Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa

What Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa does

The Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) is a non-profit organization established in July 2011 through a competitive process initiated by the World Health Organization in response to a call by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is registered in Uganda as a Company limited by guarantee under section 5(1) of the Companies Act, 2012, with Makerere University (represented by the Vice Chancellor and University Secretary) serving as institutional guarantor. CTCA is housed at Makerere University's School of Public Health in Kampala and operates as a Pan-African knowledge hub dedicated to building institutional and technical capacity for tobacco control across African governments. Leadership comprises Professor William Bazeyo as Director and Dr. Jim Arinaitwe as Centre Manager, supported by a newly formed Board of Directors.

CTCA's product portfolio centers on a core Tobacco Control Capacity Building Program that delivers technical and institutional support for policy formulation, legislation, and enforcement to ministries of health and national tobacco control committees in seven target countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Niger, The Gambia, Uganda, and Zambia). Supporting offerings include the Tobacco Control Research Agenda (a $5,000-per-researcher grant program, with 12 researchers in its first cohort), the Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development (a continental knowledge-sharing platform launched October 2021 with ACBF), a Tobacco Control Certificate Course under development with Makerere University School of Public Health, a web-based Management Information System for monitoring and evaluation, and the Quit4Life+ SMS-based cessation randomized controlled trial conducted in partnership with the University of Southern California.

CTCA's business model is grant-funded and non-commercial. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has financed all three operational phases (2011-2014, 2014-2019, 2019-2022), administered since 2014 through the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). The current Phase III strategic plan (2019-2025) is valued at $15.9 million, and a new ACBF grant covers 2024-2026 for institutional capacity enhancement. Additional funding has flowed from IDRC, Research Council UK, USAID, and NIH. The organization is pursuing a paid Certificate Course to begin diversifying revenue away from foundation dependency. With 6 employees, CTCA operates a lean team supported by an extensive partner ecosystem spanning WHO, ACBF, Makerere University, USC, ATCA, ATIM, Tax Justice Network Africa, and others.

Name

Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa

Legal name

Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa Ltd

Website

https://ctc-africa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) is a Uganda-based non-profit that builds institutional capacity for tobacco control policy formulation, legislation, and enforcement across African governments, primarily serving ministries of health in seven target countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: CTCA operates primarily through grant funding from foundations, particularly the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation administered through the African Capacity Building Foundation. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but distributes funds to support capacity building and research activities across African countries.
2. Training and Course Fees: CTCA is developing a Tobacco Control Certificate Course in collaboration with Makerere University School of Public Health, intended as a paid course to generate sustainable revenue. The course targets mid-level and senior level workers across health, economics, law, and policy fields.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) provides evidence-based technical and institutional support to African governments for the formulation, legislation, and enforcement of tobacco control policies aligned with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It delivers capacity needs assessments, training programs, research grant funding, and convening platforms to ministries of health and national tobacco control committees across Africa.

