<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the 2025 World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, Ireland, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, Michael R. Bloomberg, announced the winners of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control, honoring exceptional efforts by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce tobacco use—the world’s leading cause of preventable death.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Award recipients from India, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, the Philippines, and Ukraine were recognized for implementing effective, evidence-based strategies to curb tobacco consumption and protect public health.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The global tobacco control movement has helped save tens of millions of lives, making it one of the most successful public health efforts in history,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, and the 108th Mayor of New York City.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Bloomberg Philanthropies has long worked closely with the World Health Organization and others who are leading this vitally important work. The winners of this year’s awards prove how much progress is possible. With our new Accelerator Fund, we look forward to jumpstarting more lifesaving work around the world.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the ceremony, Mr. Bloomberg also announced the creation of a $20 million Accelerator Fund to boost tobacco control momentum in countries where progress has stalled. The fund will support proactive engagement with governments and NGOs in low- and middle-income countries that have not yet implemented, or are on the verge of implementing, best-practice tobacco control policies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite a global reduction in smoking rates—from 22.8% in 2007 to 16.4% in 2023—tobacco use still claims over seven million lives annually, with most deaths occurring in low- and middle-income nations. Globally, approximately one billion people continue to smoke, while tobacco companies spend billions each year on marketing—often targeting youth who may be unaware of the risks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the World Health Organization’s new report, Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2025, an estimated 35.2 million lives have been saved over the past two decades due to comprehensive tobacco control efforts. Central to this progress are the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the MPOWER package of six proven tobacco control measures.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 700 cities and 150 countries worldwide to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. Its public health program focuses on critical issues including tobacco control, road safety, and obesity prevention, with tobacco control remaining one of its flagship initiatives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24 /kh</div>