Bill Gates joins Bloomberg to combat smoking in de

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Michael Bloomberg recently announced a commitment of $500 million towards global fight against tobacco use. The focus is on helping governments in developing countries implement proven policies and programmes to reduce tobacco use. This announcement shows their unprecedented leadership and commitment in fighting tobacco use, which is world’s leading cause of preventable death. The funding will provide additional resources and facilitate in taking urgent preventive and remedial measures that can save millions of lives.
Present on the occasion, Dr. PC Gupta, Director of Healis Sekhsaria Institute, said, “This initiative is a step forward to reduce tobacco use and will support efforts to reduce high rates of tobacco use in India. I am delighted that Gates Foundation and Michael Bloomberg have come together to help governments and the international tobacco control fraternity to confront the tobacco epidemic by supporting several research and advocacy initiatives that reinforce policy recommendations such as increased taxation on tobacco products, implementation of pictorial warnings, and support towards creating a smoke free environment.”
Bloomberg’s Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, which was established in 2005 and includes a $125 million commitment, will be extended with a new $250 million, four-year commitment. This brings Bloomberg’s total commitment to date to more than $375 million. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will invest $125 million over five years to fight the tobacco epidemic, including a $24 million grant to the Bloomberg Initiative. A combined investment of $500 million will help accelerate implementation of the MPOWER package of proven tobacco control strategies and build economic evidence to support tobacco control over the next two years. The six components of the MPOWER package are monitor tobacco use and the policies to prevent it, protect people from tobacco smoke, offer people help to quit tobacco use, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, raise taxes
on tobacco.