Pinoy doctor named anti-tobacco champion

Manila, Philippines - A Filipino doctor is the first Asian to receive the prestigious Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence in Washington D.C., a statement released by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance’s Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax (SEATCA-SITT) announced on Friday.

Dr. E. Ulysses Dorotheo, a neuro-ophthalmologist and director of Bangkok-based SEATCA-SITT, was given the award by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids during its annual Youth Advocates of the Year Awards Gala there last May 18.

SEATCA-SITT is a five-year project aimed primarily at raising tobacco taxes and prices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Dorotheo underscored the need to “fight collectively to ensure that public health is prioritized over international trade.”

“We are continually taking on transnational tobacco companies in the Philippines and in Asia,” Dorotheo added.

He is campaigning for 100 percent smoke-free environments, comprehensive tobacco advertising bans, large pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and higher tobacco taxes.

“In mega-countries such as China, tobacco use continues to claim 1 million lives each year. Indonesian men, women, and children continue to be bombarded with tobacco advertisements, promotions, and sponsorships. And similar to other developing nations in Southeast Asia, cigarettes remain extremely affordable in the Philippines at less than 70 US cents per pack,” he noted.

Anti-tobacco advocates were elated over the recognition.

According to SEATCA director Bungon Ritthiphakdee, “Dr. Dorotheo is a true champion of tobacco control, and has always put forth consensus building in his working style, thereby developing strong working relations with tobacco control NGOs, governments and international agencies and advocates and earning the admiration of his countrymen and international colleagues, specially in the advocacy for the stronger implementation and development of the FCTC in Southeast Asia.”

For her part, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines executive director Dr. Maricar Limpin said that Dorotheo’s feat is laudable.

“We are proud that the first Asian to be given the Judy Wilkenfeld Award is a Filipino and a founding member of the FCAP. It is a very significant contribution to the pride of Filipinos working in the global community for public health,” Limpin added.