NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday gave an award to a Kenyan Ministry of Health official for campaigning against tobacco use in the country.

Rudi Eggers, WHO representative in Kenya, said that Anne Kendagor, acting director of the Division of Tobacco Control at the Ministry of Health, is one of the awardees of the 2021 World No Tobacco Day Awards.

Eggers said during the international tobacco day event in Nairobi that Kendagor has put innovative measures in place to ensure that tobacco consumption is reduced to the minimum in the country.

He commended Kendagor for leading in the development of online counseling services, developing advertisements in vernacular radio stations, webinars targeting tobacco users, policy makers and health care workers and upgrade of the helpline software.

Eggers said that tobacco use is one of the major causes of non-communicable diseases and deaths globally that must be taken seriously by every country.

He called on the Kenya government to increase taxes on tobacco products to help reduce consumption levels in the country.

The Kenyan official was among five individuals and one organization that were selected for the award this year within the WHO African region. Enditem

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