Shoba John

Programme Director

Shoba John joined PATH Canada (now Health Bridge) in November 2001 as its Tobacco Control Advisor based in Mumbai, India. Her initial efforts were geared towards mobilizing and supporting policy, research and media advocacy efforts of tobacco control organizations in India. In 2005, on becoming the Programme Director, she expanded her involvement to the Gender and Reproductive Health Programmes, offering technical assistance and supervision to partners in India.

Shoba continues her work in international tobacco control mobilising Governments in South East Asia to develop and implement tobacco control policies including the FCTC and lending support to HealthBridge’s tobacco control and gender programmes. Towards this end, she undertakes policy analysis, research and capacity building of governments and civil society in the region.

She serves on the board of the Framework Convention Alliance, Co-chairs the Global Smokefree Partnership and consults for WHO, World Bank and RITC among others. She is an active member of several committees of the Government of India including the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Tobacco Control, Screening Committee for Tobacco Advertising Violations and Technical Committee on Alternatives to Tobacco Crop. Shoba is also associated with various rights-based movements and development groups.

In 2007, her contributions to tobacco control were recognised by American Cancer Society through its International Achievement Award.

Prior to joining HealthBridge, Shoba worked as the Co-ordinator of Association for Consumers Action on Safety & Health, a Mumbai-based Consumer health advocacy organization. In this capacity, she lent leadership to their campaigns promoting breastfeeding, consumer and patients´ rights and tobacco control. In her first job as a Researcher at the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, she was involved in the Qualitative evaluation of various Social Development Projects of the college in Mumbai.

Born in the South Indian state of Kerala, she is fluent in English, Hindi and Malayalam. Following her Bachelors in Chemistry, she switched streams to do her Masters in Social Work from Mumbai University.

When in Mumbai, Shoba is reachable at the Cancer Patients Aid Association, whose tobacco control cell she supports through technical inputs.

Research and Reviews

Dasgupta Mazumdar P, John S & Narendra S. Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship across South and South East Asia- Challenges and Opportunities. Center for Media Studies & HealthBridge. India. July 2009.

John S. Enforcement of Tobacco Control Policies: Global Best Practices. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India & HealthBridge. India. August 2008.

John S. History, Production and Marketing of Bidis in India In Gupta PC, Asma S (eds).  Bidi Smoking and Public Health. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, 2008.

John S. Review of Tobacco Marketing Module. Tobacco Academy. International Union Against Cancer. Geneva. May 2006.

John S, Thomas B, Thomas P & Vaite S. Gender and Reproductive Health Concerns of the Residents of Sanjay Nagar Slum, Bhuj, Gujarat, India. ESAF & PATH CANADA. India. July 2005.

Bansal R, John S & Ling P M. Cigarette advertising in Mumbai, India: targeting different socio-economic groups, women, and youth. Tobacco Control, June 2005; 14: 201 – 206

John S. Legislation & Enforcement. In WHO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Report on Tobacco Control in India" (November 15, 2004).

John, S. Research Coordinator, India. Tobacco and Poverty: Observations from India and Bangladesh. PATH Canada. 2002.

John S. Problems Faced by Wives of Persons With HIV/AIDS. Masters Thesis. 1995.

Abstracts and Presentations

John S. Power of Public Policy - What Works & What Needs to be Done? Plenary address at UICC World Cancer Congress. Washington, USA. July 2006.

John S. Engaging and Energising Development Organisations in Tobacco Control. Plenary address at 13th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Washington, USA. July 2006.

John S. Socio Economic Consequences of Growing Tobacco in India. 13th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Washington, USA. July 2006.

John S. Indian Experiments in Regulating Gutkha. 13th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Washington, USA. July 2006.

John S. Tackling Economic Arguments on Tobacco Agriculture, Employment & Taxation. Advocacy Training Workshop. Bogor, Indonesia. May 2006.

John S. Best Practices in Reducing Youth Tobacco Consumption. Advocacy Training Workshop. Bogor, Indonesia. May 2006.

John S. Involving men in Reducing Domestic Violence. Training of Anganwadi Workers of Integrated Child Development Scheme. Bhuj, Gujarat, India. April 2006.

John S. Networking for a National Tobacco Control Law. Meeting of Tobacco Control Working Group. Hanoi, Vietnam. March 2006.

John S. Next Steps in FCTC Implementation. Meeting of Tobacco Control Working Group. Hanoi, Vietnam. March 2006.

John S. Making Networks Work-the Indian Experience. 2nd SEATCA Advocacy Fellowship Training Programme. Taipei, Taiwan. March 2006.

John S. Next Steps for NGOs in Implementing the FCTC. 2nd SEATCA Advocacy Fellowship Training Programme. Taipei, Taiwan. March 2006.

John S. Ban on Smoking in Public Places: Improving Enforcement. First Indian National Conference on Tobacco control. Mumbai, India. January 2006.

John S. Implementation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Inter-country Meeting of National Focal Points for Tobacco Control in South East Asia. Yangon, Myanmar. June 2005.

John S. PATH Canada Programmes to Strengthen the National Coalition. 2 nd Annual Meeting of Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control-India. Mumbai, India. April 2005.

McIntyre D & John S. Tackling Tobacco in Tamil Nadu, India. Project Inception Workshop of the Tamil Nadu Health Project. April 2005.

John S. Tobacco Production & Manufacture: Interests at Stake. Laws to Protect Industry or Public Health? 11th Canadian Conference on International Health. Ottawa, Canada. October 2004.

John S. Global happenings in tobacco control - the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. First International Health Forum. Mumbai, India January 2004.

John S. Socio-economic Concerns Raised by Tobacco . Asia Social Forum. Hyderabad, India. January 2003.

John S. Cost Effective Media Advocacy-the Indian Experience. 12th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Helsinki, Finland. August 2003.

John S, Shah S, Vaite S. Economic Consequences of Tobacco Use on Poor Income Groups in Mumbai, India. 12th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Helsinki, Finland. August 2003.

John S. Young Adults: A New Target Market for the Tobacco Industry in India. 12th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Helsinki, Finland. August 2003.

Efroymson D, Fitzgerald S & John S. Supporting Tobacco Control in Developing Countries: Lessons & Experiences. 10th Canadian Conference on International Health. Ottawa, Canada. October 2003.

John S. Tobacco & Poverty: Recommendations for Action in South East Asian Countries. Inter-country Meeting of National Focal Points for Tobacco Control in South East Asia, Bangkok. 27 - 30 July 2004.

John S, Debra Efroymson & Vaite S. Economic Consequences of Tobacco Use on Vulnerable Groups. 3rd International Conference on Smokeless Tobacco. Sweden. August 2002.

John, S. Movies, Television and Sports: How They Glamorise Tobacco and Measures to Counter It, 11th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, Chicago. August 2000.

Building and Sustaining Tobacco Control Coalitions - 11th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. August 2000

NGO Comments on the Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertising and Regulation of Trade, Commerce and Supply) Bill 2001 to Rajya Sabha Standing Committee, New Delhi. July 2001.