A senior public health leader who helped lead the response to the Salisbury poisonings will speak at a free community event in Cwmbran this week.
Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz will be the guest speaker at the eighth The Curious Community gathering, titled ‘Tales of the Unexpected: Curiosity in a Crisis’, at the Parkway Hotel on Tuesday 13 October from 5pm to 6.30pm.
Professor Daszkiewicz was director of public health for Wiltshire Council during the Salisbury poisonings in March 2018, when a major multi-agency operation was launched following the Novichok attack.
She found herself at the centre of a response involving hundreds of police officers, scientists, public health specialists, NHS teams, government departments and military personnel. Nine sites required specialist decontamination, more than 1,000 samples were analysed, and the operation became the largest scientific response of its kind in Britain since the Second World War.
Channel 4 documentary
Earlier this year, the events were revisited in Channel 4’s three-part documentary ‘Salisbury Poisonings: The Untold Story‘, which explored the impact of the incident on those involved and the wider community.
At the Cwmbran event, Professor Daszkiewicz will take audiences behind the headlines and discuss what the experience can teach organisations and communities about responding to unexpected challenges. @curiouscomm
Organisers say the talk will explore how curiosity can play an important role during times of crisis, helping people make sense of rapidly changing and unfamiliar situations.
The Salisbury incident also influenced Professor Daszkiewicz’s later work, leading her to research the role of public health in humanitarian recovery as part of her PhD studies.
She is now executive director of public health and strategic partnerships at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and president of the UK Faculty of Public Health.
The event will also look at how lessons learned from major incidents can help build healthier communities, reduce inequalities and prepare for future challenges.
Tickets
Free ticket info here.