Monitoring tobacco use and tobacco control

One of the main goals of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative is to improve the availability of surveillance data on tobacco use, exposure, and related health outcomes. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requires Member States to consistently collect national data on the magnitude, patterns, determinants and consequences of tobacco use and exposure.

In the Western Pacific Region, WHO aims to establish sustainable government-funded tobacco surveillance systems in all countries. National health information reporting systems and services should be monitoring progress in tobacco control.

The goals of WHO Western Pacific Regional Office as outlined in the Regional Action Plan for the Tobacco Free Initiative in the Western Pacific (2015-2019) are to: 

• Provide support to countries in implementing surveillance systems, promoting standard, evidence-based protocols for tobacco surveys, and building capacity on reporting and dissemination of results;
• Develop and maintain regional tobacco control research agendas with countries and stakeholders; and
• Develop, maintain and report data to monitor tobacco control policies as well as health outcomes related to tobacco use and exposure in the Region

A new World Health Organization (WHO) Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health in the Western Pacific Region will open this year in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The agreement to open the Centre was signed today by WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Shin Young-soo, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Korea Cho Myung-rae and Mayor of Seoul Park Won-soon. The Centre will foster healthier and safer environments and strengthen community resilience to climate and environmental change in the WHO Western Pacific Region.

“Environmental pollution and climate change are among the greatest threats to health in our Region. With the establishment of the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health in the Western Pacific Region, we will be able to step up our support to countries so that they can better protect people’s health. Having the Centre in Seoul will offer mutual benefits to WHO and the Government of Korea and City of Seoul,” said Shin Young-soo.

The Centre is a geographically-dispersed specialized office (GDSO) established by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. GDSOs are WHO offices in different locations contributing to the work of the major office that manages them. GDSOs enhance WHO’s ability to provide countries with policy advice and lead research on priority topics.

Rapid changes in the Region’s physical and social environment are having a major impact on health. Known, avoidable environmental risk factors cause at least 3.5 million deaths each year and account for around a quarter of the burden of disease in the Western Pacific.

“Air pollution kills 2.2 million people in our Region every year—mostly from stroke, heart disease and lung diseases—and climate change poses a range of health threats, from deaths due to extreme high temperatures, to outbreaks of waterborne and vector-borne diseases and food insecurity. This is why the establishment of the Centre is so important for WHO’s work,” said Takeshi Kasai, Director of Programme Management for WHO in the Western Pacific Region.

A strong partnership in health

The Republic of Korea and WHO have been collaborating for more than 70 years in almost all areas of public health. During this period, the Republic of Korea has evolved from an aid recipient to now being a major contributor to global health and environment work. The establishment of the Centre in Seoul is a testimony to and builds on this partnership.

“The Korean Government is hosting the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health in the Western Pacific Region to protect the population’s health from environmental hazards such as fine dust, hazardous chemicals and climate change. The Ministry of Environment will give strong support to ensure the WHO Centre contributes to improving environmental health policies in the Region, like the WHO Bonn Centre has done for European countries, with the development of WHO guidelines on air quality,” said Minister Cho Myung-rae.

“I have worked with WHO for many years and long been committed to making cities healthier. I’m delighted now to provide a home for WHO in Seoul. Above all else, Seoul’s citizens value the beautiful natural environment surrounding our city—its waterways, mountains, green fields and clean air. We must do everything we can to protect them and the health of our citizens. We will do our best to ensure the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health in the Western Pacific Region becomes a regional centre of excellence in the field of environment and health,” said Mayor Park Won-soon.

The Centre’s work

The Centre will work towards WHO’s targets across three key areas, in line with relevant Sustainable Development Goals:

• Air quality, energy and health—it will address the health impact of air pollution and energy policy, focusing on transboundary air pollution including haze in South-East Asia and dust and sandstorms in North-East Asia, in line with the target of reducing deaths from air pollution by 5% by 2023.
• Climate change and health—it will help build climate-resilient health systems in vulnerable countries and areas, including Pacific islands, to support achievement of the target of reducing deaths from climate-sensitive diseases by 10% by 2023.

• Water and the living environment—it will address chemical safety, healthy and safe transport, environmental noise, water, sanitation, hygiene and wastewater to reduce the burden of environmental diseases and injuries and increase access to safely-managed drinking water and sanitation.

The Centre will be a key instrument to implement WHO’s general programme of work for 2019–2023, which identifies the health impacts of climate and environmental change as a top priority. It will also support the objectives of the Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action on Health and Environment on a Changing Planet endorsed by Member States in 2016, as well as the Declarations on Environment and Health from the Regional Ministerial Forums held in Jeju in 2010, Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and Manila in 2016.