For the first time the EMRO office is releasing all data relevant to tobacco control hat has been collected since 2000.
It is essential now as we move forward in tobacco control and with the increasing political support to this area to make available to the public, press, decision makers an easy access to data that they can use to strengthen tobacco control at all levels.
We are certain that with the availability of this over time collected data; countries now have a comparison tool to test their strategies and to amend it accordingly.
The Global Tobacco Surveillance System; is a system that started with a single survey the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), then expanded to cover other areas of tobacco surveillance; such as health professionals, school teachers and finally adults tobacco related data.
Today we are releasing mainly the data related to youth and schools, collected through the Global Youth tobacco survey.
The global youth tobacco survey (GYTS) is a school-based survey designed to enhance the capacity of countries to monitor tobacco use among youth and to guide the implementation and evaluation of tobacco prevention and control programmes.
The GYTS uses a standard methodology for constructing the sampling frame, selecting schools and classes, preparing questionnaires, following consistent field procedures, and using consistent data management procedures for data processing and analysis.
The information generated from the GYTS can be used to stimulate the development of tobacco control programmes and can serve as a means to assess progress in meeting programme goals. In addition, GYTS data can be used to monitor progress on seven articles of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The new site also includes data from the GTCR, on adults’ prevalence. The global tobacco control report was released in 2008.
All information relevant to the GTSS including the GYTS can be now accessed through: