Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) is a Brazilian public research institute affiliated with the Ministry of Health. It is one of the most important health, science, and technology institutions in Latin America, and its mission is to produce, disseminate and share knowledge and technologies.

Since its foundation in 1900, Fiocruz has been dedicated to responding to the most common health issues that affect the Brazilian population. 

The Foundation is present in all of the Brazilian regions, with offices in 10 states, and has an international office in Maputo, Mozambique. 

Fiocruz has maintained a strong international presence through cooperation and exchange with other health, science and technology institutions and international agencies in more than 50 countries. It enjoys recognition by the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization. Seven Collaborating Centers have been designated at Fiocruz in the PAHO/WHO international network, confirming the Foundation’s excellence in global health.

The Center for Studies on Tobacco or Health (CETAB) is housed in Fiocruz, in the Sergio Arouca National Public Health School (ENSP).

It was established in 2012 as part of Fiocruz’s response to Brazil’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) growing concerns and has since then participated as a partner in the implementation of the WHO FCTC in international initiatives to curb the tobacco epidemic. 

It develops studies and provides training opportunities aimed at supporting policy-making decisions on tobacco use and other NCDs risk factors. It has particularly focused on topics related to health, labor, and social aspects of tobacco production (with emphasis on tobacco growing) including the environmental impacts of tobacco.

One of its areas of work is the Observatory on the Tobacco Industry Strategies, which monitors interference attempts of the tobacco industry in public health policies.

CETAB provides a number of regular in-person training courses in tobacco control, emphasizing how a tobacco growing country addresses the tobacco epidemic. Furthermore, it has experience with e-learning tools (community of practices) particularly focusing on enforcement of tobacco control legislation and regulatory approaches. 

Since 2020, CETAB serves as the Knowledge Hub for Articles 17 and 18 of the WHO FCTC.