May 31th 2018
GAZETTE
EThe recognition is because the IECS made “outstanding contributions in the fight against tobacco”: it generated scientific evidence that made it possible to define more effective and efficient measures in the fight against smoking in Latin America.
The IECS received an award from the World Health Organization (WHO) for World No Tobacco Day, which is commemorated every May 31. Directors and researchers of the IECS received the award in a ceremony that took place today, Thursday at the PAHO/WHO headquarters in Argentina, where it was emphasized that the scientific evidence generated by the IECS constituted an invaluable basis for developing effective policies to control the tobacco epidemic and was widely cited in tobacco control laws and regulations recently adopted in Latin America. 
Between 2015 and 2017 the IECS developed and coordinated in 12 Latin American countries an investigation in which a team of more than 60 researchers and health decision-makers from universities, research centers and public institutions participated. This work detailed - among other issues - the number of people who die and become ill from heart disease, stroke, COPD and cancer caused by tobacco consumption. For the first time, the true damage that smoking causes each year to the health of the region could be quantified. It was known, for example, that every year Cigarettes are directly responsible for 730.418 heart attacks and other cardiovascular events, 186.120 strokes, and more than 120.000 deaths occur each year from these causes.
The investigation also estimated the direct cost that smoking causes in the health systems of Latin America: 33 billion dollars per year, which is equivalent to 7% of everything that the countries of the region spend on health in that period.
The study went one step further. Since increasing taxes is one of the most effective measures to control tobacco consumption, he also analyzed What would happen if the price of cigarettes were increased by 50 percent in each country in the region: up to 45 thousand deaths could be avoided annually (in Latin America). This information is very relevant for health decision-makers in the region to design and implement measures to promote the reduction of tobacco consumption. In fact the IECS study was widely cited in the tobacco control laws and regulations recently incorporated in various Latin American countries.
WHO award-winning research is available at www.iecs.org.ar/tabaco and was financed by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), from Canada.
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ABOUT IECS:
The IECS is an independent, non-profit academic institution dedicated to research, education and technical cooperation in health. It is an institution affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), it houses a CONICET executing unit, a WHO Collaborating center and a Cochrane Center. With more than 15 years of experience, its mission is “to contribute to improving global health, generating and promoting the application of the best scientific evidence.” Smoking is one of its main lines of research and in recent years it has led different actions aimed at promoting tobacco control in Latin American countries.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WHO AWARD:
The World No Tobacco Day Awards are presented by WHO every year to recognize individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the fight against tobacco. This year, in addition to the IECS, the WHO awarded the award to:
- Tabaré Vazquez, President of Uruguay. For having expanded tobacco control efforts in line with the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. These efforts include a complete ban on advertising, promotion and tobacco sponsorship, as well as the introduction of effective regulations on the packaging and labeling of tobacco products.
- Guillermo Paraje, from Chile. Professor at the Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile, he was recognized for his leadership in the implementation and promotion of relevant, high-quality research in support of tobacco control policies in the region. Paraje is an example to follow for other researchers working on the economics of tobacco control in the Americas.
- The Ministry of Public Health of Guyana. He was awarded for his efforts that led to the passage of that country's tobacco control law. This law places Guyana at the highest level of compliance with three of the four best tobacco control practices, as outlined in the WHO Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. The law also positions Guyana as one of the most advanced Caribbean countries in the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
- Beatriz Champagne, from the United States. Executive Director of the Inter-American Heart Foundation, she was recognized for her long and fruitful career in advocacy, research and capacity development in the area of tobacco control. Champagne is a leader in the study of risk factors for cardiovascular health and stroke, which has been vital in ensuring improvements in tobacco control measures and the management of other cardiovascular risk factors in the region.
- Eduardo Bianco, from Uruguay. Regional coordinator for the Americas of the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), he was awarded for his extensive and exemplary career in tobacco control, something that has positioned him as a global and regional expert on the subject. His leadership and commitment have been crucial in ensuring progress in the implementation of the FCTC in the region over the past 15 years.
World No Tobacco Day was created by WHO Member States in 1987 and is commemorated every year on May 31. The goal of the day is to raise global awareness of the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and illness it causes. In 2018 the focus is on drawing attention to the impact of tobacco on cardiovascular health and the measures that governments and the general public can take to reduce the risks posed by tobacco use.
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LINKS OF INTEREST:
Information on IECS research awarded by WHO: www.iecs.org.ar/tabaco
WHO statement on the IECS award: click aquí.
WHO regional statement for World No Tobacco Day: click here.
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IECS PRESS CONTACT: Lic. Mariana Comolli, Coordinator of the Communication Unit. Tel.: (011) 4777-8767 ext. 44. mcomolli@iecs.org.ar