Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Congratulates New Director-General of the World Health Organization
Statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
May 23, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids congratulates Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his election as the next Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Tedros’ skilled leadership will be crucial in the fight to reduce tobacco use, which is a top risk factor for non-communicable diseases like cancer, heart disease and lung disease that cause nearly two out of every three deaths worldwide.
As a partner in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids looks forward to working with Dr. Tedros and the WHO to implement proven strategies to reduce tobacco use, as called for by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Strong leadership from the WHO is critical to reducing the six million deaths a year caused by tobacco use.