Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes individuals or organizations in each of its six regions for their outstanding work in tobacco control.
Six organizations in the Western Pacific Region have been given the 2021 World No Tobacco Day Award in recognition of their important contributions:
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health: Deadly Choices, Australia
The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health launched the “Deadly Choices” programme to address high rates of indigenous smoking. Focusing on indigenous identity and culture, the programme motivates behaviour change among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices, including quitting tobacco. The multifaceted programme involves high-profile ambassadors, sports club partnerships, school programmes, community events and social media campaigns. With the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been using online platforms to promote cessation messages and to widen their reach through social media. Since 2004, the programme has contributed to a 10% reduction in the daily smoking rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
Qinhuangdao Municipal People’s Government, China
The Qinhuangdao Municipal People’s Government has implemented a comprehensive tobacco control programme encompassing legislation, enforcement, communication campaigns, research and smoking cessation services, with involvement from multisectoral stakeholders and communities. The Tobacco Control Act also bans smoking and vaping in public places and all forms of tobacco advertising. The Act also created the first smoke-free beach in China. Local smoking cessation services, including cessation clinics and mobile chat groups, were established to support smokers to quit. They also launched the “Quit and Win” contest to promote tobacco cessation.
Mr Han Kosal, Deputy Governor, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia
Mr Han Kosal has demonstrated his leadership in strengthening and promoting tobacco control not just in the province, but also among his fellow subnational leaders. As the lead of the committee on tobacco control in the province, he advocated a multisectoral approach and led the establishment of a local coordination mechanism for enforcement and knowledge sharing. In different national events, he called on other subnational leaders to take stronger actions to fight tobacco. Mr Han also engages with partners from non-health sectors to ensure their support and build their capacity in implementing tobacco control. As part of the COVID-19 response, he worked with the Provincial Department of Health to integrate tobacco control messages in the pandemic-related communication efforts, has engaged with media to disseminate the messages and has encouraged health facilities to provide cessation support.
Ministry of Health, Cambodia
The Ministry of Health has demonstrated its strong commitment to tobacco control by establishing an interdisciplinary coordination mechanism, conducting capacity-building and communication campaigns, and adopting legislation and enforcement. The Ministry’s advocacy campaign focuses on pictorial health warnings, tax increases, enforcement of smoking and advertising bans, and promotion of cessation during the pandemic. The Ministry of Health has taken strong actions in enforcing the country’s tobacco control laws and policies. In 2020, the Ministry filed a case before the court against four tobacco firms for violating the tobacco advertising, promotion, sponsorship and pictorial health warning laws. This was the first litigation case in the history of tobacco control in Cambodia.
Dr Francisco Duque III, Secretary of Health
Dr Rolando Enrique Domingo, Director General of Food and Drug Administration, Philippines
Joint efforts from the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, led by Secretary Francisco Duque III and Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo, respectively, have resulted in the enactment of several tobacco laws. These include imposing excise taxes on electronic nicotine delivery systems and heated tobacco products, requiring graphic health warnings, raising the access age to 21, and restricting flavours of these products. The two officials also supported additional protocols to ban smoking in public places, designated smoking areas during the pandemic, made the national quit line toll-free and scaled up virtual cessation training modules.
Samoa Cancer Society
The Samoa Cancer Society has made important contributions in advancing tobacco control in Samoa. The organization has played a key role in raising awareness on the impact of cigarette butt litter on health and the environment, engaged youth to protect them from industry manipulation and prevention of tobacco and nicotine use, and promoted existing cessation services in the country. The Society’s advocacy work also facilitated closing some of the gaps in the Tobacco Control Act around restrictions on tobacco sales and promotion and e-cigarettes through an amendment in 2019. The Samoa Cancer Society is one of only two civil society representatives on the National Tobacco Control Committee, a multisectoral coordinating mechanism established by the 2019 amendments.
The fight against tobacco is an ongoing battle. These institutions and individuals have implemented important initiatives to combat tobacco use, protect people’s health and support the Western Pacific Region in its goal of becoming a healthy, tobacco-free region.