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Call for pictorial warnings on tobacco packs

29 MAY 2009 | GENEVA —
WHO today urged governments to require that all tobacco packages include pictorial warnings to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use.

WHO’s call to action comes on the eve of World No Tobacco Day, 31 May. This year’s campaign focuses on decreasing tobacco use by increasing public awareness of its dangers.

Studies reveal that even among people who believe tobacco is harmful, few understand its specific health risks. Despite this, health warnings on tobacco packages in most countries do not provide information to warn consumers of the risks.

A 2009 survey in China revealed that only 37% of smokers knew that smoking causes coronary heart disease and only 17% knew that it causes stroke. A 2003 survey in Syria found that only a small fraction of university students correctly identified cardiovascular disease as a hazard of cigarette or water pipe smoking. Research in other countries shows similar results.

The leading preventable cause of death, tobacco kills more than five million people every year. It is the only legal consumer product that kills when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer.

Effective health warnings, especially those that include pictures, have been proven to motivate users to quit and to reduce the appeal of tobacco for those who are not yet addicted. Studies carried out after the implementation of pictorial package warnings (warnings using pictures and text) in Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand reveal remarkably consistent findings on the positive impact of the warnings.

“Health warnings on tobacco packages are a simple, cheap and effective strategy that can vastly reduce tobacco use and save lives,” said WHO Assistant Director-General Dr Ala Alwan. “But they only work if they communicate the risk. Warnings that include images of the harm that tobacco causes are particularly effective at communicating risk and motivating behavioural changes, such as quitting or reducing tobacco consumption.”

Yet only 10% of the people in the world live in countries that require warnings with pictures on tobacco packages.

“In order to survive, the tobacco industry needs to divert attention from the deadly effects of its products,” said Dr Douglas Bettcher, Director of WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative. “It uses multi-million dollar promotional campaigns, including carefully crafted package designs, to ensnare new users and keep them from quitting.”

“Health warnings on tobacco packages can be a powerful tool to illuminate the stark reality of tobacco use,” Dr Bettcher added.

For more information contact:

Tim Ryan
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 5539

Mobile: +41 79 516 5601
E-mail: timothy.e.ryan@gmail.com

Timothy A. O’Leary
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 5539

Mobile: +41 79 516 5601
E-mail: olearyt@who.int

Meindert Van Hilten
Communications Officer
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 2675

Mobile: +41 79 516 5601
E-mail: vanhiltenm@who.int

Barbara Zolty
Technical Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 3982

Mobile: +41 79 330 1682
E-mail: zoltyb@who.int

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WHO awarded for international cooperation

27 MAY 2009 | GENEVA —
WHO has been given the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation. The jury for the award announced its decision today in Oviedo, Spain.

“I am deeply honoured that the World Health Organization has received the prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation for its efforts to fight against international health threats and for its leadership in coordinating health in a rapidly changing world,” said Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.

This award will serve to further inspire and motivate the entire Organization in all its locations around the world as WHO works with Member States and partners towards creating a healthier world in which the burden of disease is reduced, particularly amongst the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

“We are humbled when we see the distinguished list of people and organizations this Award has gone to in previous years. On behalf of the World Health Organization I thank the Prince of Asturias Foundation for honouring the work of the Organization, and for this recognition of the importance of global public health,” added Dr Chan.

For more information please contact:

Dr Gaya Gamhewage
Team Leader, Corporate Communications
Department of Communications
Telephone: +41 22 791 4030

Fax: +41 22 791 3111
Mobile: + 41 79 475 5563
E-mail: gamhewageg@who.int

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WHO awarded for international cooperation

27 MAY 2009 | GENEVA —
WHO has been given the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation. The jury for the award announced its decision today in Oviedo, Spain.

“I am deeply honoured that the World Health Organization has received the prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation for its efforts to fight against international health threats and for its leadership in coordinating health in a rapidly changing world,” said Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.

This award will serve to further inspire and motivate the entire Organization in all its locations around the world as WHO works with Member States and partners towards creating a healthier world in which the burden of disease is reduced, particularly amongst the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

“We are humbled when we see the distinguished list of people and organizations this Award has gone to in previous years. On behalf of the World Health Organization I thank the Prince of Asturias Foundation for honouring the work of the Organization, and for this recognition of the importance of global public health,” added Dr Chan.

