Both WHO and the governments of Mexico and Pakistan recognised The Union for its contributions to achieving tobacco control in line with the WHO–Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on World No Tobacco Day, 31 May.

 

The Union and its grantees received recognition for contributions to tobacco control from the World Health Organization and the governments of Mexico and Pakistan on World No Tobacco Day this year.

 

The World Health Organization gave World No Tobacco Day awards to Union technical advisor Fiona Godfrey for her work on behalf of the Europe Region and to a Union grantee, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance (FCAP) from the Philippines, on behalf the Western Pacific Region.

In recognition of The Union's role as a leading public health organisation in Mexico, President Felipe Calderón invited Mirta Molinari, Director of The Union Mexico Office, to give a speech at a special World No Tobacco Day event at the Presidential House in Mexico City. The Union was also recognised by the Ministry of Health in Pakistan for its support of tobacco control there.

The past year has given The Union and its grantees much to celebrate. Across all regions, The Union's work has had an impact on the progress of tobacco control in line with the World Health Organization–Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), this year's World No Tobacco Day theme.

Recent legislative highlights include:

•  Smokefree legislation has been passed in China, Pakistan and Argentina.
• On the eve of World No Tobacco Day, Harbin, China approved smokefree legislation that will ban smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces in that city.
• In Pakistan, Islamabad is also leading smokefree initiatives by announcing a total ban on smoking.
• And, in Argentina, the government announced that the whole country will go smokefree, which is in large part due to effective coalition building.

World No Tobacco Day activities

Union grantees around the world marked World No Tobacco Day with a wide variety of activities, including a Run for Fun Lung in Manila, organised by FCAP and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians; and letter writing campaigns and rallies in support of tobacco control in India planned by HRIDAY.

The Union supports more than 30 low- and middle-income countries with grants from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use that help them fulfil their obligations as parties to the FCTC. The announcements on or around World No Tobacco Day have concluded a year in which many countries have made significant progress towards increased tobacco control legislation.

For more about The Union's tobacco control activities and resources, please visit www.tobaccofreeunion.org