Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett Promoted to Professor of Risk Management at the School of Business
4 July 2024 – We are thrilled to announce ADN’s Founding President and Convenor, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett, has been appointed to Professor of Risk Management at the University of Leicester’s School of Business. She will start her new position from 1 August 2024. Many congratulations!
12 June 2024: ADN Team’s latest article publication
On 12 June 2024, the International Journal for Disaster Risk Science published the article titled “Sexual and Reproductive Service Interventions for Menstrual Regulation, Safe Abortion, and Post‐abortion Care and Their Effectiveness During Disaster Response: A Global Systematic Review”.
The article can be downloaded through this link
The article led by Drs Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Winifred Ekezie consists of eight co-authors, six of which are first time co-author for a peer review journal article. These new authors are the Avoidable Deaths Network’s Future Leaders. This includes Lauren Macleod, Isha Biswas, Lasith Dissanayake, Nimra Choudhury, Azukaego Nnji, and David Cowie.
Many congratulations to the team.
3 June 2024: ADN’s #AvoidableDeathsDay 2024 Campaign Marks a Resounding Success
The Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) proudly announces the triumphant conclusion of the 2024 #AvoidableDeathsDay global campaign. This successful initiative spanned four continents, involving 11 countries and featuring 53 diverse activities.
The campaign made its mark in Austria, Bangladesh, Belize, Georgia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the UK, and Zambia.
The campaign encompassed a wide array of activities including articles, press releases, light shows, meetings, workshops, field visits, chapter launches, social media campaigns, tree plantations, orientations, vlogs, videos, posters, rallies, seminars, spoken word poetry, symposiums, capacity building sessions, and webinars.
The campaign was spearheaded by 21 dedicated ADN members, including Founding Presidents Dr. Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett and Dr. Hideyuki Shiroshita. They received substantial support from Advisory Board Members, Regional Coordinators, Operations Members, and others.
ADN extends its heartfelt gratitude to all participants, funders, and supporters for their invaluable contributions. For a comprehensive highlight report, please follow the link
3 June 2024: Dr. Ray-Bennett Joins Expert Panel for London Fire Commissioner’s 2024 Risk Assessment Report
Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett attended a day-long meeting at the Old Kent Station of the London Fire Brigade. She acted as an Expert Panel Member for the “London Fire Commissioner’s Assessment of Risk (AoR) 2024” Report. The AoR is designed to increase understanding of how risk from fire and non-fire emergencies in London has changed over time and how the different elements combine to give London wide picture of risk. The London Fire Commissioner’s AoR is an important requirement for the “Fire and Rescue National Framework for England 2018”.
8 May 2024: UNOCHA Networks and Partnerships Group – Leading Edge Programme
We are pleased to announce that the Avoidable Deaths Network is part of UNOCHA’s Networks and Partnerships Group affiliated with the Leading Edge Programme. From 2025, individuals and organisations will be able to organise sessions at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks under the ambit of the Avoidable Deaths Network in Geneva.
6 May 2024: QI (Quite Interesting) Quizzes for Avoidable Disaster Deaths
Avoidable Deaths Network delivered the Session “QI (Quite Interesting) Quizzes for Avoidable Disaster Deaths” at the UNOCHA’s Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) in Geneva. The expert panel included: James Brown (Member of UNDAC), Dr. Stephen Samuel (Ophirex Inc.), Dr. Winifred Ekezie (Aston University), Dr. Albrecht Beck (Prepared International) and Prof. Alois Hirschmugl (DMAT).
78 participants registered for this event. Some of the comments from the participants were “What a wonderful way of delving into deeper issues surrounding avoidable deaths”; “Could you share us your quiz questions- we would like to use it for capacity building” ; “Just enjoyed it”; “I enjoyed the dynamism and the interaction” and “the structure worked”; “ it was interesting to hear how a concept has a different meaning”.