For more information please contact:

Dr Gaya Gamhewage
Team Leader, Corporate Communications
Department of Communications
Telephone: +41 22 791 4030

Fax: +41 22 791 3111
Mobile: + 41 79 475 5563
E-mail: gamhewageg@who.int

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WHO, IAEA join forces to fight cancer in developing countries

26 MAY 2009 | GENEVA/VIENNA —
WHO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today announced the launch of a Joint Programme on Cancer Control, aimed at strengthening and accelerating efforts to fight cancer in the developing world.

The agreement reflects growing international concern over cancer as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cancer accounted for 7.4 million deaths in 2004 (around 13% of all deaths).

“In low- and middle-income countries, cancer overwhelmingly affects the poor. This has huge implications for human suffering, health systems, health budgets and the drive to reduce poverty,” said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, who signed the joint programme agreement with IAEA Director General Dr Mohamed ElBaradei.

If current knowledge were put into practice, at least one third of cancer cases could be prevented, another third could be detected early, treated and cured; and suffering could be alleviated through palliative care for patients with advanced cancers.

“The IAEA has long provided radiation technology and expertise to developing countries, but radiotherapy alone cannot halt the growing global cancer crisis,” said Dr ElBaradei. “The Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy was created to help build a broader, more integrated approach to cancer care and control. The joint programme with WHO underlines our conviction that only through combined effort and collaboration can we bring hope and relief to those whose lives are threatened by cancer.”

Efforts in the joint programme are focusing on six model demonstration sites (PMDS) in Albania, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Yemen. Joint efforts will also respond to requests for cancer control assessment and programme development assistance in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO and the IAEA have complementary mandates when it comes to fighting cancer. WHO is the directing and coordinating agency for health in the UN system, while the IAEA’s expertise in radiation medicine is a vital element of cancer diagnosis and cure strategies. The joint programme will provide the framework for the two organizations to dovetail their work, building on their areas of expertise to create a more coordinated and robust approach to combating cancer in low- and middle-income countries.

The formation of a WHO-IAEA joint programme began in May 2005 when the World Health Assembly adopted a far-reaching resolution (WHA58.22) in response to the dramatic increase in cancer incidence worldwide. Later that year, the IAEA established its Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) to help expand radiotherapy capacity in developing countries and build partnerships to address the huge disparities that exist in cancer care services. Since then, PACT, WHO and other key international cancer organizations have undertaken increasingly productive collaboration, working together to tackle the crisis on a broad, multidisciplinary front.

According to the terms of the agreement, the WHO-IAEA joint programme will “coordinate activities and resources supporting the development and implementation of sustainable comprehensive cancer control programmes in low- and medium-income countries.” The successful collaborations with other key international cancer organizations will continue to be a cornerstone of the joint programme.

WHO and IAEA aim to work ever more closely with partners to help develop the kind of effective, integrated national cancer control programmes (NCCPs) needed in developing countries to control cancer. Such programmes include cancer prevention, early detection, screening, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and monitoring including cancer registries. NCCPs fit in the broader WHO framework to strengthen health systems with a major focus on primary health care.

For more information contact:

WHO Department of Communications, Geneva

Thomas Abraham
Mobile: +41 79 516 3136
E-mail: abrahamt@who.int

Fadéla Chaib
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int

Gaya Gamhewage
Mobile: + 41 79 475 5563
E-mail: gamhewageg@who.int

Media inquiries
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int

printable version

WHO, IAEA join forces to fight cancer in developing countries

26 MAY 2009 | GENEVA/VIENNA —
WHO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today announced the launch of a Joint Programme on Cancer Control, aimed at strengthening and accelerating efforts to fight cancer in the developing world.

The agreement reflects growing international concern over cancer as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cancer accounted for 7.4 million deaths in 2004 (around 13% of all deaths).

“In low- and middle-income countries, cancer overwhelmingly affects the poor. This has huge implications for human suffering, health systems, health budgets and the drive to reduce poverty,” said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, who signed the joint programme agreement with IAEA Director General Dr Mohamed ElBaradei.

