🌐 ISSUP Ethiopia Host Organization (MCDO) Announces Admission to the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) 🌍

The Meqoamia Community Development Organization (MCDO), serving as the host organization for the ISSUP Ethiopia National Chapter, is pleased to announce a monumental milestone in advancing public health governance, regulatory compliance, and tobacco control policy advocacy in Ethiopia and across the continent.

Following an official resolution by the Board of Directors of the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA), MCDO’s membership has been officially approved.

Strategic Impact & Continental Synergies Joining this pan-African alliance formally integrates MCDO into a premier network of civil society organizations, policy experts, and public health advocates across Africa. Through this strategic platform, MCDO will:

🔹 Promote National Successes: Elevate Ethiopia's progress, policy models, and field-level enforcement strategies to a continental stage. 🔹 Strengthen Policy Protection: Collaborate on evidence-based strategies to counter tobacco industry interference and safeguard public health regulations. 🔹 Enhance Technical Exchange: Share best practices and technical capacity to align local implementation with broader African health frameworks.

Institutional Acknowledgments

This achievement reflects the collaborative strength of our public health ecosystem in Ethiopia. We extend our sincere appreciation to:

• The ATCA Board of Directors & Secretariat for their trust and warm welcome.

• The Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) & The Addis Ababa Food and Drug Authority (AAFDA) for their steadfast regulatory leadership and institutional partnership.

• The African Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research Centre (ATIM) at the University of Pretoria: Successfully completing the specialized policy advocacy course through ATIM served as a vital capacity booster toward reaching this continental milestone; we extend our special gratitude for their high-level technical capacity building.

• Our Partner Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for their continued collaboration and shared dedication to public health.

• The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) for their unwavering strategic support.

MCDO remains dedicated to leveraging this continental platform to accelerate progress toward a healthier, tobacco-free future for Ethiopia and Africa.