As one of the top participants in the activities arranged for “World No Tobacco Day-2024,” Odisha placed second out of all the participating states.
An official statement claims that under the auspices of the National Oral Health Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Odisha was awarded this position in a well-designed, structured evaluation conducted by the National Resources Centre for Oral Health and Tobacco Cessation, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi. The award was given out in conjunction with the World No Tobacco Fortnight, which took place in 2024 from May 20 to June 5.
Aradhana Pattnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, congratulated Odisha and presented a certificate and citation. On behalf of Odisha, Dr. Nilakantha Mishra, Director of Public Health, accepted the prize.