If current knowledge were put into practice, at least one third of cancer cases could be prevented, another third could be detected early, treated and cured; and suffering could be alleviated through palliative care for patients with advanced cancers.

“The IAEA has long provided radiation technology and expertise to developing countries, but radiotherapy alone cannot halt the growing global cancer crisis,” said Dr ElBaradei. “The Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy was created to help build a broader, more integrated approach to cancer care and control. The joint programme with WHO underlines our conviction that only through combined effort and collaboration can we bring hope and relief to those whose lives are threatened by cancer.”

Efforts in the joint programme are focusing on six model demonstration sites (PMDS) in Albania, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Yemen. Joint efforts will also respond to requests for cancer control assessment and programme development assistance in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO and the IAEA have complementary mandates when it comes to fighting cancer. WHO is the directing and coordinating agency for health in the UN system, while the IAEA’s expertise in radiation medicine is a vital element of cancer diagnosis and cure strategies. The joint programme will provide the framework for the two organizations to dovetail their work, building on their areas of expertise to create a more coordinated and robust approach to combating cancer in low- and middle-income countries.

The formation of a WHO-IAEA joint programme began in May 2005 when the World Health Assembly adopted a far-reaching resolution (WHA58.22) in response to the dramatic increase in cancer incidence worldwide. Later that year, the IAEA established its Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) to help expand radiotherapy capacity in developing countries and build partnerships to address the huge disparities that exist in cancer care services. Since then, PACT, WHO and other key international cancer organizations have undertaken increasingly productive collaboration, working together to tackle the crisis on a broad, multidisciplinary front.

According to the terms of the agreement, the WHO-IAEA joint programme will “coordinate activities and resources supporting the development and implementation of sustainable comprehensive cancer control programmes in low- and medium-income countries.” The successful collaborations with other key international cancer organizations will continue to be a cornerstone of the joint programme.

WHO and IAEA aim to work ever more closely with partners to help develop the kind of effective, integrated national cancer control programmes (NCCPs) needed in developing countries to control cancer. Such programmes include cancer prevention, early detection, screening, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and monitoring including cancer registries. NCCPs fit in the broader WHO framework to strengthen health systems with a major focus on primary health care.

For more information contact:

WHO Department of Communications, Geneva

Thomas Abraham
Mobile: +41 79 516 3136
E-mail: abrahamt@who.int

Fadéla Chaib
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int

Gaya Gamhewage
Mobile: + 41 79 475 5563
E-mail: gamhewageg@who.int

Media inquiries
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int

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More funding urged for yellow fever vaccine stockpile

26 MAY 2009 | GENEVA/PARIS/NEW YORK —
The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision is warning that the global emergency stockpile of yellow fever vaccine for the world’s most vulnerable populations in Africa is under threat.

The current stockpile will run out in 2010 and there is no funding to cover vaccination campaigns once the stockpile is depleted. Most children and adults in five of the 12 most vulnerable countries in Africa are now protected from contracting yellow fever thanks to recent vaccination campaigns.

But without further funding millions of people will still be at risk of the disease, according to public health experts.

“We have to finish the job we started or the good work that has been done will be lost,” said Dr Edward Hoekstra, UNICEF Senior Health Specialist, speaking from New York. “If the stockpile of yellow fever vaccine is allowed to run out, countries that have not yet been reached by immunization campaigns will be unfairly burdened with the disease.”

Dr William Perea, WHO coordinator for the Epidemic Readiness and Intervention said the yellow fever initiative is feeling the effects of the global financial crisis.

“As we look beyond 2009, we already see serious funding constraints. Although yellow fever vaccine production has tripled since 2001, the roll-out of the programme is limited by insufficient supply of vaccine for 2009,” said Dr Perea.

The five countries that have completed vaccination campaigns so far are Togo, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, which received funding from the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), through the GAVI Alliance. There have been no outbreaks in those countries since the vaccination campaigns were completed.

Dr Hoekstra said there is a need to further roll out the programme to protect the remaining 150 million children and adults still at risk for the disease in the region, adding that close cooperation among all partners has been effective in supporting national governments to successfully implement the vaccination campaigns.

