APCAT Summit Unites Asia-Pacific Cities to Tackle Tobacco, TB, AMR and NCDs
Leaders from more than 121 cities across 12 countries in the Asia and Pacific region have renewed their commitment to saving lives from preventable diseases, following the adoption of a major declaration at the 8th Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) Summit held in Jakarta.
The summit brought together mayors, governors, members of parliament and senior local government officials to address the growing burden of tobacco use, tuberculosis (TB), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), at a time when progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains off track with less than five years to 2030.
Participants highlighted that global commitments — including reducing NCDs by one-third, ending TB, implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and adopting a One Health approach to address AMR — require urgent and decisive action at sub-national level to translate policy into real public health gains.
Speaking at the summit, Dr Tara Singh Bam, Board Director of APCAT and Asia Pacific Director for Tobacco Control at Vital Strategies, warned that preventable deaths continue to undermine development across the region.
“Tobacco use, NCDs, TB and AMR are costing millions of lives and draining economies. Tobacco alone costs the global economy about US$2 trillion annually. Strong local leadership is essential to turn commitments into measurable outcomes and prevent avoidable illness and premature deaths,” Dr Bam said.
The APCAT alliance, established in 2016, has grown into a powerful platform for local governments to drive public health action. Indonesia’s Vice Minister for Home Affairs, Dr Bima Arya Sugiarto, who previously served as Mayor of Bogor and led APCAT for nearly a decade, said local governments are on the frontline of public health protection.
“Our challenge is not only reducing tobacco use and preventable diseases, but also confronting tobacco industry interference. Local leaders must be equipped to enforce regulations and protect communities from aggressive marketing tactics,” Dr Bima Arya said.
He called for harmonised public health regulations across global, national and local levels, stressing the need to move beyond declarations to concrete action. He urged leaders to collaborate, co-create solutions, innovate against industry tactics and nurture new leadership within APCAT.
Myanmar’s Deputy Director General for Disease Control, Dr Kyaw Kan Kaung, shared his country’s experience in implementing standardised plain packaging for tobacco products. Despite repeated delays caused by tobacco industry interference, Myanmar fully enforced the regulation in October 2025, after first announcing it in 2021.
“Our experience shows that national policies must be matched with strong coordination and support at sub-national level to ensure effective implementation,” Dr Kaung said.
At the close of the summit, delegates endorsed the 8th APCAT Summit 2026 Declaration, committing to strengthen tobacco and nicotine control policies, advocate for higher taxes on unhealthy commodities, safeguard public policy from industry interference, integrate tobacco control into TB and NCD prevention, and adopt One Health approaches to build resilient and healthy cities.
Organised by APCAT and Vital Strategies, in collaboration with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, the Jakarta Provincial Government and international partners, the summit reaffirmed the critical role of local governments in accelerating progress towards healthier, safer and more sustainable communities across the Asia-Pacific region.
