Professor Ruth Roemer is presented the 2003 INWAT Award

Read Mira Aghi's presentation speech

Read Ruth Roemer's acceptance speech

Professor Ruth Roemer was presented the International Network of Women Against Tobacco's (INWAT) 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Public Health Association Conference in San Francisco in November, 2003. Mira Aghi, the South-East Asia Regional Representative for INWAT presented the award.
The Lifetime Achievement award is given to a woman whose achievements have contributed significantly to tobacco control and public health. INWAT is honored to recognize her many
contributions.

For Ruth Roemer, these include:

• Scientific and academic work-- teaching, speaking, and writing -- including authorship of the landmark WHO publication, Legislative Action to Combat the World Tobacco Epidemic.
• Public health leadership, most notably, serving as President of the American Public Health Association, in 1987. In this role she led a national letter-writing campaign to editors of women's magazines, urging them to reject the tobacco advertising that was "silencing" their coverage of women and tobacco issues.
• A vision of international law that served as the basis for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was recently adopted by the World Health Assembly. This treaty may well become the foremost tobacco control intervention of this century, reducing death and disease caused by tobacco, by diminishing the power of the tobacco industry.
• A talent and love of mentoring. Many tobacco control leaders around the world have been touched by her gift of friendship. Ruth's scientific and academic rigor, tireless pursuit of justice, and superb support of colleagues has inspired many to follow in her footsteps. Literally hundreds of former students and colleagues consider you a role model.

Tobacco control is only one of the many fields that Ruth Roemer has worked in during her career, and many groups have already seen fit to honor her.