[ad_1]
Nearly two million people around the world die from work-related causes, according to joint estimates by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization, which cite long working hours, pollution and bad conditions as major factors.
The Global Monitoring Report found that 81 percent of the 1.9 million work-related deaths in 2016 were due to noncommunicable diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and ischemic heart disease (heart disease caused by narrowing of the lungs). cardiac arteries), while 19 percent were caused by work-related injuries, including traffic accidents, falls, drowning and injuries caused by mechanical forces.
“It’s shocking to see so many people being literally killed by their work,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who called the results a “wake-up call for countries and companies to improve and protect the health and safety of workers. “.
It is estimated that occupational exposure to gases, fumes and particulates has resulted in approximately 450,000 deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“It is estimated that the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is increased from 58 to 182% in people occupationally exposed to particles, gases and fumes, compared to people not exposed to this occupational risk factor,” says the report.
In 2016, occupational exposure to asbestos, silica and arsenic resulted in the deaths of 209,481, 42,258 and 7,589, respectively. Exposure to asbestos has also led to cancers of the ovary, larynx and a malignant disease called mesothelioma.
Between 2000 and 2016, there was a 14% drop in work-related deaths by population globally, joint estimates show. However, the WHO said in a press release that “Deaths from heart disease and stroke associated with exposure to long working hours have increased by 41 and 19 percent respectively. This reflects a trend. on the rise of this relatively new and psychosocial occupational risk factor “.
Yuka Ujita, senior specialist at the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, says 19 major occupational risk factors and their health effects have been analyzed to obtain an accurate estimate of the number of work-related deaths.
“A disproportionate number of work-related deaths occur among workers in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific,” Ujita said. SciDev.Net. “Specifically, the highest number of stroke and ischemic heart disease deaths attributable to exposure to long working hours was reported for the Southeast Asian region.”
Frank Pega, technical officer for environment, climate change and health at WHO and lead author of the report, recounts SciDev.Net that in Southeast Asia, especially in low- and middle-income countries, the greatest risk factor is exposure to long working hours. Informal economy workers who live in poverty may be forced to work long hours to survive financially, he says.
Milind Kandlikar, professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada, notes that many workers, especially in South and Southeast Asia, work in industries with poor working conditions and are exposed to high levels air pollution. “These exposures can also lead to death from stroke, heart disease and lung disease,” he said. Scidev.Net.
That exposure to long working hours is the risk factor that causes the greatest number of deaths is of great concern, especially since our estimates show that one in ten workers worldwide works dangerously long hours. We must now act together, as governments, employers and workers, to implement known legal, regulatory, policy and health service solutions to limit working time to maximum healthy limits. “
Frank Pega, Technical Officer for Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO
Source link
