WHO partners with J&J, Amazon & Google to launch new AI-based anti-tobacco program

World Health Organisation has partnered with Johnson & Johnson, Amazon and Google in its new anti-tobacco program aimed at introducing new tools to quit smoking. WHO has been warning that globe’s 1.3 billion tobacco users are at higher risk during global COVID-19 pandemic.

initiative includes developing nicotine patches and artificial-intelligence-fuelled support to tackle both physical and mental challenges to quitting tobacco at once.

Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco program will begin with Jordan, which has highest rates of tobacco users in world and will eventually be rolled out to or countries. Dr Ruediger Krech of WHO said that partnership with tech and pharmaceutical industries will improve people’s health and save lives during Coronavirus pandemic.

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Partners contribute to WHO's initiative

first batch of nicotine patches will be provided by Johnson & Johnson. New Zealand-based tech company Soul Machines has donated “Florence” which is an AI-powered digital persona designed to help with mental aspects of diction. Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud will support AI techlogy for its widespre use in this project. J&J has alrey donated 37,800 Nicorette patches worth about $750,000 to help over 5,000 Jordanians to quit smoking.

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If program’s success, it could be a blow to sales of both cigarettes and so-called reduced-risk nicotine products that big companies have been positioning as safer products as ir cigarette sales decline.

Florence, AI “digital health worker,” will be on WHO’s site can be accessed around world. tool is expected to work well in Jordan, where nearly 50 per cent of population is under 25 years of . government re has alrey moved to ban smoking in public places amid pandemic. Even though around 60 per cent of tobacco users want to quit, only 30 per cent of m have access to helpful tools, WHO said.

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(Im for representation)