The World Health
Organization’s No Tobacco unit, Department of Health Promotion, in partnership
with the WHO Western Pacific and
South-East Asia Regional Offices, is conducting
a pivotal leadership programme on
Tobacco Control for WHO Representatives heading country offices.
The intensive two-day programe for 12 WHO Representatives from 12
countries across the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, is aimed at strengthening
efforts in countries to reduce tobacco
use and its health impacts. The programme was opened today by Dr Susy Mercado,
Director Programme Management, WPRO and Dr Thaksaphon (Mek) Thamarangsi,
Director Programme Management, SEARO in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The programme aims to deepen understanding of policies, evidence,
and strategies to advance tobacco control efforts. It also covers how these
efforts can be leveraged to address other noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk
factors, such as alcohol consumption and unhealthy diets.
As heads of WHO Country Offices, the WHO Representatives (WRs) are
the organization’s ambassadors, public health leaders, and champions at the
country level. Their role is crucial in engaging with a range of government and
non-state actors, including civil society, media and academia. The Executive
Programme is designed to address the broad and evolving challenges faced by WRs
in their respective countries, with a focus on tobacco control.
The objective is to share experience, best practices and
challenges in addressing the biggest public health needs in country context,
including actions largely outside the health sector. WRs will be supported in
sharing best practices and approaches for engaging with other branches of the
Executive (Finance, Trade, Industry, Agriculture, and Customs), as well as
parliamentarians and society in general, including civil society organizations
and the media.
Engaging global experts, the programme seeks to generate
innovative solutions to advance tobacco control efforts, foster partnerships to
accelerate the goal of achieving a tobacco-free future, share successful
strategies and experiences from the SEARO and WPRO regions and beyond, and
develop actionable strategies to address commercial determinants of health that
contribute to NCDs.
WRs from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Lao
PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines and Viet Nam will be joined by the
respective Directors of Programme Management from SEARO and WPRO. Renowned
global and regional experts from WHO technical units, the Global Health
Advocacy Incubator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Southeast Asia Tobacco
Control Alliance (SEATCA), School of Global Studies at Thammasat University,
Bangladesh Network for NCD Control and Prevention (BNNCP), Minassian Media, and
Marathon Strategies are also participating in the programme.
With tobacco control being linked with several Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) and the 2030 deadline for achieving SDG Target 3a to
strengthen the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control fast approaching, WHO is seizing this opportunity to equip 12 heads of
WHO Country Offices to ensure all possible support to countries in advancing
the tobacco control agenda along with overall support for Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) achievement.
For more information, please contact: WHO Department of Health
Promotion, No Tobacco Unit
Email: prasadvi@who.int