Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Veteran anti-tobacco advocate receives WHO award

Veteran anti-tobacco advocate receives WHO award

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
WHO representative to Cambodia Dr Li Ailan (left) presents the award to Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) executive director Dr Mom Kong. CMH

Veteran anti-tobacco advocate receives WHO award

The World Health Organisation (WHO) presented Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) executive director Dr Mom Kong with a special award on Wednesday for his contribution to controlling the sale and use of tobacco in Cambodia.

WHO representative to Cambodia Dr Li Ailan said at the awards ceremony on Wednesday that it was a great honour to recognise Kong for his achievements.

During his more than 20 years of work, she said Kong had brought about countless achievements in the tobacco control sector. He was an important factor in the passage of the law on tobacco control in 2015, as well as the withdrawal of tobacco advertisements.

“Kong has the ability to cooperate with partners in the heart of the government, civil society organisations and media in encouraging tobacco control. More importantly, he encouraged Cambodian youths to participate in the effort to control the tobacco sector,” she said.

A CMH press release said Kong is leading the organisation in its continued effort to control tobacco in Cambodia. He hopes to mitigate the negative effects on citizens and the economy related to tobacco use.

It said Kong had regularly monitored and examined the implementation of the tobacco control laws. He also made reports to institutions and local authorities urging them to take action [against illegal tobacco].

“In the fight against tobacco in Cambodia, he advocated and launched several campaigns with relevant institutions, media, youths, women, teachers, monks and tobacco victims to encourage the enforcement of the law on tobacco control,” it said.

Kong told The Post on Wednesday that receiving the award marked a proud moment for him and all of Cambodia, which has gone through obstacles to improve tobacco control.

He said although the situation has improved, major obstacles remain because tobacco use is still widespread, especially among youths.

“Our country is on the right track towards progress. Even though it has yet to reach its goal, it is on the path we want. We have reduced the rate of smoking cigarettes. However, the number of cigarette smokers has not declined because the population has increased,” he said.

Kong said he remained committed to encouraging Cambodia to raise taxes on cigarettes to 75 per cent, implement more effective tobacco control laws and mobilise relevant parties to effectively control the sale of tobacco products.

A study by the UN Development Programme and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control secretariat showed that tobacco use kills an average of 15,000 people every year in the country, with 33 per cent of deaths occurring among the lowest income brackets.

Citizens spend an average of $649 million on tobacco each year, equivalent to about three per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to the study.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom