Ouagadougou: The Burkinabe public health physician, Dr. Narcisse Mathurin Nar©, distinguished on May 31, 2026 by the World Health Organization (WHO) for his exceptional contributions to the fight against tobacco, officially received his “WHO Tobacco Free Award 2026” on Friday in Ouagadougou, during a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Health, Jean-Claude Kargougou.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the “WHO Tobacco-Free Award,” presented annually on World No Tobacco Day, recognizes individuals or organizations whose achievements have had a remarkable impact on promoting effective tobacco control policies and protecting public health. Visibly moved, the laureate dedicated this recognition to all those involved in the fight against tobacco in Burkina Faso, stressing that this prize is not “an end point, but fuel to continue the fight.”
“This prize testifies to the efforts of the highest authorities to make the fight against tobacco a national priority. The reforms undertaken, including the strengthening of regulations, the increase in tobacco taxation, the protection of smoke-free spaces and plain packaging, now make Burkina Faso a model in Africa and in the world,” he stated. For him, this award primarily reflects the progress made by the country thanks to a strong political will and collaboration between public institutions, civil society and partners.
Dr. Nar© also praised the constant support of the WHO, which he considers a strategic partner in the implementation of tobacco control policies. Referring to the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2026, “Unmasking the lure: combating tobacco and nicotine addiction”, he called for increased vigilance regarding new nicotine products, such as electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches or sweet-flavored products, which he believes are particularly attractive to young people.
With this distinction, Dr. Nar© becomes the fourth Burkinabe personality to receive this award after Dr. Th©odore Kangw© Nar© in 2014, Dr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Mohamed in 2015 and Dr. Arouna Kabor© in 2022. According to the WHO resident representative in Burkina Faso, ‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦¡¬°tienne Minzah P©k©la, this award not only honors Dr. Nar©, but also constitutes a recognition of the efforts of Burkina Faso as a whole.
“It reflects the commitment of the government, the National Committee for the Fight Against Tobacco, civil society organizations, technical and financial partners, as well as all the actors who work daily to protect the health of the population,” said Mr. P©k©la. He noted that the winners of the “WHO Tobacco-Free Prize 2026” are chosen following a rigorous selection process. In 2026, the African Region has five recipients, including Dr. Narcisse Nar©, nominated by the NGO Africa Against Tobacco (ACOMTA) with the support of the Burkinabe government.