Tobacco control centre chief attends Cape Town meeting

Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, head of the Tobacco Control Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), attended the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) in Cape Town, South Africa.
More than 2,500 researchers, academics, scientists, healthcare professionals and officials working in all aspects of tobacco control from both the public and private sectors attended the event.
The conference, held from March 7 to 9, was organised as part of a collective resolution to recognise tobacco control as a global issue.
Held every three years, the WCTOH is the premier, international conference on tobacco control.
Attendees came from more than 100 countries and organisations, including from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the US’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Topics of discussion included empowering youth involvement towards the goal of a tobacco-free world, calling on governments to decrease the affordability and accessibility of tobacco products, and stopping public and private investment in the tobacco industry.
Dr al-Mulla said a video showcasing HMC’s Tobacco Control Centre and the education, support and treatment options available to patients, was shown during the event, both on screens within the venue and on various social media platforms associated with the event.
He added that the conference was an ideal platform to meet with like-minded groups for the purpose of establishing potential collaborations and partnerships with organisations located around the world.
During the three-day event, Dr al-Mulla met officials from a number of high-profile regional and international organisations, including Jordan’s Princess Dina Mired.
He also met Dr Flavia Senkubuge, president of the 17th WCTOH and the current vice-president of the African Federation of Public Health Association, to discuss tobacco control strategies in place within both countries and potential collaborations between Qatar and South Africa.
Dr al-Mulla also held meetings with representatives from the WHO to discuss the success of previous collaborations between HMC and the group and potential future collaborations.
In 2017, HMC’s Tobacco Control Centre was officially designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre, the first in Qatar and the region.
As part of the meeting, both groups agreed to conduct a regional Train-the-Trainer workshop for healthcare professionals later this year.
The workshop will provide an opportunity for physicians, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals to obtain information about smoking cessation and tobacco control.
The sessions will also serve to expand knowledge sharing and education on the importance of tobacco control.
The next WCTOH is scheduled to take place in Dublin, Ireland.