Product overview

CTCA offers a unified portfolio of capacity building services for tobacco control in Africa, consisting of core technical assistance programs, research funding initiatives, training curriculum development, and conference platforms. The primary offering is the Tobacco Control Capacity Building Program which provides technical support to governments. Supporting products include the Tobacco Control Research Agenda (grants for African researchers), the Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development (biennial knowledge sharing platform), Tobacco Control Curriculum (accredited training modules developed with Makerere University), a web-based Management Information System for monitoring and evaluation, and the Quit4Life+ SMS-based cessation research program. These offerings work together to advance CTCA's mission of supporting evidence-based tobacco control across the continent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tobacco Control Capacity Building Program Primary service offering providing technical and institutional support to African governments for policy formulation, legislation, and enforcement of tobacco control measures. Includes capacity needs assessments, training, and institutional development support targeting ministries of health.
• Tobacco Control Research Agenda A grant program that funds researchers across Africa to investigate tobacco control issues, generating evidence for policy and interventions. The program supports 12 researchers per cohort with $5,000 USD grants and produces research compendiums.
• Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development A biennial conference platform bringing together African tobacco control actors, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to share research, harmonize approaches, and promote cross-learning. The inaugural conference was held virtually in October 2021.
• Tobacco Control Curriculum with Training Modules A formal training curriculum developed in collaboration with Makerere University School of Public Health to build tobacco control capacity across Africa. Targets mid-level and senior level workers and will be offered as a CTCA Certificate Course.
• Web-Based Management Information System A monitoring and evaluation platform designed to track program performance indicators, support data-driven decision making, and generate periodic reports on tobacco control capacity building activities across supported countries.
• Quit4Life+ Phone-Based Tobacco Cessation Program A 5-year randomized control trial study adapting and evaluating a phone/SMS-based tobacco use cessation program for people living with HIV in Uganda and Zambia. Implemented in partnership with the University of Southern California.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2011WHO established CTCA in July 2011 through a competitive process in response to a call by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. WHO oversaw Phase 1 of CTCA operations from 2011-2014. CTCA was established to build and sustain institutional capacity of African governments in tobacco control.
• Makerere UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTCA is housed at Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala, Uganda. Makerere University provides institutional guarantees for CTCA as it operates as an autonomous entity. The guarantors under CTCA's company registration are Makerere University represented by the Vice Chancellor and University Secretary.
• WHO AFROmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO Afro is supporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner, contributing to continental tobacco control efforts coordinated by CTCA.
• Campaign for Tobacco Free KidsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner, contributing expertise in tobacco control advocacy and policy.
• Africa Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner. ATCA is a network of CSOs and NGOs dedicated to preventing a tobacco epidemic in Africa, present in 39 countries.
• International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung DiseasemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner, bringing expertise in lung health and tobacco control.
• Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, University of Cape TownmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner, contributing research expertise in tobacco economics.
• Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner. ATIM is an observatory created to monitor the tobacco industry on the continent.
• Tax Justice Network AfricamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the First Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development as a regional partner, bringing expertise in tobacco taxation and financing.
• University of Southern California (USC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTCA and USC are implementing a 5-year research project titled Quit4Life+ targeting tobacco use cessation among HIV positive persons in Uganda and Zambia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Union for International Cancer Control (UICC): Global membership-based organization focused on cancer control including tobacco-related cancer prevention. UICC operates analogous international capacity building and policy advocacy programs with comparable NGO/government engagement models across multiple regions.
• Vital Strategies: Global health organization that works on tobacco control policy, mass media campaigns, and surveillance across low- and middle-income countries. Vital Strategies operates comparable policy and capacity building programs in similar geographies to CTCA.
• International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union): Global health organization working on tuberculosis, lung disease, and tobacco control with deep engagement in low- and middle-income countries. The Union partnered with CTCA on the inaugural Africa Conference and operates comparable tobacco control capacity building programs globally.
• Africa Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA): Pan-African civil society network of CSOs and NGOs in 39 African countries dedicated to preventing a tobacco epidemic. ATCA shares CTCA's continental tobacco control mandate and was a regional partner for CTCA's inaugural Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development.
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Leading global advocacy organization focused on reducing tobacco use, particularly through FCTC implementation. CTCA partnered with CTFK on the inaugural Africa Conference, and both organizations work on tobacco control policy advocacy in similar geographies.
• Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM): Continental observatory created to monitor tobacco industry activities across Africa and provide policy research. ATIM partnered with CTCA on the inaugural Africa Conference and operates a closely related mandate focused on tobacco industry monitoring.
• Framework Convention Alliance (FCA): Civil society alliance of nearly 500 organizations in over 100 countries supporting WHO FCTC implementation. FCA shares CTCA's mandate of supporting governments to implement FCTC obligations and represents an analogous civil society coordination model.

Emerging players

• Tax Justice Network Africa: Pan-African advocacy organization working on tax policy including tobacco taxation as a public health financing tool. Tax Justice Network Africa partnered with CTCA on the inaugural Africa Conference and brings complementary expertise in tobacco tax policy.
• Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP), University of Cape Town: Academic research unit at the University of Cape Town conducting economic research on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages. REEP partnered with CTCA on the inaugural Africa Conference and contributes comparable tobacco economics expertise to the African policy ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• WHO Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI): WHO's global tobacco control program that oversees the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. WHO established CTCA in 2011 and remains CTCA's primary global institutional counterpart, providing the global mandate within which CTCA operates regionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-tobacco-control-in-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa