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14th
World Conference on “Tobacco or Health”
The 14th
World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) was held in Mumbai from March 8 -12. The theme of the triennial
event, an important forum for international collaboration on tobacco control,
was “Multi-sectoral Approach to Tobacco
Control: Policies, Partners, Pathways and People”.
Over 2,000 tobacco
control advocates, educators, researchers and renowned scientists from 108
countries shared tobacco control experiences at the event hosted by the
Healis Sekhsaria
Institute for Public Health, Act India and Salaam Bombay Foundation; and
supported by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Maharashtra
Government, WHO and other partners and agencies.
A video message from WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan
expressing concern and commitment for tobacco control was shared at the
conference inaugurated by the Maharashtra Governor Mr S.C. Jamir. The Union
Minister of Health, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss; Maharashtra’s
Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Jayant
Patil; WHO Deputy Director General, Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah; Director of
the Salaam Bombay Foundation, Ms. Padmini Somani; and Director of the Healis
Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Dr. P.C.
Gupta, were among those who participated in the conference.
The third edition of
‘The Tobacco Atlas’ was launched. The authors of the Tobacco Atlas,WHO
Representative to India, Dr.S.J.
Habayeb; Director of the Healis Sheksaria Institute for Public Health, Dr Gupta;
the World Lung Foundation’s Mr
Peter Baldini and the
American Cancer Society’s Dr. John Seffrinwere present at the launch.
The
‘India Hour’ session highlighted achievements in the area of tobacco control
and the challenges faced in implementing tobacco control measures.
At an exhibition on tobacco control
initiatives, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare displayed
posters describing the tobacco control laws and the disease burden due to
tobacco. Anti-tobacco video spots creating awareness on harmful effects of
tobacco and passive smoking, were also screened.
Dr.
K.S. Reddy, President of the Public Health Foundation of India, was conferred
the Luther Terry Awards for Outstanding Individual Leadership on tobacco
control during the Luther Terry and the Bloomberg Initiative Awards
presentation at the WCTOH.
Link for WCTOH website: http://www.14wctoh.org/
Ahead of the WCTOH, a pre-conference on Global Youth Meet
on Tobacco Control (GYM, 2009) was organized on March 6- 7 by the Salaam
Bombay Foundation (SBF) in collaboration with HRIDAY (Health Related
Information Dissemination Amongst Youth).
About 140 delegates
from 27 countries and seven states of India participated in the conference
which had two themes - ‘Promoting Smoke-Free Environments’ and ‘Ban on
Tobacco Advertisement and Promotion’.
On March 10th youth
delegates organized a walkathon to promote public support and greater
government action for ensuring effective implementation of smoke-free rules.
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