SUNY Potsdam Hosts Global Health Issues Keynote, 'Preventing the Preventable'

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Laurent Huber, the executive director of Action on Smoking and Health, will speak at SUNY Potsdam on April 14.

POTSDAM, NY (04/05/2016)(readMedia)-- An internationally respected public health expert will visit SUNY Potsdam to present a special global health issues keynote address next week.

Laurent Huber, the executive director and CEO of Action on Smoking and Health, will present a speech, "Preventing the Preventable," about the global non-communicable disease epidemic, on Thursday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. in the Dunn Hall Theater.

This event is free, and the public is invited to attend.

Huber will discuss global and national issues related to non-communicable diseases and the importance of advocacy and engagement, as well as the important work available in public health sector careers. Non-communicable diseases include heart disease, hypertension, cancer and other conditions that may or may not be inherited.

Audience members will gain an understanding of risk factors for non-communicable diseases, the scope of the epidemic and the economic impact, both in the U.S. and abroad. Huber will also share the importance of governance tools developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations in addressing the issue.

Students can also learn about the importance of careers in public health, and how they can prepare to impact change through wellness and prevention through work in regional to multinational organizations.

This event is sponsored by SUNY Potsdam's Center for Graduate Studies, the Office of Career Planning and the Department of Community Health.

About the guest speaker:

Laurent Huber is the executive director and chief executive officer of Action on Smoking and Health, a U.S.-based non-governmental organization fully devoted to supporting global health and international tobacco control efforts. He was also the co-founder and first director of the Framework Convention Alliance, an international coalition of more than 500 non-governmental organizations from over 100 countries. Because of his work, the FCA is widely recognized for its vital role in shaping the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world's first global legally-binding public health treaty. While managing and directing both ASH and the FCA, Huber also helped to facilitate the integration of tobacco control alongside non-communicable diseases in the United Nations and global development agendas. Huber holds a Master of Science in Education degree, with a focus on exercise physiology research. Fluent in four languages, he has written and contributed to numerous public health articles and he has presented to intergovernmental bodies, including the UN and the WHO. Huber serves on steering committees and advisory boards for the Non-Communicable Disease Alliance, the Pan-American Forum on NCDs, the University of California at San Francisco's Center for Tobacco Control Research and the International Advisory Council of the World Health Organization's NCDNet. For his longstanding work in public health and tobacco control, Huber received the American Lung Association's C. Everett Koop Foundation Award in 2005, and an award from the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health in 2007. Under his leadership, the Framework Convention Alliance has received the prestigious Luther Terry Award, the Premio SEDET Award and the WHO World No Tobacco Day Award. Also under his direction, Action on Smoking and Health was honored with the Health Leadership Award from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in 2014.

To keep track of all the events on SUNY Potsdam's busy campus calendar, please visit www.potsdam.edu/events.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. As the College marks its bicentennial in 2016, SUNY Potsdam will celebrate a 200-year legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and leadership in the arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community is nearing the completion of Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which has already raised $32 million for scholarships and programs.

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