The World Health Organization has honoured the Sustainable Development Policy Institute with the World No Tobacco Day Award 2026 in recognition of its sustained evidence-based work to protect current and future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine products. Announced on 19 May, the award places SDPI among a small group of global honourees representing WHO’s six regions and highlights Pakistan’s growing role in international tobacco control efforts.
Based in Islamabad, SDPI has supported the government and civil society on issues central to tobacco control, including strengthening tobacco taxation, protecting public health policies from industry interference, and countering the rapid spread of emerging nicotine products. The organisation’s research on the economic costs of tobacco use, the impact of taxation on consumption, and the illicit tobacco trade has shaped policy discussions at national and regional levels.
SDPI Consultant Dr Waseem Iftikhar Janjua has been part of the team behind this landmark research, helping to translate complex evidence into practical policy recommendations. With technical guidance and strategic partnerships, SDPI has built an influential coalition linking national stakeholders with counterparts across the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the wider global tobacco control community.
Pakistan faces a severe tobacco epidemic, with an estimated 31 million tobacco users and over 160,000 tobacco-related deaths each year. The WHO award underscores the urgent need for sustained, evidence-based interventions in Pakistan such as raising tobacco taxes, enforcing graphic health warnings, and banning flavoured nicotine products to reduce initiation and protect public health.
The recognition of SDPI comes alongside WHO’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and the Tobacco Control Cell, signalling a more coordinated national response. As World No Tobacco Day is observed globally on 31 May, the award reinforces SDPI’s reputation as a policy-focused think tank whose research and advocacy aim to save lives and strengthen public health protections across Pakistan and beyond.
