WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control Monitoring and Evaluation Officially Established

In March 2026, with the formal approval of the World Health Organization, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control Monitoring and Evaluation was established following an application by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine). The Centre set a new record for the fastest approval of a WHO collaborating centre in China, fully reflecting the international community’s high recognition of China’s achievements and professional capacity in tobacco control monitoring and evaluation.

The Centre’s functions will be carried out by the Tobacco Control Office of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine), with Researcher Xiao Lin, Director of the Tobacco Control Office, serving as Director of the Centre. Under the guidance of the World Health Organization and in line with its requirements, the Centre will provide technical support to relevant countries in strengthening the monitoring of tobacco use and tobacco prevention policies, conduct impact assessments of the MPOWER policy package and related interventions on tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure, and help improve implementation capacity in tobacco control from data to action. The establishment of the Centre marks a key step for China as it moves from a participant to a leader in global tobacco control. It also brings new momentum to the further integration of tobacco control resources and to the joint advancement of global and regional tobacco control strategies.