SESRIC contributed to the 11th European Conference on Tobacco Control, held in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 4–6 November 2026 under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and hosted by the Turkish Green Crescent Society and the International Green Crescent Federation, in cooperation with the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP).
Held under the theme “Protecting Children from Nicotine Addiction”, the conference brought together policymakers, international organisations, public health experts and civil society representatives to discuss emerging challenges in tobacco and nicotine control, particularly the growing risks posed to children and young people.
Representing SESRIC, Ms. Alia Şerifi Ortak, Senior Training Officer, delivered a presentation entitled “SESRIC’s Contributions to Tobacco Control and Health Capacity Building in OIC Member Countries: Initiatives, Tools and Good Practices” during the session on Tobacco Control Policy, Regulation and Emerging Products on 5 November 2026.
Her presentation highlighted SESRIC’s efforts to strengthen health systems and tobacco control capacities across OIC Member Countries, particularly through its IbnSina Health Capacity Building Programme (IbnSina-CaB) and Tobacco Free OIC Capacity Building Programme (TF-CaB). It also highlighted SESRIC’s cooperation with the Turkish Green Crescent Society (YEŞİLAY) in advancing tobacco control and promoting healthier lifestyles across OIC Member Countries, including joint capacity-building initiatives, knowledge-sharing activities and the exchange of good practices.
The conference featured high-level contributions from representatives of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Secretariat, the Turkish Government, WHO, UNICEF and leading international public health organisations. Discussions focused on protecting younger generations from nicotine addiction, addressing emerging nicotine products and strengthening evidence-based tobacco control policies.
Through its contribution, SESRIC reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening institutional and human resource capacities in OIC Member Countries and promoting international cooperation towards effective tobacco control and healthier societies.
For more information on the SESRIC IbnSina Health Capacity Building Programme (IbnSina-CaB) and Tobacco Free OIC Capacity Building Programme (TF-CaB), please visit:
https://www.sesric.org/cbp-hcab.php
https://www.sesric.org/cbp-tfo.php
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