6 February 2026, Bangkok – The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) honored six of Asia’s tobacco control leaders today during its 25th anniversary Tobacco Control Legacies celebration, held in Bangkok, Thailand, including Singapore’s Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, Mr. Ong Ye Kung, who was awarded the inaugural Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award. Other awardees were Dr. Phan Thi Hai of the Ministry of Health, Vietnam, who received the inaugural Judith Mackay Torchbearer Award, and Dr. Katthanaphone Phandouangsy and Dr. Maniphanh Vongphosy of Lao PDR, who were jointly conferred the SEATCA Unsung Hero Award.
The event was a tribute to the legacies of Prof. Judith Mackay and Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, two pioneers whose many decades of advocacy and leadership have shaped tobacco control and raised the bar in efforts to counter tobacco industry interference in Asia and globally.
Ms. Catherine Wong, Singapore Ambassador to Thailand, receives the Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award
on behalf of Minister Ong Ye Kung, presented by Prof. Prakit Vathesatogkit.
The inaugural Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award recognizes Minister Ong Ye Kung’s bold and visionary leadership in tobacco control. His work includes banning and advancing strong regulatory measures on emerging tobacco and nicotine products and sharing Singapore’s policy experience to support tobacco control efforts in other countries in ASEAN.
The award is named in honor of Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, a former Dean of Ramathibodi Medical School of Mahidol University and a key architect of Thailand’s tobacco control and tobacco taxation policies. For more than four decades, Dr. Prakit has played a pivotal role in shaping national and regional tobacco control policies, including contributions to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
“The industry is developing new addictive products, and it is important for leaders in the region to continuously work together and share best practices on how to effectively counter these,” Dr. Prakit said. “Minister Ong Ye Kung’s leadership demonstrates how decisive, forward-looking policy can protect public health, not only nationally but across the ASEAN region. By taking bold action and sharing Singapore’s experience, he is helping strengthen tobacco control beyond Singapore’s borders.”
Prof. Judith Mackay presents the Judith Mackay Torchbearer Award to Dr. Phan Thi Hai of Vietnam.
The Judith Mackay Torchbearer Award recognizes Dr. Phan Thi Hai’s distinguished leadership in advancing public health, demonstrated through courage in defying and publicly standing up to a domineering and threatening tobacco industry to denormalize the industry and its products in Vietnam.
The award is named after Prof. Judith Mackay, a globally recognized leader in tobacco control based in Hong Kong who shifted from clinical medicine to tobacco control in 1984 and has since been at the forefront of efforts to counter the tobacco epidemic in Asia. Her impact has been significant enough that the tobacco industry once named her as one of the “three most dangerous people in the world.”
“Being called dangerous by the tobacco industry is not an insult, but a confirmation that tobacco control is a threat to their insatiable and manipulative business. The tobacco industry and nicotine industry is not a stakeholder in public health – it is the vector of disease,” Prof. Mackay said. “Dr. Phan Thi Hai represents what this award stands for, the courage in the face of industry pressure and unwavering commitment to public health. Her work shows that genuine progress in tobacco control is possible when leaders stand firm against industry influence, especially when it is difficult.”
H.E. Mr. Palakorn Suwanrath, Privy Councilor of Thailand, presents the
SEATCA Unsung Hero Award to Dr. Katthanaphone Phandouangsy and Dr. Maniphanh Vongphosy of Lao PDR.
The SEATCA Unsung Hero Award honors Dr. Katthanaphone Phandouangsy and Dr. Maniphanh Vongphosy for their many years of behind-the-scenes contributions to tobacco control in Lao PDR and underscores that tobacco control victories are not achieved by a few visible champions alone, but through the collective effort of both outspoken advocates and quiet, tenacious leaders whose work sustains policy progress.
“These awards reflect the spirit of tobacco control in Asia: courageous and committed to saving lives,” said Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of SEATCA. “As we mark our 25th year, we honor not only individual achievements, but also highlight the collective efforts that continue to push back against the tobacco industry’s deceptive tactics.”
The Tobacco Control Legacies event celebrated SEATCA’s 25 years of advancing evidence-based tobacco control policies across Asia. The gathering brought together government leaders, international organizations, diplomats, advocates, and the media to reflect on progress, honor leaderships, and reaffirm a shared commitment to reaching a tobacco- and nicotine-free future.
Contact Information:
Ms. Cyresse Ann Achilleos, Media and Communications Officer, SEATCA
Email: cyresse@seatca.org
Mobile: +63 975 701 7130
About SEATCA
SEATCA is a multi-sectoral non-governmental alliance promoting health and saving lives by assisting ASEAN countries to accelerate and effectively implement the tobacco control measures contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). SEATCA is an accredited ASEAN entity and an official Observer to the WHO FCTC Conference of Parties. WHO bestowed on SEATCA the World No Tobacco Day Award in 2004 and the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award in 2014.