International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Report on illicit tobacco trade published by The Union released

A report published by The Union was released this week for the opening of the third intergovernmental negotiating body on the Protocol on the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (INB-3) in Geneva. “How Eliminating the Global Illicit Cigarette Trade Would Increase Tax Revenue and Save Lives” states that if illicit trade were eliminated, governments would gain, in principle immediately, at least US $33 billion; and from 2030 onwards save over 160,000 lives a year. This will be in combination with the resulting overall increase in cigarette price of 3.9 percent and a consequent fall in consumption of 2.0 percent. In just six years over a million lives would be saved, the vast majority of them in middle- and low- income countries. To download the report here.

More than 530 delegates attend 17th Africa Region Conference

The 17th Union Africa Region Conference on 24-26 June in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso attracted the participation of more than 530 delegates from 33 countries. Under the very high patronage of His Excellency Blaise Compaoré, President of Faso, and the Chairmanship of Seydou Bouda, Minister of Health, the conference offered three days of well-attended sessions and, according to participants, a rich scientific content. Read more ...

Applications open for the 2009 Union Awards

Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Union Scientific Award and the Karel Styblo Public Health Prize. New guidelines have been developed for these annual awards, which will be presented at the 40th World Conference on Lung Health in Cancún, Mexico, on 4 December 2009. For details and application forms, please click here.