New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Two Indians - a doctor and a health activist - were Thursday conferred World Health Organisation’s (WHO) special award for their contribution to the control of tobacco consumption. They are Mumbai-based oncologist Surendra Shastri and health activist Bobby Ramakant. Both of them have been given the Director-General’s Special Recognition Certificate.

Shastri, 50, is the head of the department of preventive oncology at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital and Ramakant is a member of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), a non-profit organisation working against tobacco use.

“Every year, WHO recognises individuals or organisations in each of the six WHO regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control,” WHO said on its website.

Last year, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss was the recipient of this award.

Tobacco is one of the major cause of deaths worldwide and millions of people die due to tobacco related diseases like cancer and cardiovascular problems every year. Nearly 100 million Indians smoke unfiltered cigarettes.