The Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies (CETE) at Aga Khan University (AKU), in collaboration with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), brought stakeholders under one roof as part of its project, Heat Emergency Awareness and Treatment. The project funded by the granting agency, Elrha aims to understand severe heat events in Pakistan, create awareness about exposure and treatment and ultimately help to create a Heat Plan to tackle this critical aspect of climate chang
Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director of Operations at PDMA Sindh and Dr. Junaid Razzak, Director CETE, present a memento to Dr. Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
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The distinguished array of attendees included Assistant Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, and District Health Officers from various districts of Sindh. Among the notable participants were Dr Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director of Operations at PDMA and representatives from Rescue 1122 and Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services. A comprehensive and sustainable heat plan for the province requ
"Extreme heat is a rapidly growing public health crisis, especially for cities in Pakistan. Given its impact, cities need to have clear action plans with well defined triggers. We look forward to partnering with PDMA and other partners to provide necessary technical support to develop such plans."
Dr Junaid Razzak, Director CETE
ires a multitude of related departments to work together which is why forming such a network is the critical first step.
A consensus was reached on the need for a more effective and institutionalized District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), enhanced coordination on heatwave management across districts and a stronger focus on an effective communication campaign between government departments and non-profit organizations. All stakeholders agreed to have regular meetings to tackle this issue and were on board with the concept of developing a Heatwave Management Plan for adversely affected districts.
Dr Sardar Sarfaraz, Chief Meteorologist, Pakistan Meteorological Department stated, "We need to understand the phenomenon of heatwaves and how they are generated. It's not only the daytime temperature that triggers a heatwave alert; heatwaves are complex events influenced by various factors. Comprehensive understanding and monitoring of these elements are crucial for effective heatwave management and timely alerts.”
Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director of Operations at PDMA added, "AKU has taken a big step in gathering different stakeholders under one roof on a very important topic, and this should be a continuous process."
As part of the grant, an animated awareness video about heat emergencies and their management was also created and disseminated via social media. The video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOXxdxv-2Eo
For more information, please contact: coe.te@aku.edu