1 May 2024: University of Leicester presentations on Avoidable Deaths and Missing Persons
On 1 May, the Institute of Environmental Futures (IEF) hosted a closed seminar on Avoidable Deaths. Ms. Lauren MacLeod (Visiting Fellow, IEF) shared the findings and experience of awareness raising workshops on avoidable snakebite deaths with children in Ganjam District of Odisha; Ms. Patience Finye Andrew (Coalition for Afican Literature) screened the four short films of avoidable deaths; and Dr. Hideyuki Shiroshita (Kansai University) screened the tsunami preparedness film produced by the ADN Junior Champions of Hama Elementary School in Osaka, Japan.
At the University of Leicester School of Business’ Crisis and Disaster Risk Management cluster Dr. Aditya Ghosh presented his concept on “missing persons” after disasters and why people disappear when there is tremendous push-push factors created by two concurrent disasters in the context of Sundarbans.
10 – 13 April 2024: Awareness Raising of Snakebite Deaths in Ganjam, Odisha, India
Funded by the Institute for Environmental Futures under the supervision of Dr. Ray-Bennett, Ms. Lauren MacLeod conducted three outreach workshops with 165 participants at three schools in Ganjam district of Odisha India.
The schools were Odisha Adarsha Vidyala (OAV) Hinjilicut, OAV Beguniapada and OAV Kukudakhandi. Lauren was supported by Ms. Basanti Sarangi, Mr. Rajesh Kumar Patro, Ms. Lipsa Sahu, Mr. Filippo Arienta and Ms. Carlota Masó. Additionally, they conducted three meetings with 21 ADN Ambassadors (local community members) in the Gram Panchayats of Burujhari, Sumondal and S. Chachina in Beguniapada Block of Ganjam.
31 March 2024: Global Campaign IAD4AD Wraps Up with Over 30 Activities Across 13 Countries
On 31 March 2024 – a month long ADN’s Global Campaign “International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths” (IAD4AD) came to a closure. More than 30 activities across 13 countries took place to celebrate the first year of the global campaign. The iconic building of Leicester the Attenborough Tower was also lit up half green and purple on 12 March at 6.30 pm to mark the global campaign. The ADN India Hub (led by OSVSWA) organised a three-day in person events from 12 to 14 March in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. A report of all the activities undertaken by the ADN Advisors, Presidents and Regional Coordinators will be released soon. To read Leicester’s press release please click this link.
17 March 2024: Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett Empowers Ganjam Communities, Spurs Local-Level Action Network
From 15 to 17 March 2024, funded by the Institute for Precision Health Outreach Fund, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett organised three outreach workshops in three Gram Panchayats of Ganjam district, Odisha in India. More than 120 participants attended these workshops. One of the outcomes of these workshops led to mobilise communities to launch the Local-Level Action Network across 13 villages of Beguniapada block of Ganjam district.
12 March -ADN Awards 2024: Celebrating Outstanding Contributions and Future Leaders
On 12 March 2024 the results of the ADN Awards were announced. The Junior Champion Award was given to Master Arkoneil Ghosh; Future Leader Award to Ms Lauren MacLeod; and Regional Coordinator Award and Presidents Award to Mr Dillip Pattanaik. The Award ceremony took place at the Suryansh Hotel In Bhubaneswar and was attended by the ADN Presidents Drs Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Hideyuki Shiroshita, ADN Advisors Dr Ambika Prasad Nanda, Dr Amarendra Mohapatra, Professor Vinod Kumar Sharma (among others).
3 February 2024: PreventionWeb Announces IAD4AD India 2024
We are pleased that the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) PreventionWeb platform has announced the global campaign, IAD4AD India 2024 event in Odisha this March. To read the announcement, please click here.
18 January 2024: Announcement of IAD4AD India 2024
We are pleased to announce that the Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) India Hub is hosting a three-day event to celebrate International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD) from 12 to 14 March 2024 in Odisha, India.
The global campaign aims to raise the visibility of indirect disaster deaths and missing persons and promote the slogan Disaster Deaths Are Avoidable.
We celebrate this campaign annually and encourage individuals, frontline workers, communities, institutions and civil society organisations worldwide to do the same to reduce avoidable disaster deaths.
