Bloomberg Philanthropies pledges $220M over 4 years to global anti-tobacco initiative

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday announced his charitable foundation will "spend $220 million over the next four years to discourage tobacco use in developing countries, as he seeks to promote strategies around the world that curbed smoking in his city," the Wall Street Journal reports (McKay, 3/21). Bloomberg announced "the new funding for Bloomberg Philanthropies on Thursday at the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore," Reuters writes, noting "[t]he commitment takes the foundation's total pledge to the cause to almost $600 million" (Begley et al., 3/22).

"Bloomberg's money is targeted primarily at five populous countries where smoking is a big and growing problem -- Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Russia -- and 15 others, which, in total, are home to two-thirds of the world's smokers," the Guardian writes (Boseley, 3/21). "More than 80 countries have received support from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use and since 2007, 30 countries have passed at least one of the protection policies the WHO defines as a high-level effort," according to Bloomberg News (Lopatto, 3/22). An infographic outlining the initiatives accomplishments is available online (3/22).