Introduction of the Group

Given the high frequency of accidents and disasters worldwide, coupled with Iran’s vulnerability and diverse hazard profile, the Department of Health in Disasters and Accidents was established in 2012 under the leadership of Dr. Hamidreza Khankeh. In its inaugural year, it started operations with four students and six faculty members. Since its inception, this department has served as a core collaborator with the National Emergency Organization, the Ministry of Health, the National Crisis Management Organization, and the Tehran City Disaster Management Organization.

Furthermore, due to the extensive scope of traffic accidents and their significant health impacts, in 2016, the department signed a cooperation memorandum with the Traffic Police of the country. This led to the establishment of the Traffic Health Research Committee and the National Traffic Health Research Network, initiating numerous national and international educational and research activities with the participation of experts in the field.

In addition, in response to the growing impact of climate-related disasters—both globally and in Iran—the Climate Change Research Committee was founded within the department in 2017. This committee has designed and executed valuable projects to generate scientific evidence in this increasingly critical area.

Currently, the department is recognized as a leading national and international scientific and academic authority, specializing in organizing education and research related to health in disasters and accidents, traffic incidents, and climate change.