World Health Organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Health organized an advocacy walk/hike on May 4, 2008 as part of the World Health Day and the World No Tobacco Day 2008 commemorations. The overall objective of the event is to promote healthy lifestyle.

The World Health Day was observed all over the world including in Pakistan under the theme "Protecting Health from Climate Change" on 7th of April, 2008. The theme chosen to mark the World No Tobacco Day this year is "Tobacco-free Youth". Starting in the month of May, a number of activities have been planned to celebrate the World No Tobacco Day which will formally be commemorated all over the world on 31st May, 2008.

The walk/hike started from Trail III of the Margalla Hills at 0730 hrs on 4th May 2008. People from all walks of life including youth, government officials, representatives of the UN agencies, and sports organizations participated in the walk.

On request of the Provincial Health Department, Balochistan, WHO decided to build pre-engineered insulated and air conditioned warehouses in DHQ Hospitals of eight flood affected districts. These districts include Bolan, Chagai, Jhal Magsi, Kech, Kharan, Khuzdar, Lasbella and Washuk. Work started on the warehouses on 1st Jan. 2008 and completed in mid May 2008.

During the floods 2007 in Sindh and Balochistan, it was observed that districts do not have proper storage arrangements to store the medicines under controlled temperature and adhoc arrangements were made at various places for the purpose. In Balochistan the weather is very hot in summer and temperature rises up to 50 ^oC in some areas. But the existing warehouses are not insulated and can not prevent the medicines from heat which reduces the efficacy of medicines.

Structure
All the warehouses were fabricated in Rawalpindi and transported in trucks to the respective sites for installation. Each warehouse has covered area of 400 sq ft. (25 feet long, 16 feet wide and 10 feet high) with the following specifications:

• Foundation: RCC Column Footings with 4x0.75 inch dia bolts
• Structure/Frame: Portal Frame Columns- I Section 8"x 4" with 16 mm th base plate Rafters - I section 8"x 4" with 12 mm th plates Roof Purlins - Joint less, cold rolled, full length Galvanized sigma section 145x63x1.5mm th
• Walls & Roof: Inter locking insulated sandwich panels, fabricated with 0.5 mm thick, pre painted galvanized steel sheet outer and inner skins, with 50 mm thick rigid Polyurethane Foam insulation injected in between (Density 35 kg/Cu M)
• Plain concrete floors
• Wooden doors
• Aluminium ventilators
• Split unit AC of 24000 BTU
• Heavy duty steel racks

Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Khan, Minister for Health, Government of AJ&K, Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ahmed, Deputy Chairman ERRA and visiting WHO Deputy Regional Director Dr. Mohamed Abdi Jama have jointly inaugurated the pre-engineered extension of DHQ Hospital, Bagh on 20 November, 2007.

District Headquarter Hospital is the only referral health facility in district Bagh which is serving a population of 500,000. The hospital was destroyed in the devastating earthquake of October 8, 2005. Initially, it was built by MSF-Belgium as a container hospital on July 9, 2006 with the capacity of 60 beds, with one delivery room, two operation theatres, one emergency room, one intensive care unit, one neo-natal care unit, one laboratory, an X-ray department, two pharmacy units and eight consultation rooms. MSF-B phased out and stopped its activities from the hospital at the end of September 2007 and handed over to the local health authorities.

On the request of ERRA and local health authorities, WHO constructed two pre-engineered wards with 40 beds capacity, 5 OPD filter clinics, dental clinic, laboratory, out door pharmacy and patient waiting area as part of the extension of the container DHQ hospital with the financial assistance of the state of Kuwait. WHO is also providing 4 examination couches and 40 patient beds with bedside tables and mattresses. The hospital is handling more than 600 OPD patients, 15 to 20 admissions, 10 to 17 Surgeries, an average of 15 deliveries, more than 100 laboratory tests, 70 to 80 X-Rays and 8 to 10 patients are referred to Rawalpindi and Islamabad on daily basis. The patient load and demands for the services were more than the physical capacity of the hospital; however, the new structure will help to minimize the gaps and respond to the needs.

WHO has already constructed and handed over 20 pre-engineered Rural Health Centres and 36 Basic Health Units in the earthquake affected districts of NWFP and AJK.

Nov. 19, 2007: WHO Deputy Regional Director Dr. Mohamed Abdi Jama donated an electrically controlled mini operation theater to PIMS in a ceremony held at 19 November 2007 at PIMS, Islamabad. Dr. Ghazala Mahmood, Executive Director PIMS received the donation gratefully and thanked WHO who also donated an autoclave which has capacity of 53 litres.

Dr. Jama, in his address, appreciated the role and efforts of PIMS in response to the earthquake 2005. Dr. Khalif Bile Mohamud, WR Pakistan highlighted the importance of institution such as PIMS in a disaster situation and in building the capacity of health professionals in casualty management. Dr. Ghazala briefed on PIMS plans to develop a post graduate training program on accident and emergency.

WHO is also donating similar 9 more mini operation theaters and autoclaves to different hospitals in Pakistan.