The World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) recently announced that Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, and Michael R Bloomberg will be among the speakers to address delegates to the WCTOH. The conference will be held 17-21 March 2015 in Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

WCTOH is a five-day scientific conference presenting the latest developments in tobacco control and global efforts to reduce tobacco use in all its forms.

The conference will also present the latest findings on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)—also known as e-cigarettes—and particular challenges faced by the United Arab Emirates and the region— namely shisha and waterpipe use.

The conference theme is Tobacco and Non-communicable Diseases, recognizing that tobacco use in all its forms is the greatest risk factor contributing to the occurrence of NCDs, including cancer, cardiovascular problems, lung disease and diabetes.

Tobacco use now causes one in six of all NCD deaths and up to half of current tobacco users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease. This is the first time the WCTOH conference has focussed on this direct link between tobacco and NCDs.

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