Behavior Change Through Social Marketing to Curb Tobacco and Substance Abuse: Dr. Ramesh Gandhi

WHO Director-General Tedros addresses AGM-2026

Civil Society voices crucial in global health decisions: WHO Chief

100+ countries, 250 organizations join global hybrid AGM

Call for behavior change and on-ground health strategies intensifies

Vijay Srivastava,

Geneva / Jaipur, Dusrikhabar.com.The World Health Organization (WHO) marked three years of its Civil Society Commission by hosting the Global Annual General Meeting (AGM-2026) from its Geneva headquarters. The global hybrid event witnessed participation from over 100 countries and around 250 organizations, highlighting the growing importance of civil society in shaping global health policies.

Civil Society Must Be Included in Decision-Making: WHO Chief

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized that listening to civil society and involving them in decision-making is essential to tackle global health challenges. He highlighted that civil society organizations operate at the grassroots level and should be seen as partners, not just participants.

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The meeting was also addressed by Dr. Gaudenz Silberschmidt, Director of Partnerships at WHO and Chair of the Civil Society Commission.

Need for Social Marketing in Healthcare: Dr. Ramesh Gandhi

From India, Dr. Ramesh Gandhi, a member of the WHO CSO Commission’s Communication and Networking Group, presented key insights on the urgent need for Social Marketing in the health sector. He stressed that for controlling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental health issues, behavior change through Social Marketing is critical—especially in tackling tobacco use and substance abuse.

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1.2 Billion Tobacco Users Worldwide

Highlighting the global scale of the issue, he pointed out that nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide use tobacco, underlining the need for a large-scale global campaign driven by Social Marketing-based behavior change.

Focus on Offline Meetings and On-Ground Strategies

Dr. Gandhi also suggested organizing offline regional meetings of CSO Commission members across WHO offices before the upcoming 79th World Health Assembly, to transform “participation into true partnership.” He further emphasized the importance of adopting an on-ground approach over purely digital methods to make global health programs more effective.

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Dr. Gandhi: A Global Expert in Social Marketing

It is noteworthy that Dr. Ramesh Gandhi is not only a WHO CSO Commission member but also a recognized expert in Social Marketing. He has represented India twice at the World Social Marketing Conferences and presented research at the international level.

Youth Engagement Key in Health Sector

During the meeting, Beth Stinchcombe, Operations Head of Beyond Mental Health (UK), stressed the importance of engaging youth energy and enthusiasm in the health sector.

Roadmap for 2026–2028 Presented

The AGM also unveiled the 2026–2028 roadmap and shared insights from a pre-event Mentimeter survey, outlining future priorities for global health collaboration.

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