PRESS RELEASE: UNHCO Wins MPOWER Award for Enforcing Bans on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship

 

7 March 2018

​Plot 302 Bukoto, Kampala

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Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organization Honored for its Comprehensive Advertising Bans at Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control

UNHCO Wins MPOWER Award for Enforcing Bans on Tobacco Advertising

KAMPALA, UGANDA – Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organization (UNHCO), was honored today at an awards ceremony at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control during the 17^th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. UNHCO was given the MPOWER award for Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

“Congratulations to Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organization and all of the winners for their outstanding work, which is saving lives every day,” said WHO Global Ambassador for Non communicable Diseases and Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “Over the last decade the global effort to fight tobacco use has come farther than almost anyone imagined possible – but we will have a long way to go, and these honorees are helping to lead the way forward.”

Uganda enacted the comprehensive Tobacco Control Act in 2015, the tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) measures are particularly strong and represent best practices in that they completely ban all forms, methods, and means of domestic and cross-border TAPS. The Act also includes an illustrative list of the forms, methods and means of TAPS banned, including a catch-all covering any other forms, methods or means of TAPS. UNHCO is proud to have been associated in the Tobacco Control struggle with the Ministry of Health, tobacco control advocates, and enforcement agencies, the Parliament of Uganda, Kampala City Council Authority and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

One award was given in each of the MPOWER categories. MPOWER categories include: Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies; Protecting people from tobacco smoke with smoke-free air legislation; Offering help to quit tobacco use; Warning about the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media; Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Raising taxes on tobacco.

Click here to watch the video for UNHCO

 

It is our noble duty to protect the young people and the future generation from the aggressive marketing and deceptive schemes of the Tobacco Industry to realize health gains. There is a lot of work to do in this area. But to start with, reform the excise taxes so that cigarettes can become more expensive regardless of the country of origin. To that end all our eyes are on Parliament to increase the budget for the Ministry of Health to promote prevention against tobacco exposure.

Honorees for 2018 are:

• M: Vietnam Ministry of Health
• P: Fondo Solidario para la Salud (FOSALUD) de El Salvador
• O: Fundación Interamericana del Corazón México
• W: Senegal Ministry of Health
• E: Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organization
• R: Argentina Ministry of Health, Ministry of Treasury, and FIC

The Bloomberg Awards for Global Tobacco Control was first hosted in 2009 at the 14^th World Health Conference on Tobacco and or Health in Mumbai and most recently in 2015 when the 16^th Conference was held in Abu Dhabi.

In 2009, the four Bloomberg Awards winners were:

• M: Environmental Right Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria
• P: Mexico City Secretary of Health
• W: Action on Smoking and Health Thailand
• E:  Coalición Panameña contra el Tabaquismo

In 2012, the Bloomberg Awards winners were:

• M: Health Justice Philippines
• P: Turkish National Coalition on Tobacco or Health
• W: Uruguay Ministry of Health
• E: Corporate Accountability International Colombia and Fundacion para la Educacion y el Desarrollo Social
• R: Egyptian Ministry of Finance

In 2015, the Bloomberg Award winners were:

• M: Brazil Ministry of Health and National Institute of Statistics
• P: Regional Advocacy Life Center (Ukraine)
• O: Uruguay Ministry of Health
• W: Nepal Ministry of Health and Population
• E: KONFOP
• R: Philippines Department of Finance and Department of Health

 

Click here for the event livestream, click here for photos from the award ceremony, and click here for photos of the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.

For more information on the Awards and winning organizations, visit:www.bloomberg.org.

 

Follow the Bloomberg Philanthropy Awards for Global Tobacco Control and the 17^th World Conference on Tobacco or Health on Twitter with the hashtag #WCTOH2018.

 

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About Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organization

Uganda National Health Users’/Consumers’ Organization (UNHCO) is Non-Governmental, Not for profit Advocacy Organisation formed in 1999 to provide an institutionalized platform for health care users in Uganda to voice their concerns. The purpose is to empower service users to meaningfully participate in health care planning and delivery to ensure quality, accountability and sustainable services which meet the needs of service users. UNHCO has worked at national and community levels for over 15 years empowering communities, building CSOs capacity and advocacy for the right to health. It has over the years established strong collaborative networks with other service providers both at national and district levels to implement its mandate.

 

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $702 million. For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.