Mr. Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General, Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), has been honoured with the prestigious World No Tobacco Day Award by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa region.
A statement on Wednesday revealed that his recognition underscores the vital role GRA plays in promoting public health through stringent tobacco control policies and enforcement.
Selected among notable global recipients, Mr. Darboe’s strategic leadership and innovative approaches have significantly reduced tobacco consumption and fostered a healthier environment, the statement added.
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Darboe for this remarkable achievement and proud moment for the GRA team. This award reinforces our dedication to a tobacco-free society and achieving greater public health milestones, ensuring a healthier future for all Gambians,” the statement pointed out.
The recipients of the 2024 World No Tobacco Day awards by WHO region are:
African Region: Mr. Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General, Gambia Revenue Authority, Republic of the Gambia; Ms. GormwaGotus, Kaduna State Educator, Tobacco ;Abstinence Club, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Tobacco Abstinence Club, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Region of the Americas: Dr. Vera da Costa e Silva, Head of the National Commission for the Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Federative Republic of Brazil; Dr. Alberto José de Araújo (in memoriam), Federative Republic of Brazil; Dr. Antônio Pedro Mirra (in memoriam), Federative Republic of Brazil; and Gustavo Sóñora, Regional Director of Tobacco Control.
Latin America: Vital Strategies, Eastern Republic of Uruguay; Ms. Carolina Giraldo Botero, Congresswoman, Republic of Colombia, Corporación Colombiana de Padres y Madres – Red PaPaz, Republic of Colombia; Ms. Gianella Severini, Senior Legal Coordinator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Argentine Republic.
Eastern Mediterranean Region
Mr. Husain Ali Alrayes, Health Inspection Supervisor, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain; Dr. Wagdy Amin, National Tobacco Control Observatory, Arab Republic of Egypt;
Directorate General of Standards and Metrology, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment, Sultanate of Oman; Madinah Health Cluster, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Mr. Moncef Boukthir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Republic of Tunisia.
European Region
Professor Charlotta Pisinger, University of Southern Denmark, Kingdom of Denmark; Ms. Mervi Hara, Executive Director, ASH Finland, Republic of Finland; Dr. Francisco Rodríguez Lozano, Chair of the Board, Cancer Patients Europe Association, Kingdom of Spain; Ms. Helen Stjerna, Secretary General, A Non Smoking Generation (NGO), Kingdom of Sweden NGO; A Non Smoking Generation, Kingdom of Sweden.
Ministry of Health, Ukraine: Lviv Oblast Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health, Ukraine.
Dr. Raouf Alebshehy, Tobacco Control Research Group, University of Bath, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
South-East Asia Region: Ministry of Railways, People’s Republic of Bangladesh; Odisha State Tobacco Control Cell, Republic of India;
Dr. Widyastuti Soerojo, Health Policy Forum, Republic of Indonesia; Thailand Youth Institute, Kingdom of Thailand; Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
Western Pacific Region
Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government, People’s Republic of China
Mr. Jose Enrique S. Garcia III, Provincial Governor of Bataan, Republic of the Philippines
HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, HealthBridge Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
-0-PANA MSS/RA 29May2024
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