Professor Bontle Mbongwe Awarded The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
Associate Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Botswana, Professor Bontle Mbongwe, has been awarded the World Health Organisation (WHO) Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion. Professor Mbongwe who is Head of the School of Public Health, received the prestigious award in Geneva, Switzerland on 31st May 2024.
The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion is awarded to individuals, institutions or organisations that have made significant contributions to the health promotion field. Consequently, Professor Mbongwe has been recognised for her exemplary work as a public health advocate and a passionate tobacco control activist. She played a pivotal role in initiating national consultations during the negotiation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This led to the amendment of Botswana's Control of Smoking Act in 2004, which restricted smoking in public places, protected children, pregnant women and workers as well as raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 16 to 18 besides banning tobacco advertising and promotion.
In 2008, Professor Mbongwe’s research influenced governmental policies to shift from mercury-containing devices to mercury-free alternatives in healthcare facilities. In 2014, she challenged the tobacco industry by successfully advocating for a 30 percent tobacco levy in Botswana. She also contributed to the creation of the Tobacco Control Act of 2021, aligning with WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The Act further raised the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21, banned the sale of single cigarettes and required tobacco products to be sold by licensed individuals only.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Mbongwe successfully advocated for a ban on the sale of tobacco products. As the founder of the first civil society Anti-Tobacco Network in Botswana, Professor Mbongwe has been instrumental in creating a coalition of media and non-governmental organisations dedicated to tobacco control in Botswana, Africa and beyond. Her research on youth smoking has led to initiatives such as “SKY Girls BW” and the “Most Teens Don’t Smoke” campaigns. For her outstanding leadership in anti-smoking efforts, Professor Mbongwe received the World No Tobacco Day Award and the WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award in 2021.