The role of principled engagement in public health policymaking: the case of Zambia's prolonged efforts to develop a comprehensive tobacco control policy.

Efforts to develop a comprehensive tobacco control policy in Zambia will require addressing challenges such as disagreements, communication, and leadership at engagement level across interested sectors. We further argue that principled engagement has a greater role to play in unlocking these efforts and should therefore be embraced by those entrusted to lead the process to develop tobacco policy in Zambia.