Pakistan Symposium Addresses Psychological & Physical Wellbeing Challenge

By: WE Staff | Monday, 3 July 2023

A health awareness symposium with the topic "Psychological & physical wellbeing of working women" was held at the National Incubation Centre (NIC) in Peshawar, Pakistan. Clinical experts highlighted important issues compromising the physical & mental health of women.

In accordance with a news release, the event was planned by Saira Qureshi, an executive board member of the Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN) KP Chapter, with help from PUAN. A news release states that US Consul General Peshawar Panfilo Marques attended the ceremony with his team, which also included Ms. Monica Davis (Public Affairs Officer) and other others, as a "Guest of Honour." The event was also attended by Rakhshanda Naz, the KP for Women Harassment at Work Ombudsperson and a social development expert.

According to Saira Qureshi, a female business owner, an IVLP and SABIT alumni, and a former executive member of the Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Peshawar (WCCIP), it was a first-of-its-kind health awareness symposium hosted in Peshawar.

Women's health is being negatively impacted by recent occurrences like the COVID-19 illness and its effects on people's mental health, persistent financial stress, and climate change, which has resulted in recent incidences of extreme heat waves. Women frequently put their personal needs last when trying to take care of their family, as Saira noticed.

She explained that this was a pilot project that had started in Peshawar and that over time, its scope would be expanded by replicating it in other locations and including students who also needed counselling to prevent the negative effects of studying on their mental and physical health, counselling sessions for women entrepreneurs, etc.

Practising experts Dr. Bilal Khan, Assistant Professor and Head of the Physiotherapy Department at RMI, Dr. Rafiq Afridi, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at RMI, Dr. Zaira Harum, Gynaecologist Women Medical Officer at Government Maternity Hospital Peshawar, Dr. Abdul Mannan, Resident Dermatologist at HMC Peshawar, and Lubna Naeem, Clinical Psychologist at Shaukat Khanam Memorial Cancer Hospital. Raveena, a physical trainer at Fit Mania Gym, took part in the conversation as a panellist and expert.

The event attracted a large number of attendees from all backgrounds. All of the clinical panellists, guests, and the event organiser received gifts from the US Consul General as a token of appreciation for their contributions to society.