Karachi, Pakistan – February 07 2026: A targeted workshop on Tobacco Cessation in Healthcare was held at the Transfusion Hall, Blood Center, Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN), Karachi. The session focused on equipping healthcare professionals with practical strategies to implement brief, effective, and sustainable interventions for tobacco cessation across diverse clinical settings.

The workshop highlighted the principles of brief interventions, including 5As, 5Rs, and Very Brief Advice+, emphasizing their critical role in supporting patients to quit tobacco. Participants engaged in interactive role plays to practice and refine communication skills, applying these interventions in various clinical contexts such as general OPDs, maternity OPDs, post-surgical wards, HDUs, dispensary interactions, programmatic visits, and follow-up consultations.

A key objective of the session was to strengthen participants’ ability to integrate brief interventions into routine clinical practice, including the use of referral pathways and sustained follow-up, to ensure lasting impact on patient outcomes.

The workshop was facilitated by a distinguished panel of experts, including Dr. Madiha Siddiqui, Clinical Manager, IHHN; Dr. Javaid A. Khan, Professor of Medicine in Section of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Aga Khan University; Mr. Samuel Barkat, Clinical Nursing Instructor, IHHN; Dr. Shumaila Zeeshan, Specialist-Family Medicine, IHHN; Dr. Jawed Habib Sheikh, Specialist-Family Medicine, IHHN; and Dr. Kaleemullah, Senior Lecturer, SIUT.

The session reflects IHHN’s ongoing commitment to empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based tools and skills to reduce tobacco use and promote healthier communities.