Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) presents awards to key people and/or organizations that have made valuable contributions to tobacco control and have helped make World No Tobacco Day and its theme a great success. These awards are an expression of WHO's appreciation of the great time and effort that these contributors have invested in the campaigns, as well as in fighting tobacco.
This year, one WHO Director-General special award and four World No Tobacco Day awards were presented.
WHO Director-General special award:
King Abdallah Ibn Abdel-Aziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Arabia
World No Tobacco Day awards:
Dr Seyed Moa Alavian, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Islamic Republic of Iran
Dr Malek Ayed Habashneh, Director of Health Promotion and Protection, Jordan
Dr Kifah Al Kassar, Lebanese Association of Pulmonology, Lebanon
Pakistan International Airlines under Mr Ahmed Saeed, Pakistan
These individuals and/or organizations actively participated in endorsing and pushing forward certain tobacco control-related measures in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in particular 100% smoke-free environments. They also contributed to campaigns targeted at raising awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke, and promoting the importance of tobacco-free public places.
