NEW YORK: India and four Asian countries, which account for more than half of the world's smokers, will get priority in billionaire Michael R Bloomberg's two-year $125 million initiative to combat tobacco use.
Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, has selected five organisations to coordinate the implementation of the initiative to "promote freedom from smoking", which will concentrate on Russia, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India, where two-thirds of the smokers live.
The organisations include Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the World Health Organisation and the World Lung Foundation.
Bloomberg's $125 million more than doubles the global total of private and public donor resources devoted to fighting tobacco use in developing countries.
All resources are dedicated outside the United States to benefit low and middle income countries.
Bloomberg said New York City has had tremendous success reducing tobacco use. "As a result, there are nearly 200,000 fewer smokers in the city today than there were four years ago.”
"If that kind of progress can be made on a global scale, we can save many millions of lives. This initiative will focus on getting results -- reducing tobacco use by proven means."
