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Tribune News Network
Doha
Head of the Tobacco Control Center at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Dr Ahmad al Mulla attended the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) held in Cape Town, South Africa.
More than 2,500 researchers, academics, scientists, healthcare professionals and officials working in all aspects of tobacco control within both the public and private sectors attended the event.
The conference was organised as part of a collective resolution to recognise tobacco control as a global issue.
Held once every three years, the WCTOH is the premier, international conference on tobacco control. Attendees from more than 100 countries, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Food and Drug Administration took part in the meet.
Topics of discussion included empowering youth involvement toward the goal of a tobacco-free world, calling on governments to decrease the affordability and accessibility of tobacco products and stopping public and private investments in the tobacco industry.
Dr Mulla said a video showcasing HMC's Tobacco Control Center and the education, support and treatment options available to patients was shown during the event, both on screens within the venue and on various social media platforms associated with the event.
He added that the conference was an ideal platform to meet with like-minded groups for the purpose of establishing potential collaborations and partnerships with organisations around the world.
During the three-day event, Dr Mulla met with officials from a number of high-profile regional and international organisations, including Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of Jordan and elected President of the Union for International Cancer Control.
Dr Mulla also met with Dr Flavia Senkubuge, president of the 17th WCTOH and the current vice-Ppresident of the African Federation of Public Health Association to discuss tobacco control strategies in both countries and potential collaborations between Qatar and South Africa.
He also held meetings with representatives from the WHO to discuss the success of previous collaborations between HMC and the group and potential future collaborations.
In 2017, HMC's Tobacco Control Center was officially designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre, the first in Qatar and the region. WHO Collaborating Centres, which also include research institutes and parts of universities and academies, are designated to carry out activities in support of the WHO's mandated international health work.
