The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Tobacco Control Center with the 2025 World No Tobacco Day Award. The award recognizes the Center’s significant efforts in reducing tobacco use and helping the public in Qatar and the Eastern Mediterranean region to quit all forms of tobacco use.
HMC’s Tobacco Control Center, which has been a WHO Collaborating Center since 2017, was selected as one of the award recipients in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This marks the second time the Center has received the award, having first been honored in 2021. The award was presented by Dr. Rayana Bou Haka, WHO Representative in Qatar, in the presence of Dr. Ahmed Al Mohammed, HMC’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Medical Services and Chairman of the Department of Medicine.
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Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Al Mulla, Director of HMC’s Tobacco Control Center, expressed his pride in the Center receiving the award for the second time. He praised the dedication of the Center’s team and the achievements in tobacco control in Qatar and the Eastern Mediterranean region. He said: “HMC’s Tobacco Control Center has played a pioneering role in helping members of the public quit all forms of tobacco. This recognition by WHO reflects the positive outcomes of the hard work carried out by the Center’s team and its impact on many tobacco users in our community.”
Dr. Rayana Bou Haka also commended the Center’s local and regional activities and said the award was well-deserved. She thanked the Center’s staff for their continued efforts in tobacco control in Qatar and the region and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the Center and WHO, given the significant value of its tobacco control programs.
The Tobacco Control Center organizes educational and awareness initiatives targeting school and university students, as well as employees in ministries and public institutions. The Center also delivers training programs for healthcare professionals and community organizations in Qatar and across the Eastern Mediterranean. In addition, it provides smoking cessation services and conducts research in the field of tobacco cessation.
Dr. Ahmad Al Mulla extended his gratitude to HMC leadership and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, represented by Dr. Fatimah El Awa, WHO’s Regional Advisor for the Tobacco Free Initiative, as well as the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative Office in Geneva, for their continuous support of the Center’s programs. He noted that this support contributes to the positive impact of the Center’s tobacco control activities at all levels in Qatar and the wider region.
WHO annually recognizes individuals and institutions from each of its six regions on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day for their outstanding contributions to tobacco control. The recognition includes honorary awards, special certificates of appreciation from the WHO Director-General, and awards specifically related to World No Tobacco Day.
