WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in Wednesday's announcement
that she was "absolutely delighted" that he will be WHO's Global
Ambassador for Non-communicable Diseases.
She cited Bloomberg's longtime support for WHO
efforts to control smoking and tobacco use, improve road safety and
prevent drowning.
Chan said Bloomberg will help mobilize global action
to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases and combat injuries,
which together account for almost 80 percent of deaths worldwide.
Bloomberg expressed excitement that by replicating effective measures globally, "we can save many millions of lives."