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Elvina Majiwa Wins WHO 2025 World No Tobacco Day Award
Gerald Kombo
June 02, 2025
(Elvina Majiwa, Executive Director of Health Conscious Africa)
Elvina Majiwa, Executive Director of Health Conscious Africa, has been awarded the World Health Organization (WHO) 2025 World No Tobacco Day Award, honoring her unwavering leadership in tobacco control and youth-centered public health across East Africa.
This award belongs to the young advocates who continue to resist addiction and fight for a healthier future. They are the real heroes
— Elvina Majiwa, on receiving the WHO honor.
A Regional Force in Public Health
Elvina Majiwa plays a pivotal role in the Kenya Tobacco and Nicotine Tax Coalition, where her advocacy has pushed for stronger, evidence-backed policies to curb tobacco use, especially among the youth.
We’re witnessing aggressive tactics by the tobacco industry flavored vapes, playful packaging, influencer marketing all designed to lure young people. These are not products of choice; they are engineered addictions.
Elvina Majiwa’s Call to Action
At the 2025 World No Tobacco Day, Elvina Majiwa issued a firm call for urgent policy measures to safeguard Kenya’s youth:
• Ban flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes entirely
• Protect public policy from industry interference
• Increase taxation on both traditional and electronic nicotine products
Price is a barrier. If we make these products unaffordable, we make our children safer
Recognition Beyond the Award
Elvina Majiwa’s WHO accolade signals a broader shift one that elevates youth-led and civil society-driven advocacy as critical drivers in Africa’s public health agenda.
We’re done waiting for solutions. We are creating them, powered by truth, evidence, and people who care
Her recognition is not just personal it's a win for communities, young people, and a continent determined to reclaim its health future from exploitative industries.