Mike Bloomberg delivers remarks at the launch of the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic

As per World Health Organization (WHO) Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2017, launched at the United Nations on July 19, 2017, several countries have implemented tobacco control policies, ranging from graphic pack warnings and advertising bans to no smoking areas.

• The report has been funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
• Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies is WHO Global Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases.

Highlights of WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2017:

• As per the report, currently, about 4.7 billion people – 63% of the world’s population – are covered by at least one comprehensive tobacco control measure, which has quadrupled since 2007 when only 1 billion people and 15% of the world’s population were covered.
• However,tobacco industry continues to hamper government efforts to fully implement life- and cost-saving interventions.
• One third of countries have comprehensive systems to monitor tobacco use. This is up from one quarter of countries monitoring tobacco use in 2007.
• It has been mentioned in the report that Nepal, India and the Philippines are among countries that conducted WHO-backed initiatives to monitor tobacco use and then implemented measures to protect people from tobacco.
• India launched a nationwide tobacco cessation programme and toll-free quit line in 2016 after conducting a “global adult tobacco survey” in 2009–10 that revealed high interest among almost 1 in 2 smokers and users of smokeless products to quit eventually.
• Report outlines that one in 10 deaths around the world is caused by tobacco, but that can be changed through MPOWER tobacco control measures, which have proven highly effective.

About MPOWER:

MPOWER comprise country-level measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, as ratified by the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Components of MPOWER are as follows:

• Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
• Protect people from tobacco smoke
• Offer help to quit tobacco use
• Warn about the dangers of tobacco
• Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
• Raise taxes on tobacco

Quick Facts about World Health Organization (WHO):

WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health.

• It was established on April 7, 1948.
• Headquarters of WHO is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the current Director General of WHO.