Dr. Judith Longstaff Mackay was born in North Yorkshire, England. Her mother was one of the first women in England to attend university, and her father was a decorated Naval captain. Judith received her medical degree from the University of Edinburgh at the young age of 22. Shortly afterward, she moved to Hong Kong, where she has lived for more than 40 years.
Judith started out in Hong Kong as a clinical physician. The more clinical work she did, the more patients she saw with ailments related to tobacco use, including cardiovascular disease, lung problems, and cancer. In 1984, she shifted her professional focus to dedicate herself wholly to preventative medicine, specifically tobacco control. In particular, Judith was and remains concerned about the influence of transnational tobacco companies on people in developing nations, particularly women.
Judith first worked towards a ban on smokeless tobacco products in Hong Kong. She then helped to implement Asia’s first tobacco control agency. Next, she formed the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, for which she served as director until 1989.
Impressed with Judith’s work in Hong Kong, other Asian countries soon asked for her help in their burgeoning tobacco control efforts. To meet this need, she formed another organization, the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, which she has headed since its inception. Considered Asia’s leading anti-tobacco advocate, Judith has helped draft legislation, run workshops, written articles for medical journals, and toured extensively to speak about the need for tobacco control.
Currently, Judith works as the Senior Policy Advisor on tobacco issues for the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2003, she helped to organize the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, during which all 192 WHO member states signed on to restrictions on tobacco advertising and public smoking. Judith is known for her diplomatic skills, having been able to convince public officials in many Asian countries to take unprecedented steps towards controlling tobacco use in their populations. She has also authored or co-authored several books for the WHO, including The Tobacco Atlas, The Cancer Atlas, and the Atlas of Human Sexual Behavior.
Judith has received several awards for her work, including the WHO Commemorative Medal, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Medallion, and Member of the British Empire. Conversely, U.S. tobacco executives have named her one of the three most dangerous people in the world, a title in which she revels.
Sources:
Time Asia
Tobacco.org
Asia Society
Angels in Medicine |
Grace Mitchell |
| About the author: |
| Grace Mitchell lives in Austin, Texas with her partner, dogs, and cats. She is heavily involved in dog rescue. She is a university number cruncher, nearly-finished graduate student, and intermittent junk seller. |
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