WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Surveillance
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) functions as WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Surveillance, and works to promote the implementation of Article 20 of the WHO FCTC.
The Knowledge Hub supports the Parties to the Convention in their implementation of the WHO FCTC in areas of tobacco surveillance and health-in-all-policies approach.
THL has long experience in public health, including non-communicable disease control and prevention, and promotion of epidemiological surveillance and health-in-all-policies approach. Finland renders strong and long-standing support to the implementation of the WHO FCTC. The Convention was ratified in Finland in 2005.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Knowledge Hub at THL was signed by the Convention Secretariat and THL in December 2013. The Knowledge Hub at THL became operational in 2015.
The Knowledge Hub at THL is one of the eight hubs that serve as collaborative partners to the Convention Secretariat. The Knowledge Hubs analyze, synthesize and disseminate knowledge and information to the Parties to the Convention, and provide assistance to Parties in the implementation of the treaty. The Knowledge Hubs work on matters under their expertise in relation to the Convention, in accordance with Article 22 of the FCTC (Cooperation in the scientific, technical, and legal fields and provision of related expertise).
The Knowledge Hubs are global in the scope of their work, and their work goes beyond the boundaries of the hosting countries, sub-regions and regions. The Knowledge Hub at THL is the only one in Europe, yet the tasks are global.
Parties that wish to receive assistance from the Knowledge Hubs in the respective areas of work should contact the Convention Secretariat fctcsecretariat@who.int. The Convention Secretariat will then coordinate with the relevant hub, and other partners if appropriate, to arrange for the required assistance to the Party.
More information about the WHO FCTC Secretariat's Knowledge Hubs is available on the WHO FCTC website.
To find out more about the implementation and requirements of Article 20 of the WHO FCTC, please visit our Article 20 website.
About THL
We are an independent expert agency working under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. We serve various parties: the government, municipal and provincial decision-makers, actors in the social welfare and health sector, organisations, the research community, and the public.
THL is one of Finland’s most internationally networked research organisations. We are a preferred partner in domestic and international research with more than 800 articles published in scientific journals each year. Half of these are international joint articles.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is responsible for tobacco control monitoring and research on tobacco-related harms and their prevention in Finland. We provide expertise for the development and evaluation of tobacco control policies and facilitate systematic approach to advancing tobacco control with strategies and roadmaps. In 2010, Finland pioneered globally by setting the tobacco endgame as the objective of the Tobacco Act. The aim is to achieve less that 5% of daily tobacco and nicotine use in the general population by 2030.
Read more of tobacco control monitoring in Finland
Further information about THL and its functions and activities is available on THL's international website.