The Saeed Awan Lecture

“Immersive Occupational Health:

An innovative approach to reaching rural workers”

Presented by: Dua Awan and Abdul Rehman Alvi, M.D

On Zoom
October 26, 2023

9:00 a.m. EDT, 13:00 UTC, 18:00 Lahore (Pakistan)

Workers in traditional rural industries and international supply chains seldom receive much occupational health attention. Saeed Awan took this as a challenge.  As head of the Center for Improvement of Working Conditions and Environment (CIWCE) in Lahore Pakistan from 1988 until his work-related death in 2014 he reached out to workers in a wide range of local industries:  makers of palm mats, soccer balls, surgical instruments, leather goods, and hand-made brick; stone crushers, rag-pickers and garbage collectors; livestock raisers and date palm and cotton farmers; servers in tea stalls and car repairers. He was convinced that occupational risks could be greatly reduced with surprisingly simple means such as low-cost adaptations to traditional tools (e.g. carpet looms) and cartoon-based pamphlets.  Word of his experience brought Awan into policy-making forums both within Pakistan and internationally where he was particularly known for his success in addressing child labour in hazardous occupations.

Saeed`s determination and his quiet, practical and culturally-sensitive approach to occupational health and safety has been an inspiration to WHWB and laid the foundation for its Working Groups on Brick Factories and Young Workers. 

Here is information about certificates of attendance
 
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