend of smoking and associated health problems.
Based on the experience of tobacco use in many countries, a common, four-stage pattern of tobacco use and subsequent deaths has emerged. In general, the trends for women follow those of men but are offset by about 20-30 years. Sub-Saharan Africa, with low but rising prevalence of smoking particularly among men, is in Stage 1. Several Asian countries, Latin America and North Africa are The Burden of Cancer in the developing countries: A Global Health Council Report on the Cancer Advocacy and Learning Institute, June, 2010 / 51