Award

Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) hands out several awards to key people that have made invaluable contributions to tobacco control as well as those who have helped make the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), its theme and its celebration a great success. These awards are a sentiment of appreciation on behalf of WHO to the great efforts and time that these people have invested in the campaign as well as in fighting tobacco.

This year, five WNTD awards have been given to the following individuals; the first four were given to them for their tremendous and generous contributions to tobacco control in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, especially in the area of legislation; while the last one was given to him for his participation in WNTD 2003 and its material:

• His Excellency Hajar Ahmed Hajar Albenali, Minister of Public Health
  Qatar;

• His Excellency Usama Bin Abdel Maguid Shobokshi, Former Minister of Health, Saudi Arabia;

• Dr Hamdi El Sayed, Head of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate and Member of Parliament, Egypt;

• Dr Seyed Hassan Arefi, Professor and Scientific Member, Tehran Medical School, Iran; and

• Mr George Kordahi, Host of the Arabic Game Show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” and United Nations Environment Programme Ambassador of Goodwill to the Middle East.

Dr Hamdi El Sayed was handed his award during the WNTD 2003 celebration that was held at WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) in Cairo on Wednesday, 28 May. The award was given to him by His Excellency Mohamed Awad Tag El Din, Minister of Health & Population, Egypt and Dr Abdullah Assa’edi, Assistant Regional Director for WHO/EMRO.