Rohit Shishodia
Delhi’s Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI) Director, Prof Raj Kumar, has received the prestigious ‘WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award and World No Tobacco Award’ for his outstanding contribution to tobacco control. The award was presented by India’s Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and WHO representative to India Henk Bekedam, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day in an event in New Delhi.

“The WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO regions for their exceptional accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. For the year of 2019, the WHO selected 33 individuals and organizations across the World. In the South-East Asian Region, the WHO selected Prof Raj Kumar and another official from Rajasthan government,” states a VPCI official.

Prof Kumar had started his tobacco control journey in 2001 by setting up a Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) at VPCI with support from WHO and India’s Health Ministry.

The TCC was upgraded in 2009 as a resource centre for tobacco control. Prof Kumar played instrumental roles in setting up TCCs, making various tobacco dependence treatment guidelines for Indian government and establishment of Society for Tobacco Control and Mobile-cessation in India.

He is also credited with setting up a telephone-based free of cost National Tobacco Quit-Line Service in 2016 with financial support from India’s Health Ministry. The objective of the quitline service was to provide counseling to tobacco users to prevent tobacco consumption in any form. The quit line can be accessed through a toll free no-1800112356.