GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Health Promotion Board (MySihat) kickstarted its three day '5th Smoke-Free Cities Regional Workshop and the Summit of Smoke-free Leaders' today.
The event, held at the Royale Chulan Hotel at Pengkalan Weld, was jointly organised by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) and the State Health Department.
It was launched by Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.
The workshop saw representatives from Asean countries together with China, Guam and Mongolia sharing their expertise and best practices on smoke-free policies and campaigns around the region.
In his speech, Dr Hilmi said tobacco remains the biggest threat accounting for more than half a million deaths in the Asean region.
The current trend, he said, indicates that tobacco use will cause more than eight million global deaths annually, with 80 per cent of these premature deaths among those in low and middle income countries by 2030.
"All the facts lead to a common principle that the Asean community must stand together to protect the most important capitals, our people, especially the younger generation.
"That is why we have to step up our efforts to garner support and gather all resources to put up a comprehensive coherent action plans in facing the threat from tobacco epidemic," he said.
Also present were MySihat chairman Tan Sri Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf, Director for Non-communicable Diseases and Health through the Life Course, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) Dr Susan Mercado, and SEATCA executive director Bungon Ritthiphakdee.