MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a new project � the Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco � that aims at helping over one billion people around the world quit smoking amid the coronavirus pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus� said on Friday.
"Today, WHO is launching the Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco, which aims to help the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users quit during the pandemic. This initiative will help people freely access the resources they need to quit tobacco, like nicotine replacement therapy and access to a digital health worker for advice," Tedros told a virtual briefing.
The WHO chief also said that Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health, the initiative's first manufacturer partner, had donated 40,000 nicotine patches.
In addition, the agency unveiled its "first-ever digital health worker based on artificial intelligence" Florence. The technology, which was developed by company Soul Machines, with support from Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, is said to provide users with information about tobacco and risks faced by smokers if they contract COVID-19, as well as helps to develop a customized quitting plan.
"WHO is in the final stages of adding more partners and encourages pharmaceutical and tech companies to join this initiative, which will help people reduce their risk of COVID-19 and lead healthier lives," the agency's head said.
Jordan will become the first country where the initiative will be launched, Tedros said, adding that the agency plans to roll it out globally over the coming months.
