Foreign Funding Questioned

Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA's Executive Coordinator, expressed concern with what the organisation perceives as ideologically-driven approaches.

“When foreign billionaires shape national health policies through strategic funding while excluding regional experts, we must question whether public health remains the priority,” Loucas said.

“Our investigations reveal instances where domestic policies appear directly influenced by external funding priorities rather than evidence-based approaches.”

The organisation says its concerns extend beyond regional policy influence.

In February 2025, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates joined with ARDT Iberoamerica and CASA Africa in requesting clarification from the UN Special Rapporteur for Harm Reduction regarding comments in their report on tobacco harm reduction. Despite the significance of these inquiries, CAPHRA says the coalition has received no response.

Loucas explained: “The continued silence from the Special Rapporteur underscores a pattern of dismissing stakeholder concerns when they don't align with predetermined positions.” 

CAPHRA highlights the upcoming COP11 as a critical moment for reasserting national sovereignty in tobacco control policy, emphasising countries such as the Philippines, Japan, and New Zealand, that have implemented progressive harm reduction frameworks.

Loucas continued: “Countries with nuanced regulatory frameworks for non-combustible nicotine products have demonstrated that harm reduction and public health protection can coexist. At COP11, it's essential that evidence-based approaches receive fair consideration without undue external pressure.”

CAPHRA is calling on all Framework Convention on Tobacco Control member states to critically evaluate policy guidance sources and prioritise evidence-based approaches that acknowledge harm reduction in comprehensive tobacco control strategies. 

“It's time to hold global public health institutions to their core mission of protecting health based on science rather than ideology,” Loucas concluded. 

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. CAPHRA says it is not related to, or funded by any commercial interests, adding that it is composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region.

“We hope putting forward this information would clarify any doubt as to our interests and intentions.”

CAPHRA says it remains committed to its mission to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.

“We advocate for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.”

References: 

• Letters to Delegates: https://bit.ly/4ksUkw0  
• Letter to UN Special Rapporteur: https://bit.ly/3QcsXbG 

Photo Credit:

• Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.