H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has been awarded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for his outstanding contributions to tobacco control during the opening session of the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
In his inaugural address, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, said the WHO honoured the Ruler of Sharjah Emirate for his remarkable anti-tobacco work and for his attention to the health and welfare of all people.
'He has been an inspiration to all of us in the United Arab Emirates. His efforts over the years have underscored our national commitment to the notion that a healthy population is fundamental to economic growth and that investment in health must take priority,' Sheikh Nahyan said.
'Our population must be fit and healthy. And every element of society must commit to that priority. This commitment has helped us become the productive, peaceful, prosperous, and hospitable global crossroads that we are today.' 'Like so many other countries around the world that have responded to the bold leadership of the World Health Organisation, the UAE is taking unprecedented steps toward a tobacco-free society. Under the leadership of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with the strong support of the His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, we have established excellence in health care as vital to our national efforts for development and progress.' 'And with the strong support of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we are able to offer the city of Abu Dhabi as the venue for your work. Our greatest fortune in the United Arab Emirates has been that the leaders of our country are people of wisdom and vision. We owe them a great debt of gratitude for creating an environment of commitment, understanding, persistence, and genuine concern about the health of absolutely everyone. We have reaped the benefits of those attributes, and we feel a responsibility to help other nations capitalise on those same attributes,' he added.
'The theme of this Conference concerns the health of our global population. It transcends perspectives, jurisdictions, and boundaries of individual nations. The topics on your agenda imply that unhealthy behaviour anywhere can, and often does, have an enormous impact upon world economic development and well-being and on political stability, as well.
'In this conference, you highlight the global goal of a tobacco-free future. But you experts know better than anyone else the barriers to multiplying World No Tobacco Day by 364. One of our most formidable barriers lies within old habits. Smoking has traditionally brought people together in relaxed conversation. We have often gathered together to smoke cigarettes, or even the shisha, and to talk. I notice today that people now smoking outside smoke-free buildings congregate as though the conversation may be as important as the smoking. It may be that, as we convince smokers to give up smoking, we should also give some thought to promoting communal conversation by some means other than burning tobacco together.' ' I have seen any number of smoke-free coffee shops crowded by young men each in silent communion with his mobile. That behaviour worries me for any number of reasons, and one of them is that young people might perversely turn to smoking cigarettes or shisha so as to resurrect the lost art of conversation.
'In my opinion, this 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health will be successful if it advances civilisation firmly toward that educational outcome. I admit that the facts may fail to change the behaviour of the suicidal few. Nonetheless, I am confident that the grim facts will count with most young people.' 'We must also imagine ways of encouraging a communal culture of the sort that has so often accompanied the act of smoking. The conversation with our young people must move beyond the horrible consequences of inhaling tobacco smoke. To begin with, the conversation could centre on new ways for promoting conversation. Our young people are amazingly inventive and will rise to the challenge, especially if they do not need to converse in a smoke-filled room,' he concluded.
The conference, which occurs every three years, is the world's largest gathering of tobacco control advocates, policy makers, researchers, public health and clinical experts.
The theme of the 16th edition of WCTOH conference is ‘Tobacco and Non-Communicable Diseases', highlighting for the first time the risk factor that tobacco in all its forms is directly linked to the incidence of non-communicable (chronic) diseases. These include (but are not restricted to) all forms of cancer, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, HIV and oral health.
Sessions at the conference will include water pipe tobacco smoking, tobacco packaging, ENDS (e-cigarettes), the impact of trade treaties and the voices of tobacco victims.
Source: WAM