PARTICIPATING IN A HISTORIC DAY

In one year, ACT, a tobacco control nongovernmental organization in Brazil, went from a one person organization to having representatives nationwide, explains Paula Johns, Executive Director of ACT in a press conference Wednesday in Manhattan. Johns shared her triumph in growing ACT with the help of funding from the Bloomberg Initiative and noted that while significant progress has been made in Brail and elsewhere, there is still a long way to go.

The participants were captivated during the press conference as Johns recognized the work tobacco control advocates have begun is proof of what can be accomplished in the future. Her opinion on what it will take for continued success? “...political will, leadership, and commitment from governments and civil society, as well as with continued hard work and resources.”

Johns described Wednesday's announcement of $500 million in funding from the Bloomberg and the Gates Foundations as “a historic moment for tobacco control... with one recognized global leader joining another to work together on saving millions of lives...we can be confident that there is no way we can lose this battle.”