Preface he Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in Egypt is a nationally representative household survey of men and women aged 15 years and above. It is designed to produce internationally comparable data on tobacco use and tobacco control measures using a standardized questionnaire, sample design, data collection, aggregation and analysis procedures. In Egypt, the survey was implemented by the Ministry of Health, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) and the WHO Representative’s Office in Egypt. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO provided technical support.

GATS in Egypt used electronic data collection and transmission (with 140 handheld machines) to gather information from respondents in 880 enumeration areas from all over Egypt. This was the first time that a large-scale survey using digital technology had been conducted in Egypt. This project helped build capacity for CAPMAS to undertake national surveys in the future using this technology. This report provides the results of the 2009 GATS for Egypt. Data are presented in five chapters that address key survey findings by topics covered by the survey questionnaire including: tobacco use; cessation; second-hand smoke; tobacco economics; media; and knowledge, attitude and perceptions toward tobacco. Throughout the report, the MPOWER package (six proven tobacco control measures, developed by WHO) was incorporated into the discussion and recommendations for effective monitoring of the tobacco epidemic in Egypt. This publication includes detailed data on the tobacco epidemic in Egypt and provides opportunities for both national and internationals tobacco control partners to utilize the survey findings to improve tobacco control measures in Egypt. We hope that the effort undertaken in GATS will contribute to the continued effective interventions and increased success of tobacco control programmes in Egypt.