By Mustapha Jallow
Mr. YankubaDarboe, the Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), on Wednesday received the prestigious “World No Tobacco Day Award” from the World Health Organization (WHO).
CG Darboe’s recognition underscores the vital role GRA plays in promoting public health through stringent tobacco control policies and enforcement, the GRA said in a statement.
Selected among notable global recipients, the GRA statement said Mr. Darboe’s strategic leadership and innovative approaches have significantly reduced tobacco consumption and fostered a healthier environment for Gambians. They extended heartfelt congratulations to him for his remarkable achievement which they said was a proud moment for the whole GRA team.
The GRA, in its statement, said the award has reinforced their dedication to a tobacco-free society and to achieve greater public health milestones in ensuring a healthier future for all Gambians.
In announcing their pride in CG Darboe’s prestigious World No Tobacco Day Award by the World Health Organization (WHO), the GRA statement said his recognition underscores the vital role the Revenue Authority plays in promoting public health through stringent tobacco control policies and enforcement; hence his selection from among notable global recipients regarding his strategic leadership and innovative approaches which they said has significantly reduced tobacco consumption and fostered a healthier environment for all Gambians.
Recipients of the 2024 ‘World No Tobacco Day’ awards by WHO regions are as follows:
The African Region:
MrYankubaDarboe, Commissioner General, Gambia Revenue Authority, Republic of the Gambia;
Ms Gormwa Gotus, Kaduna State Educator, Tobacco Abstinence Club, Federal Republic of Nigeria Tobacco Abstinence Club, Federal Republic of Nigeria;
Region of the Americas:
Dr. Vera da Costa e Silva; Head of the National Commission for the Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Federative Republic of Brazil;
Dr Alberto José de Araújo (in memoriam), Federative Republic of Brazil;
DrAntônio Pedro Mirra (in memoriam), Federative Republic of Brazil;
Gustavo Sóñora, Regional Director of Tobacco Control, Latin America, Vital Strategies, Eastern Republic of Uruguay;
Ms Carolina GiraldoBotero, Congresswoman, Republic of Colombia;
CorporaciónColombiana de Padres y Madres – Red PaPaz, Republic of Colombia;
MsGianellaSeverini, Senior Legal Coordinator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Argentine Republic.
Eastern Mediterranean Region:
Mr. Husain Ali Alrayes, Health Inspection Supervisor, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain;
DrWagdy Amin, National Tobacco Control Observatory, Arab Republic of Egypt
Directorate General of Standards and Metrology, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment, Sultanate of Oman; Madinah Health Cluster, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
MrMoncefBoukthir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Republic of Tunisia;
European Region:
Professor CharlottaPisinger, University of Southern Denmark, Kingdom of Denmark
MsMervi Hara, Executive Director, ASH Finland, Republic of Finland;
Dr Francisco Rodríguez Lozano, Chair of the Board, Cancer Patients Europe Association, Kingdom of Spain;
Ms Helen Stjerna, Secretary General, A Non Smoking Generation (NGO), Kingdom of Sweden;
NGO ‘Non Smoking Generation’ Kingdom of Sweden; Ministry of Health, Ukraine
Lviv Oblast Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health, Ukraine;
DrRaoufAlebshehy, Tobacco Control Research Group, University of Bath, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
South-East Asia Region:
Ministry of Railways, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Odisha State Tobacco Control Cell, Republic of India;
DrWidyastutiSoerojo, Health Policy Forum, Republic of Indonesia, Thailand Youth Institute, Kingdom of Thailand, Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka;
Western Pacific Region:
Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government, People’s Republic of China; Mr Jose Enrique S. Garcia III, Provincial Governor of Bataan, Republic of the Philippines, Health Bridge Foundation of Canada, Health Bridge Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
