Public health emergencies: Scholar defends his doctoral thesis

ISLAMABAD: Majid Ali Tahir, a PhD scholar at the Department of Public Health and Nutrition, University of Haripur, successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled “A Comprehensive Assess-ment of Preparedness and Readiness of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Manage Public Health Emergencies” during a public defense.

The research offers significant insights into strengthening provincial health security and emergency response mechanisms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study comprehensively assessed the province’s preparedness to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies, identifying key strengths as well as critical gaps in the existing system.

According to the findings, the research proposes a practical framework aimed at enhancing the province’s capacity to effectively manage public health crises and improve overall emergency preparedness.

The scholar acknowledged the contributions of external examiners Prof. Dr. Saira Afzal, Dean of the Institute of Public Health, Lahore, and Prof. Dr. Rubeena Zakar, Professor of Public Health at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, as well as internal examiner Dr. Abbas Khan for their valuable feedback and recommendations that helped strengthen the quality of the research.

Majid Ali Tahir also expressed gratitude to his supervisor Dr. Ijaz Ul Haq and co-supervisor Dr. Shahbaz Ahmad Zakki for their continuous mentorship and guidance throughout his academic journey.

He further acknowledged the support of Dr. Zakki, Head of the Department, Prof. Dr. Aziz Ullah, Dean of the Faculty of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and Dr. Sami Ullah Khan, Director ASRB, for providing institutional support and facilitating the successful completion of the research.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026