World Health Professionals urge FIFA
to make the Wold Cup 2006 smokefree

GENEVA, Switzerland, 29 May 2006 - The World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) joins more than 170 organisations and alliances worldwide to support the UICC Global Smokefree Partnership’s countdown campaign for a smokefree World Cup 2006 in Germany. On behalf of the physicians, nurses, dentist and pharmacists of the world, the WHPA calls in an open letter to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for a reinstatement of a memorandum of cooperation signed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and FIFA prior to the 2002 World Cup. In the memorandum, WHO and FIFA agreed “that tobacco and sports do not mix and that tobacco in any form must be removed from all football events associated with FIFA.” World Cup 2006 will be televised internationally to billions of people, of all ages and races. It is important that the image promoted by FIFA is one that encompasses a healthy competitive spirit, not to be overshadowed by the unhealthy, life-threatening habit of smoking. The WHPA supports the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world’s first public health treaty which contains a host of measures designed to reduce the devastating health and economic impact of tobacco.

For more information about the Global SmokeFree Partnership: http://www.globalsmokefreepartnership.org/

Editor’s Note: World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)
World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) (http://www.whpa.org/)
The World Health Professions Alliance brings together dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy through their representative international organisations, the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the World Dental Federation(FDI) and the World Medical Association (WMA) and represents more than 20 million health professionals worldwide.

• The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of 129 national nurses' associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide.  Operated by nurses for nurses since 1899, ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.
  
  

• The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is the global federation of the national organisations of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.  Pharmacists are health professionals dedicated to improving the access to and value of appropriate medicine use.
  
  

• The World Dental Federation (FDI) is the authoritative, worldwide voice of dentistry with more than 150 member associations in 134 countries around the world, representing more than 900,000 dentists internationally.
  
  

• The World Medical Association (WMA) is the global federation of national medical associations, representing the millions of physicians worldwide.  Acting on behalf of physicians and patients, the WMA endeavours to achieve the highest possible standards of medical science, education, ethics and health care for all people.

For further information contact Linda Carrier-Walker Tel : (+41 22) 908 0100; fax : (+41 22) 908 0101; email: Web site http://www.icn.ch

Habib Benzian (FDI): Tel: +33 450 405050 / Fax: +33 450 405555 / Email: hbenzian@fdiworldental.org

ICN/PR06 #11