TOBACCO-FREE KIDS ACTION FUND

International programs: the action fund works to support civil society organizations in low- and middle-income countries around the world to advocate for policies to reduce tobacco use. The action fund provides financial and technical assistance in campaign design and implementation, media advocacy, and public and policymaker education about the harms of tobacco and the need for strong policies to discourage use. These policies, outlined in the framework convention on tobacco control, represent global consensus about the most effective policies that have been shown to reduce tobacco consumption. The action fund provides extensive support in ten priority countries: bangladesh, brazil, china, india, indonesia, mexico, pakistan, philippines, cont'd in sch oturkey and ukraine where the largest numbers of the world's smokers reside. Support includes strategic planning, campaign implementation, communications and media outreach, and policy research and legal drafting analysis. We work closely with in-country partners to build public demand and support for policies and to counter tobacco industry efforts. Through our special initiative, the global health advocacy incubator, we also work with civil society organizations working on food and nutrition, road safety, drowning prevention, and a range of health system strengthening efforts. One of the larger programs this year was our work to provide budget advocacy support to increase country level investments in vaccines and immunization programs to reach global targets for vaccine coverage for kids. In its work, the incubator provides similar financial and technical assistance to local partners in more than 25 countries where the health burden from these issues have led to preventable deaths and disease.