“If we do not sustain this programme, yellow fever outbreaks will continue to affect populations who can least afford it,” said Dr Fenella Avokey of the WHO African Regional Office. “This is something we had hoped to resolve by 2015.”

Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease is endemic in forest areas and people are at greatest risk at the end of the rainy season. According to WHO estimates, 206 000 cases and 52 000 deaths occur every year.

The recent campaigns in Burkina Faso and Cameroon benefited more than 95% of the vulnerable populations targeted. Burkina Faso vaccinated 7.6 million people in 33 districts and Cameroon completed a vaccination campaign for 7.5 million people in 62 districts. Seven other African countries where the threat of yellow fever is highest are Benin, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire.

Members of the ICG, including WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), met on 12-13 May to assess recent yellow fever vaccination campaigns and discuss future actions.

For more information please contact:

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
WHO Media Officer, Geneva
Telephone: +41 79 484 2997
E-mail: bhatiaseviap@who.int

Christian Moen
UNICEF Media, New York
Telephone: +1 212 326 7516
E-mail: cmoen@unicef.org

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More funding urged for yellow fever vaccine stockpile

26 MAY 2009 | GENEVA/PARIS/NEW YORK —
The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision is warning that the global emergency stockpile of yellow fever vaccine for the world’s most vulnerable populations in Africa is under threat.

The current stockpile will run out in 2010 and there is no funding to cover vaccination campaigns once the stockpile is depleted. Most children and adults in five of the 12 most vulnerable countries in Africa are now protected from contracting yellow fever thanks to recent vaccination campaigns.

But without further funding millions of people will still be at risk of the disease, according to public health experts.

“We have to finish the job we started or the good work that has been done will be lost,” said Dr Edward Hoekstra, UNICEF Senior Health Specialist, speaking from New York. “If the stockpile of yellow fever vaccine is allowed to run out, countries that have not yet been reached by immunization campaigns will be unfairly burdened with the disease.”

Dr William Perea, WHO coordinator for the Epidemic Readiness and Intervention said the yellow fever initiative is feeling the effects of the global financial crisis.

“As we look beyond 2009, we already see serious funding constraints. Although yellow fever vaccine production has tripled since 2001, the roll-out of the programme is limited by insufficient supply of vaccine for 2009,” said Dr Perea.

The five countries that have completed vaccination campaigns so far are Togo, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, which received funding from the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), through the GAVI Alliance. There have been no outbreaks in those countries since the vaccination campaigns were completed.

Dr Hoekstra said there is a need to further roll out the programme to protect the remaining 150 million children and adults still at risk for the disease in the region, adding that close cooperation among all partners has been effective in supporting national governments to successfully implement the vaccination campaigns.

“If we do not sustain this programme, yellow fever outbreaks will continue to affect populations who can least afford it,” said Dr Fenella Avokey of the WHO African Regional Office. “This is something we had hoped to resolve by 2015.”

Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease is endemic in forest areas and people are at greatest risk at the end of the rainy season. According to WHO estimates, 206 000 cases and 52 000 deaths occur every year.

The recent campaigns in Burkina Faso and Cameroon benefited more than 95% of the vulnerable populations targeted. Burkina Faso vaccinated 7.6 million people in 33 districts and Cameroon completed a vaccination campaign for 7.5 million people in 62 districts. Seven other African countries where the threat of yellow fever is highest are Benin, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire.

Members of the ICG, including WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), met on 12-13 May to assess recent yellow fever vaccination campaigns and discuss future actions.

For more information please contact:

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
WHO Media Officer, Geneva
Telephone: +41 79 484 2997
E-mail: bhatiaseviap@who.int

Christian Moen
UNICEF Media, New York
Telephone: +1 212 326 7516
E-mail: cmoen@unicef.org

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Nancy Goodman Brinker appointed Goodwill Ambassador

26 MAY 2009 | GENEVA —
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan has appointed Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, a breast cancer foundation, as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.

As Goodwill Ambassador, Ambassador Brinker is expected to raise awareness about cancer as a global public health problem. She will also advocate for strengthening global action for cancer prevention and control in the context of the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2008. Her messages will emphasize the need for low- and middle income countries to strengthen comprehensive and evidence-based cancer control policies and programmes.

