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HEART-HEALTH LEADERS RECEIVE TOBACCO CONTROL AWARDs

Heart-health leaders Dr Srinath Reddy and the InterAmerican Heart Foundation have received Luther Terry awards, taking their places among the world's top actors in tobacco control. The awards were created to honour exemplary individual and organizational achievements in the field of tobacco control and prevention throughout the world. The awards were presented in Mumbai on 11 March 2009, at the 14th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health (WCTOH).

Dr Srinath Reddy: receives award for outstanding individual leadership

Dr Srinath Reddy, President of the Public Health Foundation of India and organizer of the scientific programme for the 14th WCTOH, received an award for outstanding individual leadership. He is widely recognized as a role model for young and experienced healthcare professionals: an academic researcher and teacher, advisor to governments, World Health Organization resource expert and public health advocate. A leading negotiator for India during the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, he is known for his exceptional ability to link research, policy development, advocacy, campaign implementation and coalition building that has enabled him to effectively drive change in health policy at national and global levels. He is founder of HRIDAY-SHAN, a youth organization that has helped galvanise youth action in support of tobacco control, and is a leading champion of youth health advocacy.

InterAmerican Heart Foundation: receives award for outstanding organization

Dr Beatriz Marcet Champagne, Executive Officer of the InterAmerican Heart Foundation (IAHF), accepted the award on behalf of the IAHF and acknowledged the contribution of colleagues such as Dr Eduardo Bianco of Uruguay, Dr Veronica Schoj of Argentina, and Sonia Meza of Mexico. The IAHF is known for its action-oriented and collaborative approach to tobacco control in the Americas. By identifying and supporting strong local leaders, developing strategic plans and working with local advocates to drive policy change it has played a major role in smoke-free initiatives in Mexico and Argentina. It co-organizes the Society for Research in Nicotine and Tobacco Latin American Conference on Tobacco Control. The IAHF has also integrated youth into tobacco advocacy, developing a network of youth advocates active in tobacco control in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay.

Mobilising the World Heart Federation member network in tobacco control

Both Dr Reddy and IAHF have played important roles in helping to mobilise the World Heart Federation member network to be active in tobacco control. A cardiologist and Chair of the World Heart Federation Foundations Advisory Board, Dr Reddy has long worked to mobilise his peers to engage in the problem of tobacco use. In 2004, he joined other cardiologists to co-author a “wake-up call” on cardiovascular disease and tobacco. In 2006, he was pivotal in organizing the Global Youth Meet organized in India by HRIDAY SHAN and the Youth 4 Health movement, where World Heart Federation sent teams organized by 10 of its member organizations who used the experience to initiate or further develop youth activities in tobacco control.

One of the World Heart Federation’s most active regional members, the IAHF, has helped Heart Foundations in the Caribbean organize the Healthy Caribbean Coalitions to promote chronic disease prevention and help implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control there. With funding from the World Heart Federation Colombia Model Youth project, it has developed “La Red” regional youth network to advocate for tobacco control in the region, as well as to monitor and respond to tobacco industry activity. La Red presented its experiences in tobacco control as a model for other members during the Members Workshop, which took place during the World Congress of Cardiology in Buenos Aires in May 2008.

Joining other leaders in tobacco control

The Luther Terry awards are sponsored by the American Cancer Society and presented every three years at the World Conference on Tobacco OR Health. Winners of previous individual leadership awards include Dr Judith McKay, Luk Joossens, and Simon Chapman; other organizations who have won the award include Tobacco Free Kids, the Framework Convention Alliance and Globalink.

Further information:

Cardiovascular disease and the global tobacco epidemic: a wake-up call for cardiologists

InterAmerican Heart Foundation:

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