The Emory Global Health Institute - China Tobacco Control Partnership (GHI-CTP) was established in 2008 by a five-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of the GHI-CTP is to reduce the health, social, environmental, and economic burdens of tobacco use in China. Currently, China has the highest rate of tobacco use in the world. Recent data shows there are over 300 million smokers in China, and 7 out of 10 non-smoking adults are exposed to second-hand smoke. China is also the largest producer of tobacco products in the world, with tobacco earnings and excise tax revenues adding billions in national tobacco profits each year.
A public health issue of this magnitude is complex and yet offers great potential for positive progress. The Partnership's programs focus on assisting the Chinese in developing and implementing effective, accountable and sustainable tobacco prevention and control initiatives. These efforts specifically aim at changing the Chinese social norms surrounding tobacco use.
There are two main initiatives of the GHI-CTP: