International anti-tobacco conference to be staged in tobacco country

India, the third largest producer of tobacco, is due to host an international anti-tobacco conference in Delhi later this year.

The International Conference on Public Health Priorities in the 21st Century: The Endgame for Tobacco will take place on September 10–13.

“The conference is a call for collective resolution to fight tobacco through global cohesion and integration of tobacco control into broader health and development agendas for the achievement of our common health and development goals,” said professor K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, speaking on behalf of the organizing committee.

“With India making concerted efforts towards ending the tobacco epidemic, by banning [some forms of] smokeless tobacco and introducing strict tobacco control laws, we recognize this as an opportune time for hosting a confluence of multi-sector stakeholders to evaluate current global strategies to fight tobacco and develop a way forward collaboratively.

“The premise for choosing the theme “The Endgame for Tobacco” was that while tobacco control has been identified as key determinant in the global public health agenda, there is a need to mobilize tobacco control measures in addressing the larger development agenda. It is imperative that tobacco control efforts be stepped up, at pace with progressive, ground-breaking and radical international measures moving towards a tobacco-free society …”