15WCTOH: Singapore 2012!!

Singapore has been selected to host the 15WCTOH after three years from now. Singapore has been selected because of its unbeaatble struggle to fight diseases and other social problems including related to tobacco use.

14WCTOH: Bloomberg Awards Panama, Thailand, Mexico and Nigeria

A SECOND day of the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (14WCTOH) has ended by four organizations in four countries receiving Bloomberg awards for their exemplary commitments to tobacco control. The organizations are:Coalición Panameña contra el Tabaquismo (COPACET) of Panama, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)of Thailand, Secretaría de Salud Ciudad de México of Mexico and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth of Nigeria (ERA/FEN). Each award includes financial support for a continued tobacco control activities. Bloomberg awards are initiatives by the Bloomberg Philanthropy Foundation and its partners on fighting global tobacco related public health problems. The awards were presented by the Deputy Mayor of New York, Patricia E. Harris on behalf of the Lord Mayor, Michael Bloomberg. However, Mayor Bloomberg spoke to the audience through a video link.

WCTOH conference inaugurated today

Mumbai, 08 March 2009 – The fourteenth World Conference on Tobacco or Health has been inaugurated today by the Honourable Shri S. C. Jamir, Governor of Maharastra.

The Director General of World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan addressed the ceremony through a video link. Other VIPs in attendance were Indian Minister of Health and Government officials.

Watch a video of Indian Navy Band playing Raag Kaag "Emathan" during the opening ceremony of 14WCTOH.

Arrived in Mumbai

I have arrived in Mumbai since yesterday 6th March 2009. It is a nice city with a lot of stories to tell. Driving between 35 and 40 km away from BOM airport to the Central Business District (CBD), I must say Mumbai is the largest city I have ever visited.


Tomorrow, 8th March 2009, I will attend and make presentation in a pre-conference on Research to reduce tobacco-related inequalities organized by the Tobacco Research network on Disparities (TReND). Later during the evening the main conference is expected to be inagurated by Her Excellence Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the President of India .

Tobacco Control Initiave: the reasons I have endorsed it

Between 8 and 12 March 2009, scientists, researchers, politicians, journalists, health specialists and many other professionals would meet in Mumbai, India for the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (14th WCTOH). The meeting will be preceeded by a number of pre-conferences on specific themes and other networking sessions on 8th March 2009 before official opening ceremony. It is expected that more than 1500 participants from more than 114 countries in the world will attend.


I am invited to attend the pre-conference about tobacco research on health disparities organized by the Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND). I will also attend the main conference. I may be blogging on specific issues related to conflicting policy objectives of improving health and the environment while promoting tobacco at the same time especially with special focus to Tanzania.

I am endorsing the campaign for tobacco control because if its effects on the environment, health and other socio-economic consequences both in growing areas and beyond.