New Delhi, June 10, 2026: The Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, organized a lecture cum hands-on workshop on “Clinical Competency Training in Tobacco Cessation” in observance of World No Tobacco Day 2026. The programme was conducted by the Department of Public Health Dentistry under the training and capacity-building programme of Project CORE (Community-Focused Oral Health Research for Equity), a multi-country collaboration involving Colombia, Kenya, Brazil, and India, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), UK. The event was organized in line with the World No Tobacco Day 2026 theme, “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” highlighting the need to address the growing challenges posed by tobacco and nicotine products and strengthen cessation support within healthcare settings. As part of the World No Tobacco Day observance, the Department of Public Health Dentistry also organized a series of free dental check-up camps from 15th to 31st May 2026. These camps were conducted in collaboration with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), during which 200 beneficiaries were screened and provided oral health consultations.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by the Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Nadeem Yunus, who emphasized the critical role of healthcare professionals in tobacco control and prevention. He highlighted the importance of integrating tobacco cessation counselling into routine clinical practice and encouraged students and faculty members to actively contribute towards building a tobacco-free society.
The scientific sessions were led by distinguished experts from the National Resource Centre for Oral Health and Tobacco Cessation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Prof. Vikrant Mohanty, Professor (SAG) and Head and Principal Coordinator of NRC OH TC, delivered an insightful lecture on nicotine addiction, tobacco dependence, and evidence-based tobacco cessation interventions. Dr. Romshi Raina and Dr. Radhika Gupta, Project Scientists at NRC OH TC, conducted interactive sessions on the clinical assessment of tobacco users, counselling strategies, documentation procedures, follow-up protocols, and practical approaches for integrating tobacco cessation into routine dental care. A key highlight of the programme was the hands-on training session, which strengthened participants’ skills and confidence in tobacco cessation counselling and patient management.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Bushra Ahmed Karim. The workshop was widely appreciated for its practical orientation, with 50 participants benefiting from the training programme and strengthening their tobacco cessation competencies.
The whole programme was conducted under convenorship of Prof. Abhishek Mehta, with coordination of Prof. Aditi Verma, Prof. Bushra Ahmed Karim, Dr. Dr. Nikhat Parveen, and Dr. Barsha Priya Deka from Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, ensuring smooth organization and enthusiastic engagement throughout the session.
