13th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT 2021)

Esteemed Colleagues, Participants, Friends: 

It is a privilege for the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to join you today to open the 2021 Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health. Despite the difficulties of hosting such an impressive array of key discussions and scientific exchanges during the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing forward with APACT2021 recognizes the importance of tobacco control in building back better from the devastating impact of the pandemic. And we are all very much aware of the role that the tobacco epidemic has played in exacerbating COVID-19 outcomes. 

APACT2021 provides us with the opportunity to celebrate a number of important milestones and accomplishments:  

• the centennial of the Medical Association of Thailand; 

• the incredible progress that Thailand has made in implementing the WHO FCTC and in supporting its aims globally;  

• and the efforts of outstanding individuals, like Dr Hatai Chitanondh, former President of the Conference of the Parties, who was instrumental in galvanizing Party support for the Guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3.   

These contributions highlight the important role that each of us plays in tobacco control, so that we -  as a global community in a pivotal moment in history - can build a healthier, more resilient population that will be in a better position to confront COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. 

This conference will address a number of key issues on which we must continue to focus in implementing the Convention, including taxation, plain packaging, and tobacco product regulation  

It will also explore key emerging concerns, including novel tobacco products, the interface between COVID-19 and tobacco control, and integration of tobacco and NCD control.