Geneva- 12 June 2024- The World Health Organization (WHO) expresses grave concern over the tobacco industry’s manipulative tactics aimed at influencing healthcare providers through continuing medical education programmes and thereby advancing the interests of the tobacco industry

In this regard, WHO acknowledges the decision made by Medscape (an online resource for medical news and educational content tailored for healthcare professionals) to permanently remove a series of accredited medical education courses on smoking cessation funded by Philip Morris International.

WHO underlines the critical need for transparency and ethical standards in medical training and supports calls for certification bodies to avert any partnerships with tobacco and related industries in medical education to stop dissemination of biased information that could hinder public health efforts.

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WHO calls upon governments to enforce comprehensive bans on all types of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control as well as national laws of many countries where sponsorship of medical education is illegal.

WHO also encourages healthcare professionals to remain vigilant against conflicts of interest and attempts to promote consumer products that may perpetuate nicotine addiction and undermine tobacco control efforts, and urges healthcare providers and certification bodies to focus on evidence-based education and policies that prioritize public health not commercial interests.