The ninth WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic tracks the progress made by countries in tobacco control since 2008 and, marks 15 years since the introduction of the MPOWER technical package which is designed to help countries implement the demand-reduction measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

This report makes clear that there is a path to end AIDS. Taking that path will help ensure preparedness to address other pandemic challenges, and advance progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. The data and real-world examples in the report make it very clear what that path is. It is not a mystery. It is a choice.

The Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control provides a unified vision of objectives and recommended actions to combat the noncommunicable disease (‎NCD)‎ epidemic in the Western Pacific Region.

South Asia is home to 9 of the world's 10 cities with the worst air pollution. Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in some of the region's most densely populated and poor areas are up to 20 times higher than what the World Health Organization considers healthy (5 micrograms per cubic meter).

Much of what is currently known about the adverse effects of ambient air pollution comes from studies conducted in high-income regions, especially North America and Europe, with relatively low air pollution levels.

It is universally recognized that air pollution is a pressing environmental challenge that has increased considerably in recent years, leading to a rise in premature deaths, threatening livelihoods, and the sustainable development of the region.

Rapid population growth, industrialization, and urbanization combined with delayed enactment of environmental policies have led to serious air quality problems across Asia.