“I am very pleased to appoint Ambassador Nancy Brinker as a Goodwill Ambassador for WHO,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. “I look forward to Ambassador Brinker’s help in raising global awareness of the need for comprehensive cancer control policies. The disease burden has shifted from wealthier to less affluent countries, and her advocacy will help in building awareness in low- and middle-income countries.

Ambassador Brinker served as United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2001 to 2003 and as U.S. Chief of Protocol from 2007 to 2009. During her career as a businesswoman, consultant, health care advocate and philanthropist, she has received many awards. Ambassador Brinker has served on various boards, including Harvard University’s School of Public Health and was appointed by President Reagan to serve on the National Cancer Advisory Board at the National Cancer Institute. With former First Lady Laura Bush, Ambassador Brinker helped launch the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research in the areas of awareness-building, grassroots advocacy support, research, training, community outreach, and women’s empowerment.

On her appointment as WHO Goodwill Ambassador, Ambassador Brinker said: “I would like to thank the WHO for this great honor and opportunity. If we raise awareness about the global burden of cancer, its socioeconomic and psychological consequences on cancer patients and their families and the necessary actions for its control, we will be able to advance the global agenda in the fight against cancer. I will work diligently to effectively disseminate these messages to the world.”

For more information please contact:

WHO Department of Communications, Geneva

Thomas Abraham
Mobile: +41 79 516 3136
E-mail: abrahamt@who.int

Fadéla Chaib
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int

Gaya Gamhewage
Mobile: + 41 79 475 5563
E-mail: gamhewageg@who.int

Media inquiries
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int

printable version

Nancy Goodman Brinker appointed Goodwill Ambassador

26 MAY 2009 | GENEVA —
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan has appointed Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, a breast cancer foundation, as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.

As Goodwill Ambassador, Ambassador Brinker is expected to raise awareness about cancer as a global public health problem. She will also advocate for strengthening global action for cancer prevention and control in the context of the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2008. Her messages will emphasize the need for low- and middle income countries to strengthen comprehensive and evidence-based cancer control policies and programmes.

“I am very pleased to appoint Ambassador Nancy Brinker as a Goodwill Ambassador for WHO,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. “I look forward to Ambassador Brinker’s help in raising global awareness of the need for comprehensive cancer control policies. The disease burden has shifted from wealthier to less affluent countries, and her advocacy will help in building awareness in low- and middle-income countries.

Ambassador Brinker served as United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2001 to 2003 and as U.S. Chief of Protocol from 2007 to 2009. During her career as a businesswoman, consultant, health care advocate and philanthropist, she has received many awards. Ambassador Brinker has served on various boards, including Harvard University’s School of Public Health and was appointed by President Reagan to serve on the National Cancer Advisory Board at the National Cancer Institute. With former First Lady Laura Bush, Ambassador Brinker helped launch the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research in the areas of awareness-building, grassroots advocacy support, research, training, community outreach, and women’s empowerment.

On her appointment as WHO Goodwill Ambassador, Ambassador Brinker said: “I would like to thank the WHO for this great honor and opportunity. If we raise awareness about the global burden of cancer, its socioeconomic and psychological consequences on cancer patients and their families and the necessary actions for its control, we will be able to advance the global agenda in the fight against cancer. I will work diligently to effectively disseminate these messages to the world.”

For more information please contact:

WHO Department of Communications, Geneva

Thomas Abraham
Mobile: +41 79 516 3136
E-mail: abrahamt@who.int

Fadéla Chaib
Mobile: +41 79 475 5556
E-mail: chaibf@who.int

Gaya Gamhewage
Mobile: + 41 79 475 5563
E-mail: gamhewageg@who.int

Media inquiries
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
E-mail: mediainquiries@who.int

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CONFERENCE: 36th Annual International Conference on Global Health

26-30 MAY 2009 | WASHINGTON DC

Publisher/Organizer: Global Health Council
Event dates: 26-30 May 2009
Venue: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Link to the Conference web site

Online registration

Overview

The Global Health Council’s 36th Annual Conference, New Technologies + Proven Strategies = Healthy Communities, will highlight the ways in which technologies in combination with best practices and evidence-based policies improve health around the world.