Many economically developing countries and nations without robust occupational hygiene (OH) educational programs endure a shortage of qualified occupational hygienists, resulting in higher rates of workplace injury, illness, and fatality. Damage to valuable infrastructure, environment, and public health also occurs without adequate support. Improving Global Worker Health and Safety Through Collaborative Capacity Building Initiatives outlines a broad variety of capacity building projects in OH. It also introduces detailed experiences of occupational hygienists working abroad and working on special global topics including a discussion of how global trade agreements influence the practice and policy within OH. It describes the special needs of informal workers who do not have a "typical" employer and special challenges of creating university curricular guidelines for OH, building competency, and increasing capacity. This book also informs experienced professionals in international OH-capacity building initiatives and directions. Features: Presents the global impact and importance of occupational hygienists Outlines knowledge and collaboration through networking Provides case studies on real world situations and problems This text will be useful for professionals and graduate students in the fields of occupational health and safety and public health.
A critical problem in resource-scarce countries across the globe is the shortage of appropriately trained health care providers. According to the World Health Organization, the current global health workforce shortage of 7.2 million providers is estimated to increase to 12.9 million by 2035. This disproportionately affects resource-scarce countries, denying basic health care to millions and limiting access to life-saving treatments. Due to limited resources in these countries, not enough health professionals receive training, few have the opportunity for continuing education, and the ability to develop or implement educational programs and curricula is constrained. Additionally, many existing providers choose to emigrate in pursuit of professional advancement opportunities, contributing to the overall shortage of qualified health care providers in these environments. Efforts to strengthen health workforce capacity not only increases access, safety and availability of care, but is critical to building resilient health systems capable of caring for the world’s neediest populations. This requires not only cultivating new health care providers, but also providing ongoing professional development to retain and support current providers, advancing the level of practice in accordance with current clinical science, cultivating educators, and enhancing training curricula. It is critical also to contribute to the limited body of research documenting the effectiveness and impact of various models of collaborative education and partnership to improve health worker training and retention. This Research Topic examines strategies for building health workforce capacity through the prism of educational partnerships, offering significant examples of effective models of international collaborative education as well as insight and guidance on the structure and operation of successful global partnerships. Collectively, the 31 articles accepted and included in this eBook represent a diversity of health professions and geographies across academic, non-governmental organizations and other global partnership forms. The published manuscripts highlight various elements of partnerships with several consistent themes emerging: capacity building, local empowerment, mutual trust and respect, long-term commitment, equity, collaboration, and the importance of integrating theory and practice, for a balance of academic and clinical development. The manuscripts provide examples of partnership and educational programs that are in the formative, early stages of implementation and others which have been sustained long term, some for decades. The following eBook is divided into two parts, with each part broken down into sections. Part I of the eBook includes 18 manuscripts that showcase long-term educational programs that strongly exemplify multiple, foundational aspects of international partnerships in education including mutual collaboration and project management, empowerment of host partners to lead and sustain programs, and capacity building. While individual manuscripts included in Part I look broadly at multiple aspects of successful, international partnerships in education, Part II manuscripts focus intently on one-two elements. Part II includes 13 articles that highlight partnership through short- rather than long-term educational initiatives as well as program development and broad academic partnerships. This Research Topic was sponsored by Health Volunteers Overseas – a United States based non-profit that collaborates with over eighty international universities and health institutions to send volunteer health professionals to low-resource countries to provide continuing education, train the trainer courses, professional support, and consultation on academic program and curricula development.
This book was written with the belief that everyone globally has the right to a safe and healthy workplace. An 8-year old carrying bricks in the mid-day sun in Nepal, a pharmaceutical business executive on assignment in Bangladesh, or a mother polishing stone in her home in Tanzania; each has a fundamental right to a workplace free from risk of injury, illness, and death. Global Occupational Safety and Health Management Handbook is a broad presentation and discussion of the issues and obstacles facing the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) profession today in providing safe workplaces globally. Readers can use this book to find resources to assist in the development of their programs and to become informed about the basic structures of international OSH development and governance. Readers can also rely on this book to become more aware of global OSH issues and problems that they may be personally or professionally willing and able to help address. Seasoned OSH professionals can expect to learn about new ways to look at complicated and controversial topics. Young professionals and students can read this book to better understand the important global OSH interrelationships and challenges of the future. Features Serves as a one-stop resource for information on important international safety and health topics and issues Provides detailed information about international OSH tripartite, nongovernmental, and professional organizations Describes the various global OSH educational and professional development needs, and international approaches to expanding capacity and awareness of the profession Discusses controversial international OSH working conditions and explains their global impacts
The workplace is where 156 million working adults in the United States spend many waking hours, and it has a profound influence on health and well-being. Although some occupations and work-related activities are more hazardous than others and face higher rates of injuries, illness, disease, and fatalities, workers in all occupations face some form of work-related safety and health concerns. Understanding those risks to prevent injury, illness, or even fatal incidents is an important function of society. Occupational safety and health (OSH) surveillance provides the data and analyses needed to understand the relationships between work and injuries and illnesses in order to improve worker safety and health and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. Information about the circumstances in which workers are injured or made ill on the job and how these patterns change over time is essential to develop effective prevention programs and target future research. The nation needs a robust OSH surveillance system to provide this critical information for informing policy development, guiding educational and regulatory activities, developing safer technologies, and enabling research and prevention strategies that serves and protects all workers. A Smarter National Surveillance System for Occupational Safety and Health in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of OSH surveillance. This report is intended to be useful to federal and state agencies that have an interest in occupational safety and health, but may also be of interest broadly to employers, labor unions and other worker advocacy organizations, the workers' compensation insurance industry, as well as state epidemiologists, academic researchers, and the broader public health community. The recommendations address the strengths and weaknesses of the envisioned system relative to the status quo and both short- and long-term actions and strategies needed to bring about a progressive evolution of the current system.
Public Health in East and Southeast Asia presents an overview of the state of public health across this vast region and considers the challenges and prospects for its future advancement. It pays particular attention to how rapid economic progress has brought accelerated change, both demographic and epidemiological, to an area already marked by great heterogeneity in health status and public health systems. In comparative and thematically oriented chapters, leading scholars consider such issues as changes in values and lifestyles, infectious diseases, nutrition, tobacco, chronic diseases, accidents and injury, environmental health, occupational health, the effect of globalization, and health services.
This book describes the theory and research evidence underlying Total Worker Health (R), an initiative of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that aims to create a culture of healthy workplaces nationwide.
Companies today are operating in a more complex and competitive environment where traditional models for doing business are no longer sufficient and expectations of business are growing both internally and externally. Many companies have long and robust histories of contributing to their communities as well as to more global societal needs, but this has been done primarily and historically through philanthropy and more traditional corporate social responsibility. However, companies are increasingly seeking greater alignment of these activities with their business interests in order to increase their value proposition. These same companies are also under increased pressure to build their business in a sustainable manner through innovative approaches. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to explore the concept of shared value for global health and safety stakeholders in both the public and private sectors; roles, responsibilities, incentives, and opportunities for different stakeholders engaging in global health and safety initiatives in low- and middle-income countries; and the potential of partnerships and collaboration for improved outcomes for all stakeholders, including the communities they serve. Participants considered potential opportunities for creating shared value for all organizations, specifically the creation and impact of shared value through an organization's core products and services, through employee health and wellness programs, and through community or population health investments. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
