PAKISTAN has been chosen for the regional winner of the ‘World No Tobacco Day 2021 Award’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in recognition of its anti-tobacco campaign in the past decade.
The WHO’s regional office for the eastern Mediterranean said the award will be presented to Pakistan’s ministry of national health services on the 'World No Tobacco Day' on May 31, Dawn newspaper reported on Monday (24).
The health ministry said in a statement in Islamabad that the WHO recognised Pakistan’s policy initiatives to progressively reduce the consumption of tobacco across the country.
“Pakistan has grabbed the global award after the significant work on tobacco control through policymaking as the country has set a target of reducing the number of persons consuming tobacco products by up to 30 per cent by 2025,” the statement said.
Monitoring cells are formed at district levels under the tobacco-smoke free city project as part of the campaign to reduce the consumption of tobacco, the statement said on Monday (24).
Pakistan has also made 304 localities and parks smoke-free in 12 districts, becoming the world’s first country to declare smoke-free public parks, the statement said.
However, the government of prime minister Imran Khan also came in for criticism for not enforcing a pictorial health warning on cigarette packs which has been due for almost a year.
