WHO hails Mauritius, Netherlands for tobacco control measures but global risks remain

Hailing Mauritius and the Netherlands for implementing all of the UN health agency’s MPOWER tobacco control measures - a feat matched to date only by only Brazil and Türkiye - the WHO said that 2.3 billion people in 44 countries remain unprotected by tobacco control measures, exposing them to sickness and the economic burden of addiction. In 53 countries, complete smoking bans are still not in place in healthcare facilities, the UN agency warned in a new report, despite the fact that tobacco use “continues to be one of the biggest public health threats”, with a staggering 1.3 million deaths annually from passive smoking alone.