WHO lauds Pakistan's efforts to tighten reins on tobacco use

The World Health Organization (WHO) lauded Pakistan’s outstanding performance in terms of tightening the reins on tobacco use and conferred an award to the country for the same.

The award, which was announced by the organisation last year on World No-Tobacco Day, has been formally handed over to the government of Pakistan.

Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) Director General Dr Rana Safdar received the award.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Safdar said that the World Health Organisation has recognised Pakistan's achievements in controlling the use of tobacco.

According to the WHO, Pakistan has done an extraordinary job in terms of prioritising policies and plans to curb tobacco use in the country, as envisaged in the global action plan.

In this regard, stakeholders were mobilised to develop a national strategy and a number of interventions ranging from raising awareness to issuing pictorial warnings to healthy and tobacco-free districts and institutions. In addition, a further tax was also imposed on tobacco to deter its use.

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“We still have a long way to go and are constantly working with national and international partners to reduce the risks associated with it,” Safdar underscored.

Similarly, the exceptional services and performance of Dr Minhaj Esraj, head of Tobacco Control Institute, were also appreciated.

Dr Esraj's name has been placed at the second spot in the Global Tobacco Control Leadership list.

Dr Safdar shared that plans to make universities, public places, bus stops, parks and markets smoke-free in the country are running successfully, while plans to make the federal capital Islamabad smoke-free are also underway.