Prof Raj Kumar, Director of the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI) in India, received the American Thoracic Society’s (ATS) Public Service Award for his public service in the form of his tobacco control efforts in India.
The award recognizes individuals working on public health issues related to lung health. Prof Kumar has dedicated two decades to these areas, particularly tobacco control and air quality improvement.
Prof. Kumar, states a press release, has been serving for the last two decades in the areas of tobacco cessation and air quality improvement. He currently leads VPCI and has personally donated handsomely to anti-tobacco efforts. Notably, his quit line proposal in 2014 was adopted by the government, leading to India’s first national quit line service launched in 2016.
