Public health leaders and institutions from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay recognized by WHO for advances in tobacco control

Geneva, Switzerland, May 19, 2026 (PAHO) - A government agency from Brazil, a Minister of Health from Uruguay, academics, and civil society leaders from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are among those honored with World Health Organization's 2026 World No Tobacco Day Award.

Every year, WHO presents these awards to individuals or institutions that have made outstanding contributions to advancing policies and measures under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Winners are selected from nominations received through a global public call.

This year, the Region of the Americas has five honorees who are being recognized for their contributions to tobacco control.

The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (Brazil) has shown commitment and leadership in restoring and strengthening the National Policy and the National Plan for Alternatives in Tobacco-Growing Areas. Grounded in the WHO FCTC Articles 17 and 18, this multisectoral policy which was carried out through an interministerial collaboration led by the Ministry, is a milestone and an inspiring model to address the socioeconomic and environmental challenges posed by tobacco cultivation. The policy provides technical assistance, rural extension, access to credit, and integration with agroecology, food security, and rural development programs, promoting viable, healthier, and sustainable alternatives for farming families in Brazil's tobacco-growing regions.

Mônica Andreis (Brazil) has been one of Brazil's most influential tobacco control leaders throughout her 20-year career. Andreis' trajectory, which began as a co-founder of ACT Promoção da Saúde, has been defined by her leadership in advancing the WHO FCTC, including her pivotal role in the landmark 2009 São Paulo smoke-free law, which later became a model for national policy. More recently, she has played a key role in guiding civil society advocacy to secure the inclusion of tobacco taxation aligned with WHO best practices in Brazil's ongoing tax reform, despite intense industry pressure. She has also contributed to the adoption of mandatory large graphic health warnings, bans on the commercialization of emerging tobacco and nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, and restrictions on additives-contributing to the model for effective civil society action in advancing tobacco control.

Daniel Dorado (Colombia) represents a new generation of tobacco control leaders in the Region. His work is grounded in the principles of the WHO FCTC and focused on exposing tobacco industry tactics. As director of the tobacco control campaign at Corporate Accountability, an international advocacy organization, Dorado has coordinated four editions of the Tobacco Industry Interference Index for Latin America, helping advance implementation of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 and strengthening safeguards against industry interference. He also serves on the WHO FCTC Article 19 Expert Group, contributing to work on industry liability and accountability. As vice president of Ecuador's Interagency Committee for Tobacco Control and regional coordinator of the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control, Dorado has supported national progress in Ecuador and helped advance global efforts at the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO FCTC, promoting consensus around public health, human rights and transparency.

Dr. Inti Barrientos (Mexico) is a distinguished researcher known for his work on tobacco control and his focus on generating evidence to inform public policy. As a Medical Sciences Researcher at Mexico's National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Dr. Barrientos has produced independent studies on electronic nicotine delivery systems, heated tobacco products, and flavored capsule cigarettes, documenting their appeal among young people and their impact on consumption patterns. He also works to translate research into policy, contributing to regulatory decisions on health warnings, indirect advertising in video games and films, and digital marketing practices targeting youth. Dr. Barrientos' work aligns closely with the 2026 World No Tobacco Day campaign, which highlights industry strategies to make tobacco and nicotine products more appealing to young people and aims to protect them from the risks of nicotine addiction.

Dr. Cristina Lustemberg (Uruguay) is the minister of Public Health and has been recognized for her leadership and commitment to reinforce the government's longstanding role in tobacco control. Backed by court rulings, her administration repealed decrees that had weakened plain packaging measures and reinstated the ban on the commercialization of heated tobacco products. Dr. Lustemberg also played an active role internationally, participating in the COP11 to the WHO FCTC and the fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP4) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. There, she contributed to discussions supporting key provisions of the Convention, including Articles 5.3, 9, and 10. Under Dr. Lustemberg's leadership, Uruguay also advanced a licensing-related decision adopted at the MOP4, further strengthening implementation of the WHO FCTC and its Protocol.

The World No Tobacco Day Awards are presented annually as part of World No Tobacco Day, which was established by WHO Member States in 1987 and is observed each year on May 31 to raise awareness about the harms of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

The theme of the 2026 World No Tobacco Day is "Unmasking the Appeal: Countering tobacco and nicotine addiction", and the campaign aims to expose how the tobacco and nicotine industries deliberately design products to increase their appeal and addictive potential, including the use of sugars, flavours, and cooling agents to mask harshness and make inhalation easier, especially for young people.