The Second Study on WHO MPOWER Tobacco Control Scores in Eastern Mediterranean Countries Based on the 2013 Report: Improvements over Two Years

Background: Following MPOWER s 2011 report, a study was conducted to quantify the implementation of MPOWER tobacco control policies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) in 2013 to assess any possible change during the last two years. Methods: In this cross sectional study, based on 10 categories mentioned in MPOWER 2013, a checklist was designed and its scor- ing was agreed upon by Iranian and international tobacco control specialists. Seven questions were scored from 0 - 4 and 3 from 0 - 3. The 22 countries were ranked by their total score on a scale of 0 to 37. Results: Among the 22 countries in the EMR, Iran, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Gaza and Jordan were scored 31, 28, 28, 26, 25 and 25 respectively. 14 countries scored more than 50%, a small improvement; 5 countries have seen their scores fall, and three countries received the same score as last time. The highest overall improvement was attributed to the warning label, and the sharpest decline was observed in the consumption category. Conclusion: There has been a slight overall improvement in tobacco control planning, although the desired levels have yet to be reached and some countries in the region have fared worse.