On 12 March, we will hold a one-day Symposium at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC), consisting of eight sessions: i. Inaugural; ii. ADN Hub and Chapters iii. Snakebite Deaths, iv. Drowning Deaths, v. Maternal Disaster Deaths, vi. Direct and Indirect Disaster Deaths, and vii. Disaster Education; and viii. Closing. Approximately 250 national and international delegates are expected, including the ADN Community, academics, intergovernmental and governmental bodies, civil society and the at-risk community.
On 13 March, we will travel to Burujhari village in Ganjam district to inaugurate the novel Case Station for Avoidable Snakebite Deaths (CaSA). The field visit will include a ribbon cutting, walk around, speeches and networking and will be open to the ADN Community, snakebite professionals and the at-risk community.
On 14 March, we will convene for a Global Campaign Meeting in Bhubaneswar to discuss the campaign’s progress, the future of the campaign, open discussion and next steps. It will be open to the ADN Community from the Advisory Board, Regional Coordinators, Partners and Collaborators, Hub and Chapters, and Operations.
For more information on the global campaign, please visit: iad4ad.avoidable-deaths.net. More information on IAD4AD India 2024 will be released soon.
17 January 2024: Snakebite Deaths Are Avoidable: Awareness Raising Webinar for The Art of Living Volunteers
Facilitated by the ADN Advisor Col. Sanjay Srivastava (Executive Director of CROPC) Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett delivered a closed Special Session Webinar on Snakebite Deaths Are Avoidable: Awareness Raising Webinar for The Art of Living Volunteers.
The speakers for this Webinar included Dr. Amarendra Mohapatra (ICMR-RMRC), Dr. Pratyush Mohapatra (ZSI), Ms. Lauren MacLeod (ADN-India Hub), Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett (ADN UK), Dr. Hideyuki Shiroshita (ADN Japan) and Dr. Stephen Samuel (Ophirex Inc.). The Special Session was attended by 131 participants from different parts of India, including at-risk farmers.
11 January 2024: Junior Champions in Osaka Welcomed International Guests from Yunlin Country, Taiwan
his academic year, 59 Junior Champions (5th-grade pupils of Hama Elementary school in Izumiotsu, Osaka Prefecture) spent three months independently producing two films about disaster risk reduction to reduce avoidable deaths from tsunamis.
The Junior Champions were separated into two groups to come up with and film scenarios to raise residents’ awareness of tsunami and earthquake risks and risk management.
11 January 2024, the films were screened in front of International Guests from Yunlin Country, Taiwan and the students’ parents. The film screening was a great success, and even moving some viewers to tears.
In return, Junior Champions from Taiwan performed the saxophone and danced together with Japanese Junior Champions and their parents. Additionally, Japanese Junior Champions performed the school song.
After lunch, the school teachers from Taiwan visited Hama City Hall while pupils had an international exchange through classes. Hama’s Elementary School’s Junior Champions provided a school tour.
Figure 1: Hama Junior Champions’ film screening
Figure 2: Taiwanese Junior Champions’ saxophone performance
Figure 3: City disaster prevention volunteers lecture
Afterwards, city disaster prevention volunteers visited Hama Elementary School and explained their activities and what they would do in the event of a tsunami and themselves in Izumiotsu City. Japan has a very high potential for earthquakes. A powerful earthquake hit Japan’s western coast on New Year’s Day this year, and recovery efforts are still underway. “We need to think about how we will continue to deal with earthquakes in the future.”, he said.
All in all, they had a very productive time. This exchange program was not the first time but the second in the past few years. The Headmistress in Hama elementary school and in Yunlin country were very pleased to have this opportunity. They are hoping to have the next time soon.
This update was written by Ms. Marina Yagi, ADN Japan Manager.
The activities of ADN Junior Champions at Hama Elementary School can be found through this link.
3 January 2024: Field Research Coordinator Appointed at ADN India Hub
Mr. Rajesh Kumar Patra joined the ADN India Hub as the Field Research Coordinator for the Case Station for Avoidable Snakebite Deaths (CaSA) in rural Odisha.
He was welcomed and orientated by Mr. Dillip Pattanaik and Mr. Sunil Mishra at the ADN India Hub office.