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2 Rue Jean Lantier
75001 Paris
France

union@theunion.org

• The Union presents awards at the annual Union World Conference and the General Assembly of members, which usually takes place during the conference.

• The Union Medal, The Union's highest honour, and Honorary Membership are awards given by the membership through the Board of Directors. Both recognise very distinguished careers in TB and lung health and long-time involvement in The Union.

  The Karel Styblo…

• Since 1904, lung health associations have raised millions of dollars in funds for lung diseases by selling Christmas or TB seals. The Union historically honoured these important fundraising and public-awareness campaigns by inviting Heritage and Organisational Members to…

C-6, Qutub Institutional Area
110016 New Delhi
India

Phone: (+91) 11 46 054 400
Phone: (+91) 11 46 054 430 / 429

southeastasia@theunion.org

Around 43% of the adult population use tobacco. Roughly half of tobacco users smoke while the remainder use smokeless forms of tobacco. Men overwhelmingly smoke more (45% of men smoke compared to 1.5% women); smokeless tobacco is particularly popular among women. Bidi, which are…

The Union has helped:
• 3.82 billion people in 37 countries through smoke-free laws
• 3.87 billion people in 28 countries through higher tobacco tax
• 4.11 billion people in 33 countries through graphic health warnings

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• Since 1904, lung health associations have raised millions of dollars in funds for lung diseases by selling Christmas or TB seals. The Union historically honoured these important fundraising and public-awareness campaigns by inviting Heritage and Organisational Members to…

• Here are this year's Christmas Seals entries. Click on the seals to find out more information about each of the entries.

• At the 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Hyderabad, India, Heritage and Organisational Members from seven countries participated in the Christmas Seals Exhibit and Contest. Union members voted for their favourite seals either online or at The Union Village.

• At the 49th Union World Conference on Lung Health in The Hague, The Netherlands, Heritage and Organisational Members from nine countries participated in the Christmas Seals Exhibit and Contest. Union members voted for their favourite seals either online or at The Union…

• At the 48th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Guadalajara, Mexico, Heritage and Organisational Members from all over the world participated in the Christmas Seals Exhibit and Contest.

Ma-39/25-26, 52nd Street, between 42nd & 43rd Street, Maha Aung Myay
Mandalay, Myanmar

Phone: (+95) 9 409 973 377
Phone: (+95) 9 944 973 377

myanmar@theunion.org

Despite being a global leader in tobacco control, Brazil still has nearly 23 million smokers (14.7 % of the population). 18.9% of men and 11% of women smoke. Approximately 14.4% of adults are exposed to second-hand smoke in their workplace and 14.7% of adults are exposed to…

30% of the world’s smokers live in China. Over 300 million adults in China smoke tobacco. The smoking rate in China is one of the highest in the world, with 52.9% of adult males and 2.4% of adult women being current smokers. This startlingly high rate among men leads to over 1.3…

Honorary membership is a lifetime status conferred by the Board in recognition of distinguished contributions to TB and lung health or by being awarded the Union Medal. These members serve as informal advisers to The Union.

Over 22 million people (20% of adults) in Pakistan smoke tobacco. 32% of men and 6% of women smoke. However, smokeless forms of tobacco, such as paan, ghutka and naswar, are also popular. More than 1 in four young people (aged 13-15) are exposed to second-hand smoke in their…

Nearly 14 million Mexicans—17% of the population over 15 years old—smoke. One in every four men and one in every thirteen women smoke tobacco. Roughly 51,500 Mexicans die each year from tobacco-related diseases, comprising 10% of all deaths. Approximately 20% of adults are…

The Stephen Lawn Memorial Fund was established in 2016 through a global partnership between the TB Centre of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK), the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, at the University of  Cape Town, South Africa and The Union, also supported by The…

• The Princess Chichibu Memorial TB Global Award recognises outstanding contributions to global TB control. It is awarded by the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (JATA).

• The Princess Chichibu Memorial TB Global Award is presented annually in memory of Princess Chichibu of Japan by the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (JATA). It is awarded at the Union World Conference the year following the year in which the nomination is made. Further…

• 2025: Prof Keertan Dheda

  The award was presented to Prof Keertan Dheda for outstanding scientific contributions to anti-tuberculosis activities and his role as a global research leader.

  2024: Dr Nguyen Viet Nhung

  A/Professor Nhung…

61 million Indonesians smoke; 67.4% of men and 4.5% of women use tobacco. As a consequence, more than 225,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases every year. More than 97 million Indonesian non-smokers are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke. It is estimated that…

17.3 million adults (28% of the population) use tobacco in the Philippines. Men (48%) have higher rates of smoking than women (9%). 55% of youth (ages 13-15) and 40% of adults are exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes. As a consequence, tobacco kills approximately 87,…

Established in 2025, the Early Career Researcher Award recognises of outstanding and promising early career research in the fields of TB and lung health. The goal of this award is to encourage and reward Early Career Researchers in the fields of tuberculosis and lung health.…

One in every three Indian adults – over 274 million people – uses tobacco. Nearly half of tobacco users consume the cheap, locally-made hand-rolled cigarette called a bidi. Smokeless tobacco, also popular, is used by one in four adults. Half of adults and 27% of youth (aged 13-…

The Union welcomes the adoption of the global strategy for TB research and innovation by Member States of the World Health Organization through a written silence procedure of the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly last week.

Viet Nam has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. One-fourth of the adult population smoke—56% of men and roughly 2% of women over the age of 15. As a consequence, approximately one in eight women and one in five men will die from a tobacco-related illness. An…

The Union Scientific Prize acknowledges researchers at any stage of their career for work in lung health published in the past five years leading up to the Union World Conference in which the award is presented. Nominations are paused for this prize until further notice.

The Karel Styblo Public Health Prize acknowledges a health worker or a community organisation for public health contributions to tuberculosis control over a period of 10 years or more. This prize is named in honour of Dr Karel Styblo, Director of Scientific Activities at The…

The title of Honorary Member of The Union is granted to a person who has become distinguished through active participation in The Union's activities and the fulfilment of its goals. These members serve as informal advisors to The Union.

The Union Medal, The Union’s highest honour, is awarded to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the control of tuberculosis or lung health by their leadership, scientific research, and/or advocacy. The Medal is presented during the Union World Conference on Lung…

The title Heritage Member recognises the contribution of long-standing member organisations. The organisations participate in The Union's strategic planning and governance through the General Assembly. Since 2017, no new organisations have been granted this title.