In a major global acknowledgment of its efforts to curb tobacco use, India has been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for Global Tobacco Control. The recognition was presented at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health held in Dublin, Ireland, where India stood among six countries honoured for their exceptional commitment to advancing tobacco control measures.
This award specifically recognised India’s comprehensive approach under the World Health Organization’s MPOWER strategy, particularly excelling in the “Offer help to quit tobacco use” component. With over 675 tobacco cessation centres established across district hospitals and more than 1.35 million counselling sessions conducted in 2023–24, the country has significantly expanded access to quitting support.
A notable initiative contributing to this success is India’s national toll-free quit line (1800-11-2356), which receives around 42,000 calls per month. Additionally, the inclusion of anti-tobacco messages and quit-line numbers on tobacco product packaging has led to a measurable increase in user engagement, with a 30% rise in calls.
The government has also taken legislative steps to control the spread of alternative nicotine products, including the nationwide ban on electronic cigarettes through the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act in 2019. Furthermore, India has mandated tobacco warnings on OTT platforms, aiming to reduce youth exposure to tobacco influence.
Accepting the award on behalf of the Union Health Ministry, Dr. Pratima Murthy from NIMHANS highlighted India’s multi-layered approach, which includes integration of cessation services in primary health facilities such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, mobile outreach initiatives, and training for medical professionals.
Global health leaders applauded India’s proactive stance. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the awardees for overcoming industry pressure and political obstacles. Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases, emphasised the life-saving potential of policies adopted by these governments.
India joins countries like Mexico, the Philippines, Mauritius, Montenegro, and Ukraine in receiving this honour, each recognised for distinct achievements such as plain packaging enforcement, higher taxation, advertising bans, and creation of smoke-free public spaces.
In tandem with the awards, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a new $20 million Tobacco Accelerator Fund to support implementation of effective tobacco control in low- and middle-income countries where progress has slowed.
According to Bloomberg Philanthropies, tobacco control efforts have led to over 820 billion fewer cigarettes sold globally between 2012 and 2024, and an estimated 35 million lives saved through the enactment of more than 300 tobacco control policies.
India’s recognition marks not only a milestone in national public health efforts but also underscores its leadership on the global stage in reducing the burden of tobacco-related diseases.