Tobacco use is an epidemic in Jordan. As a key risk factor for major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which account for nearly 80 percent of all deaths in Jordan—including cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease—tobacco use is one of Jordan’s biggest public health threats. Every year tobacco use kills 9,027 Jordanians. 56 percent of these deaths are considered premature deaths, meaning they occur in individuals under age 70. Each year, tobacco use causes JOD 1.6 billion in total economic losses, the equivalent of 6 percent of GDP in 2015.

The investment case findings demonstrate that enacting and enforcing WHO FCTC interventions would, over the next 15 years save around 47,500 lives (3,170 lives annually), avoid JOD 6.5 billion in economic losses, and lead to JOD 843.8 million (JOD 56.3 million annually) in savings through avoidance of smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures. The recommendations would provide economic benefits (JOD 6.5 billion) that significantly outweigh the implementation cost (JOD 26.4 million). Each of the WHO FCTC recommended measures is highly cost-effective with a total return on investment (ROI) of JOD 1: 247 for the whole package implementation.

This tobacco control investment case was developed jointly by UNDP, the WHO FCTC Secretariat, WHO and the Ministry of Health as part of the FCTC 2030 project.