Reforestation, medical equipment donations… Under the guise of CSR, tobacco companies are using local development initiatives to strengthen their influence in Madagascar.
From reforestation projects in tobacco-growing regions to equipment donations in health centers, the tobacco industry in Madagascar is multiplying its actions under the label of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, behind these initiatives presented as contributions to development, public health advocates denounce a formidable strategy of interference designed to polish the image of tobacco companies and win over local decision-makers. This misuse of CSR is directly highlighted by the international report, the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025.
By using these philanthropic actions to forge close ties with communities and authorities, the industry bypasses the principles of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which Madagascar ratified nearly twenty years ago. As a result, the country is regressing. Its interference score rose from 69 out of 100 in 2023 to 73 in 2025 (a high score reflecting the growing influence of the industry), ranking the Great Island 78th out of 100 countries evaluated. On the ground, this lack of firmness against industry giants is accompanied by a worrying rise in consumption. Madagascar currently holds the sad record for the highest smoking rate in Africa, reaching 27.8% according to the Wisevoter platform (2024).
Even more worrying, young people are on the front line: 42.3% of boys and 15.6% of girls smoke. “I started smoking at 12, in the 6th grade, out of curiosity. Today, I can’t do without it,” says Ny Ando, an 8th-grade student at a General Education College (CEG). The population is paying a heavy price, both humanly and financially. The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes more than 8,300 deaths per year to smoking in the country.
For families, the management of associated pathologies (cancers, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases) constitutes a financial abyss: treating lung cancer costs an average of 10 million ariary, pushing many households into over-indebtedness and precariousness. While Article 5.3 of the FCTC mandates the rigorous protection of public health policies from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry, the lack of regulation governing donations leaves the field open to manufacturers. For observers, it is becoming urgent to strictly regulate these practices to preserve the country’s strategic choices and the health of its citizens.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-20 05:53:47 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/sante-la-lutte-contre-le-tabagisme.html