Nadda conferred WHO Director-General’s Spl Recognition Award for global tobacco control

08 June, New Delhi

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda was conferred the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award for global tobacco control, here Thursday.

The global recognition was presented to him by Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia at the ‘National Consultation on Accelerating Implementation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for achievement of SDGs’.

Conferring the award, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia said, ”Nadda has accelerated India’s tobacco control initiatives and taken bold measures to protect people against multiple health, economic, social and development hazards of tobacco use.”

Noting that more than 100 million lives had been lost to tobacco in the 20th century, she stressed on tobacco control at the initial stages and that the focus should be on youngsters.

Accepting the award, Nadda said it was in recognition of the collective endeavour of the ministry, members of the NGO, social activists, civil society organisations and many more who are not present here, but were contributing to this cause day in and day out in their own ways across the country.

“Tobacco is a prime driver of poverty and it affects the family as a whole, the community and the country and requires a multisectoral approach to control it. It has rightly been identified as a development issue. I am happy that tobacco users have reduced by 81 lakhs and youth consumption of tobacco sees marked decrease”, Nadda further stated.