BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: It is a relatively easy matter to start an alliance or coalition. The bigger challenge is to sustain it over a lengthy period and to be able to work together to achieve important tobacco control goals.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: The Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) was founded in 1999. Fortuitously the first major activity was a success: countering a major advertising campaign of British American Tobacco, the Voyage of Discovery. Since then, BATA has successfully worked together to advocate for a comprehensive tobacco control law and to work on its enforcement from the local to national level across the country. More recently, BATA is making strides towards the achievement of greater attention and (we hope) funding for health promotion.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: In order to survive for 25 years, BATA had to overcome challenges and learn lessons about how to sustain an alliance and creative positive opportunities for collaboration, while continually working to overcome personal conflicts, professional jealousies, and other common challenges to alliances. Another challenge has been, ironically, the influx of significant funding into tobacco control. Initially BATA members were working voluntarily. With the presence of funding came the question of who deserved such funding. It is more difficult to enlist voluntary help when people are distracted by fulfilling the requirements of funded projects. Competition, rather than cooperation, is also intrinsic in the funding mechanism.
CONCLUSIONS: Alliances create tremendous opportunities to influence governments towards strong tobacco control action. But alliances also require a significant investment of time and resources. If those resources are not invested, and if various challenges and conflicts are not addressed in a timely fashion, they can easily fail. When properly nursed, coalitions can become a powerful force for good. BATA is an example of the kinds of strategies that can prove useful in maintaining a strong and effective alliance.