Brundtland, a medical doctor who was elected in 1981 as Norway's first woman prime minister and remains a champion of women's rights and environmental issues since her retirement from Norwegian politics in 1996, was appointed to the WHO directorship earlier this year. She spoke at the Center to promote her health agenda to an audience of leading health officials, including U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and Wilson Center director-designate, Congressman Lee Hamilton. As reported on WHO's Web site , on the day she took office as director-general of the organization, Brundtland launched the Tobacco Free Initiative as a Cabinet project. She has been reassigning funds to this initiative from other projects.
Smoking is a communicated disease.
The allure of smoking is communicated through advertising and through peer pressure. The price is paid in lost health and lost lives. The bill for the health damages of tobacco is sent to the taxpayer. Brundtland urged governments around the world to place the the fight against tobacco in the portfolio of the highest office, not simply leaving it to their health ministries. Even then, the campaign would not be easy, she said.