Workshop assesses risk from biological hazards

PESHAWAR: Participants at a workshop on Friday collaborated to assess and prioritize risks arising from biological, natural, chemical, and technological hazards.

Organized by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department in collaboration with the National Institute of Health (NIH), the four-day workshop was titled “Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment and Profiling”.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders from various sectors to identify and prioritize potential risks resulting from natural and human-induced hazards. Director General of Health Services Dr Muhammad Saleem attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest along with Additional Director General Dr Shahid Younis and officials from the public health.

Participants included representatives from health, home and tribal affairs, finance, agriculture, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rescue 1122, livestock and dairy development, information and public relations, Food Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP), local government, Bureau of Statistics, and border management.

During the workshop, participants collaborated to assess and prioritize risks arising from biological, natural, chemical, and technological hazards. Three specialized working groups were formed to develop hazard profiles, which were presented on the final day. The findings will contribute to a comprehensive report that will be submitted to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for future planning and decision-making.

Dr Muhammad Saleem highlighted the importance of multi-hazard risk assessments in enabling the Health Department and other stakeholders to cope with potential challenges over the next two years.