Starting from October 1, the Public Health and Reform Center (PHRC) of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan implemented the "Development of the National Strategy for Tobacco Control in Azerbaijan" project with the support of the US Bloomberg Initiative Fund and coordination by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union). The year-long project was conducted under the leadership of PHRC together with such partners as the Azerbaijan Health Communications Association and the Center for Communication Programs of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University.

The main goal of the project was the development of the National Strategy on Tobacco Control, which will be used as the main document for strengthening tobacco control in Azerbaijan. To achieve the set goal, the implementation of several main tasks was envisaged:

• increasing the tobacco control capabilities of representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the media through trainings;
• creation of the Tobacco Control Network, consisting of governmental and non-governmental organizations, and support of their activities in this field;
• development and presentation for approval in the relevant governmental structures of the National Strategy for Tobacco Control.

Within the framework of the project, the main goal was achieved and several significant events were held.

Thus, on December 14, 2009, the First National Conference on was held with the participation of relevant experts and representatives of governmental, international and non-governmental organizations. The representative of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Dmitriy Medlev and professor of the Turkish University of Hadjitepe in Ankara Nazmi Bilir participated in the conference. At the Conference with the signing of the Declaration, it was announced the creation of the National Tobacco Control Coalition. The main purpose of the creation of the Coalition was to unite the efforts of governmental, international, non-governmental organizations, individual citizens, and the entire Azerbaijani society in the tobacco control activities, which has been declared an epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has turned into a dangerous problem in the public health field in the modern world. and also in order to achieve public support for the events conducted in this direction by the executive bodies.

In the Public Health and Reforms Center, regular meetings were held with representatives of governmental, international, non-governmental organizations that are members of the Coalition, as well as with members of the Working Group, which provide advisory services for the improvement of tobacco control policy and legislation, coordinate the activities of the project and participate in the development of the National Strategies for Tobacco Control.

As part of the project, training cycles were organized with the aim of increasing knowledge, experience and potential in the field of tobacco control. Thus, on February 8-9, 2010, a two-day training session on the topic of "Leadership and Management in the Tobacco Control" was held for representatives of various state structures in PHRC. Toker Erguder, the responsible employee of the Turkish National Tobacco Control Program of the World Health Organization, participated in the training as a trainer. On March 11-12, as well as on March 18-19, 2010, practical trainings on the topic of "Tobacco control ways" were held for representatives of a number of non-governmental organizations. All trainings were conducted based on the WHO MPOWER measures. During the trainings, the "Tobacco Control" manual, developed as part of the project, was used. Consisting of detailed information on effective methods of tobacco control, this manual was adapted to the needs of interested parties. During the development of the document, experience and international expert opinion were taken into account. About 40 representatives of the parliament, ministries, non-governmental organizations, media and public organizations participated in the trainings.

The website www.tobaccocontrol.az, created in March 2010, is aimed at wide coverage of information, events and experience in the field of tobacco control around the world and in Azerbaijan. It gives the opportunity to use existing resources and, most importantly, helps to coordinate the efforts of Coalition members.

On May 26, 2010, an event was held dedicated to the results of the drawing competition held among children aged 5-15 years on the theme of "Tobacco control". The winners of the competition were awarded diplomas and gifts. At the end of this event, which was attended by representatives of state, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as participants of the competition, their parents, children and adults, wrote their opinion and put their signatures on a white stand, joined the "Tobacco Free World" action, which takes place in many countries. On the basis of the selected drawings, posters were developed and published by PHRC within the framework of the "Development of the National Strategy for Tobacco Control in Azerbaijan" project.

As part of the project, the "WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008" and "MPOWER package consists a set of six key and most effective strategies for fighting the global tobacco epidemic" was translated into Azerbaijan language and published by the PHRC.

Since the tobacco epidemic is considered one of the most serious threats to public health, in order to once again emphasize the urgency of the problem, a round table dedicated to the World No Tobacco Day was held on May 31, 2010, on the initiative of the Committee on Social Policy in the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the topic of "Tobacco Control in National Legislation: Realities and Perspectives». Plenipotentiary representatives of the Parliament, the Ministry of Health, the Public Health and Reforms Center, relevant ministries of the Republic of Azerbaijan, other governmental, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as members of the National Tobacco Control Coalition, participated in the meeting. At the round table session, issues related to the tobacco epidemic were analyzed, as well as issues of improving the national legislation on tobacco control were discussed, the development of the National Tobacco Control Strategy for Azerbaijan with the support of the Bloomberg Initiative Fund, which defines the main directions of tobacco control, was presented, and discussions were held.

As part of the project, in connection with the fifth anniversary of the accession of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the II National Tobacco Control Conference was held on September 20, 2010 with the participation of the relevant representatives of the Parliament, governmental, international, non-governmental organizations and mass media. At the conference, targeted activities at the state level to improve legislation in the tobacco control field were discussed, WHO recommendations on tobacco control were considered, and the "National Strategy for Tobacco Control in Azerbaijan on 2011-2015" project, developed at the Public Health and Reforms Center with the support of the US Bloomberg Initiative Foundation, was presented and widely discussed, and a briefing for mass media representatives was organized. The strategy presented at the conference was developed in accordance with Article 5 of the "WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control", which was ratified by the Azerbaijani side in 2005 and highlights the main directions of tobacco control for 2011-2015, reflecting the state policy of preventing tobacco use. At the end of the conference, the National Tobacco Control Strategy project, developed on the basis of international experience, was unanimously approved by the event participants, and a decision was made to apply to the Ministry of Health for the adoption of the appropriate initiative for its approval.

As part of the project, the Public Health and Reform Center translated into Azerbaijan language and published "Guidelines for implementation of articles 5.8; 8; 11; and 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control». The purpose of the guiding principles adopted by the Convention is to fulfill the obligations arising from the Convention and to provide assistance to the Parties in targeted activities.

Despite the fact that the project " Development of the National Strategy for Tobacco Control in Azerbaijan" has been completed, the Public Health and Reforms Center together with the National Tobacco Control Coalition, governmental, international and non-governmental organizations will continue the fight against the tobacco epidemic, efforts will be made and in the future according to the approval of the Strategy and its purposeful implementation.