WHO expresses appreciation for King’s tobacco control efforts

AMMAN — Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed his appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah for his recent call to intensify tobacco control efforts in Jordan, with a particular emphasis on reducing youth use.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ghebreyesus reiterated that the WHO remains committed to working closely with Jordan’s government to protect the health of its people. 

The WHO office in Jordan has also expressed its appreciation for recent Royal directives urging the government to take stronger measures in combating the prevalence of smoking, especially among youth, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

According to the results of the STEPs, a national gradual survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the WHO in Jordan, approximately 66.1 per cent of males are tobacco smokers, with an additional 15.9 per cent using electronic cigarettes. 

According to these figures, Jordan has one of the highest male smoking rates globally.