Global tobacco surveillance system data (GTSSData): A new interactive web application

Background: Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. Currently, approximately 5.4 million people die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses—a figure expected to increase to more than 8 million a year by 2030.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's, Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Global Tobacco Surveillance and the technical agency for the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS).

Methods: In 2012, CDC OSH's Global Tobacco Control Branch released a new interactive Web application, the Global Tobacco Surveillance System Data or GTSSData. GTSSData provides a single access point and consistent approach to view data from four tobacco-related surveys, across 20 key tobacco control measures including WHO's MPOWER package, for over 120 countries.

Results: GTSSData allows the OSH to make timely data and document updates which support countries' capacities to monitor tobacco use, guide national tobacco prevention and control programs, and facilitate comparison of tobacco related data at all levels. GTSS includes data on youth, adults and special populations collected using global standards. GTSS fills a significant data gap on the leading preventable cause of death globally.

Conclusions: In partnership with WHO, CDC, and others the GTSS monitors trends in tobacco prevalence, consumption, attitudes, and actions globally. The new GTSSData web application serves as a critical part of CDC OSH's mission to share information, provide a centralized data resource, and streamline communications among partner organizations and survey countries.