Results
Title

Environmental health needs and launching of an environmental health protection unit in Pakistan.

Authors

Khan, M.Z.A.; Kazi, B.M.; Bile, K.M.; Magan, M.; Nasir, J.A.

Abstract

Pakistan is seriously confronted by many complex and difficult environmental challenges related to air, water, soil, forests and food including issues such as climate change. The close link between environment and health is neither well understood nor appreciated. The annual cost of environmental degradation in Pakistan has been estimated to be around US$ 4.0 billion or at least 6% of the country's GDP. Up to 35% of the burden of disease is attributable to environmental hazards and risk factors and most of this burden is preventable. A systematic process for identifying environmental health needs and issues as well as the efforts made by the government of Pakistan and the World Health Organization in establishing and launching an environmental health protection unit are described. Also presented are the mission, functions, structure (operational and logistical) and technical requirements as well as sustainability aspects of the environmental health protection unit.

Subjects

PAKISTAN; ENVIRONMENTAL health; GOAL (Psychology); MEDICAL wastes; STRATEGIC planning; WORLD Health Organization; ORGANIZATIONAL structure; COST analysis

Publication

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2010, Vol 16, pS69

ISSN

1020-3397

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.26719/2010.16.Supp.69