| NEW YORK, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Philanthropists Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates on Wednesday announced a combined new investment of 375 million U.S. dollars to help developing countries' tobacco control efforts.
Bloomberg's Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, which was set up in 2005 and includes a 125 million dollars commitment, will be extended with a new 250 million dollars donation over four years, bringing the New York mayor's total commitment to date to more than 375 million dollars.
"When I announced this initiative, I said that I hoped others would step forward," said Bloomberg. "I'm delighted Bill and Melinda Gates are supporting one of the most important public health efforts of our time."
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a donation of 125 million dollars over five years to fight the tobacco epidemic, including a 24 million grant to the Bloomberg Initiative, the foundation said in a press statement.
"Our commitments will help governments confront the tobacco epidemic by implementing the proven MPOWER package," Bloomberg said. "This means assuring well-staffed tobacco control programs, raising tobacco taxes, running hard-hitting public information campaigns, creating comprehensive smoke-free public places and banning tobacco advertising."
MPOWER is an acronym of the six components of the anti-smoking package: Monitor tobacco use and the policies to prevent it; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer people help to quit tobacco use; Warn about the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on tobacco, advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Raise taxes on tobacco.
In addition to the grant to Bloomberg, the Gates Foundation will support complementary efforts to reduce high rates to tobaccouse in countries such as China and India and to help prevent the tobacco epidemic from taking root in Africa, the statement added.
The Bloomberg Initiative supports projects that increase tobacco tax, change the image of tobacco, protect non-smokers from exposure to other people's smoke and help people quit. The initiative supports the public sector's efforts to educate and advocate for change, and a rigorous tobacco use and policy monitoring system. The Gates Foundation funding to Bloomberg will accelerate implementation of the MPOWER package of proven tobacco control strategies and build economic evidence to support tobacco control over the next two years.
According to a report released by the World Health Organization in February, 1 billion people will die from tobacco-related causes by the end of the century if current consumption trends continue.
"Tobacco-caused diseases have emerged as one of the greatest health challenges facing developing countries," said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. "The good news is, we know what it takes to save millions of lives, and where efforts exist, they are working. We are pleased to join with Mayor Bloomberg, who has made the fight against tobacco a priority in New York City and around the world."
Bloomberg and Gates called on government and business leaders to strengthen anti-smoking efforts by pooling more resources for tobacco control and implementing proven policies to reduce tobaccouse.
"Bill and I want to highlight the enormity of this problem and catalyze a global movement of governments and civil society to stop the tobacco epidemic," Bloomberg said. "We challenge governments to show leadership by implementing tobacco control measures, as an increasing number are doing, and to increase funding for these efforts."
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