Fighting tobacco in Zambia

In Zambia, smoking is on the rise. One woman wants to change that. BBC global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar follows the story of Brenda Chitindi in her efforts to get tobacco control on the agenda.

As tobacco production and consumption increase in Zambia, Brenda and others are campaigning for the introduction of a Tobacco Control Bill to the nation's legislature. It is a campaign they have been fighting for over a decade. With a new government elected in 2021, could this be the moment for change?

Tulip speaks to those pressing for the bill as well as hearing the arguments against its introduction. She looks into the culture of tobacco use in Zambia and the role of tobacco companies in society. Widening her focus across the continent, Tulip uncovers the trends in tobacco production and consumption elsewhere in Africa. Countries such as Kenya have introduced stricter tobacco control measures - does this hint at what the future for Zambia might hold?

(Photo: Hand putting out a cigarette in an ashtray. Credit: Getty Images)