It is 2025, and once again Africa has a unique opportunity to pivot toward innovation and adopt lessons from Sweden’s successful cessation model to combat its smoking epidemic. Sweden recently became the first smoke-free country in Europe, thanks to its progressive approach of encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives, such as oral nicotine pouches. 

Rather than relying solely on prohibitionist policies, Sweden has embraced harm reduction by allowing these products to be legally available, regulated, and promoted as safer options. This pragmatic approach has led to one of the lowest smoking rates and tobacco-related disease burdens in the world.

Developed countries are making significant progress toward their smoke-free targets through innovative strategies, such as including the widespread availability of vaping products and nicotine pouches. By allowing these alternatives to be legally sold and regulated, countries like the UK, Sweden, and New Zealand have seen sharp declines in smoking rates, reducing the burden of tobacco-related diseases. 

In contrast, many developing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to struggle with high smoking rates due to restrictive policies, misinformation, and a lack of access to less harmful nicotine products. Instead of leveraging these proven tools to save lives, some governments maintain outdated tobacco control approaches that fail to offer smokers a safer way out—perpetuating preventable deaths and straining already overburdened healthcare systems.

As the United States scales back its funding for global public health programs, African nations will have no choice but to seek alternative sources of support to sustain critical healthcare initiatives. Historically, U.S. aid has significantly funded disease prevention, treatment, and harm reduction efforts across the continent. 

However, with shrinking budgets and shifting geopolitical priorities, we now must explore self-sustaining strategies to address pressing health concerns. One area that has been largely neglected is smoking cessation. Despite the high burden of smoking-related diseases, many African countries lack access to effective cessation programs, leaving millions of smokers without viable options to quit.

Harm reduction presents a cost-free opportunity today to save lives by shifting smokers away from deadly combustible cigarettes to less harmful alternatives. Unlike expensive pharmaceutical cessation methods, these alternatives require no government spending yet have been proven to reduce the risks associated with smoking significantly. With the right policies in place, Africa can take charge of its public health future and move towards a smoke-free generation without relying on foreign aid.