The tobacco epidemic is a global challenge demanding concerted global and national action. Recognizing that globalization is accelerating the epidemic's spread and perceiving the limits of national action to contain a public health problem with transnational dimensions, Member States of the World Health Organization negotiated and adopted a unique public health treaty for tobacco control. Today, the WHO FCTC contains the blueprint for coordinated global action to address one of the most significant risks to health. Every day, across the world, people make improvements in health as a direct benefit of information and communication technologies (ICT). eHealth innovations like electronic health records computer-assisted prescription systems and clinical databases are transforming health today, and hold even greater promise for the future. ICT support, clinical care, provide health information to the general public and scientific information to professionals. They provide a platform for publishing, disseminating health alerts and supporting administrative functions. The World Health Organization's (WHO) strategy on eHealth focuses on strengthening health systems in countries; fostering public-private partnerships in ICT research and development for health; supporting capacity building for eHealth application in Member States; and the development and use of norms and standards. Success in these areas is predicated on a fifth strategic direction: investigating, documenting and analyzing the impact of eHealth and promoting better understanding by disseminating information. To that end WHO undertook a global survey on eHealth with which to garner baseline data on the current state of eHealth. Executed between mid-2005 and mid-2006, it represents the first attempt to examine eHealth from a regional as well as global perspective. Developed and implemented by the Global Observatory for eHealth (GOe), the survey focused on processes and outcomes in key eHealth action lines previously identified by the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) which are supported by WHO as an overall framework for action. Given that this survey was the first of its kind, the Observatory was greatly encouraged by the number of Member States that responded. Over 700 informants from 112 countries provided their expert knowledge (nearly 60% of the WHO Member States representing approximately 80% of the world's population).