CAPE TOWN: Dr Douglas Bettcher, World Health Organization Director of the department for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, was today awarded a Luther L. Terry Distinguished Career Award for his lifetime contribution to tobacco control.
Dr Bettcher has worked with WHO for over 20 years on tobacco control. He received the award at the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Cape Town on 8 March 2018.
“It is such an honour to receive the Luther L. Terry Award for tobacco control,” says Dr Bettcher. “Such a privilege could not have been made possible without the tireless efforts of so many WHO colleagues around the world”.
The Luther L. Terry Awards are named after the late United States Surgeon General Luther L. Terry, M.D., whose ground-breaking work was one of the first to highlight the public health dangers of tobacco.
Since 2000, the American Cancer Society has used the Awards to recognize the individuals and organizations that carry on Dr Terry’s legacy, the work he began, and the importance of continuing these efforts. They are awarded tri-annually and honour outstanding leadership and worldwide accomplishment in the field of tobacco control.
“Cigarettes kill about seven million people worldwide each year, which is why eliminating cancer caused by tobacco use remains the American Cancer Society’s highest public health priority,” said Gary Reedy, CEO, American Cancer Society.
“Dr Douglas Bettcher has dedicated his career to leading collaborative tobacco control efforts with a multitude of stakeholders at both the international and country-level that have contributed to reducing tobacco use worldwide and saving millions of lives. We are proud to honor him with the 2018 Luther L. Terry Distinguished Career Award.”