IAD4AD 2026 Global Campaign Amplified by Inspiring ADN Podcast Series

By Abdullahi Umar

The International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD) 2026 Global Campaign came to life through a powerful, wide-reaching ADN Podcast Series featuring 15 distinguished speakers from 9 countries. Experts, practitioners, youth leaders, and creative arts advocates from India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Canada, Bangladesh, Japan, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Africa contributed to this global dialogue on reducing avoidable disaster deaths.

The series opened with a special IAD4AD episode featuring Prof. Nibedita Ray‑Bennett (University of Leicester, UK) and Dr Hideyuki Shiroshita (Kansai University, Japan), hosted by Dr Irene Petraroli (University of Twente, Netherlands) and Dr Haris Rahadianto (Lund University, Sweden). This flagship conversation set the tone for a year of strengthened global collaboration.

From India, Vishal Pathak (All India Disaster Mitigation Institute) shared insights into Ahmedabad’s pioneering Heat Action Plan and community-based early warning systems. The Pakistan Chapter launch brought together Tahira Kan (Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122) and Asad Tahir (University of Leicester, UK), who highlighted prevention, road safety, and youth engagement.

Youth leadership was celebrated in an episode featuring Master Arkoneil Ghosh and Miss Anushka Koner, editors of the ADN Junior Champion Magazine, which amplifies the voices of children and frontline communities affected by climate change.

Creative arts and community engagement were explored by Patience Andrew (Custodians of African Literature) and Fatima Akter (University of Dhaka, Bangladesh), demonstrating how storytelling, education, and preparedness initiatives can reduce avoidable deaths. The Canadian Chapter launch featured Dr Ranjan Datta (Mount Royal University, Canada), who emphasised Indigenous knowledge and inclusive, community-led action.

A multi-expert panel comprising Dr Winifred Ekezie (Aston University, UK), Dr Ramya Pinnamaneni (KIIT, India), and Dr Pratap Kumar Jena (KIIT, India) discussed creative communication, youth leadership, and multi-sector partnerships. The Taiwan Chapter launch, led by Prof. Jie-Ru Chen and Prof. Yi-Tzu Lin (National Chi Nan University, Taiwan), highlighted the importance of global-local collaboration and disaster risk education.

Together, these episodes underscore the Avoidable Deaths Network’s commitment to strengthening global partnerships, promoting inclusive action, and advancing its mission to reduce avoidable deaths from disasters worldwide.