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Workers' Health in the Green
Economy and Sustainable
Development
_____
Dr Ivan D. Ivanov
Department of Public Health and Environment
World Health Organization
1|
WHO arguments for Rio+20
• Universal health coverage –
– People who are healthy are better able to learn, to work and
to contribute positively to the societies
• Health and the green economy
– A healthy environment is a prerequisite for good health
• Health as an outcome of all policies
– Measuring health integrates economic, environmental and
social dimensions
2|
Lack of connection of health and environment
priorities: the example of climate change
Health is in Article 1 of the UN Climate
Convention, and cited as a priority
in > 95% of adaptation
programmes.
But
• < 30% have adequate health
vulnerability assessments and
adaptation plans.
• Resources provided cover less than
0.5% of expected health damage
costs.
• Only 1 of 13 main economic models
informing mitigation decisions, takes
account of health co-benefits.
3|
Proportion of Least Developed Country Climate
Fund
Disaster
1%
preparedness
2%
Agriculture/Food
security
8%
29%
15%
Water resources
management
Community level
adaptation
Natural Resource
Management
Infrastructure
19%
26%
Health
What is "green economy"?
Greening the economy is
expected to create a series of
health, economic, social and
environmental benefits,
including a reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions
and a better adaptation to
climate change
4|
Green economic
approaches
can
What
needs
a difference
tomake
be
done?
to health,
sustainability and
equity
5|
Example 1: 'Green/clean energy production can
reduce NCD burden'
Coal mining is one of the most hazardous
industries:
 14,000 deaths annually are
attributed to coal workers'
pneumoconiosis
 occupational injuries, noise induced
hearing loss, vibration disease,
musculo-skeletal disorders
Communities next to coal mines:
 70% increased risk for developing
kidney disease.
 64% increased risk for developing
chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD)
6|
 30% more likely to report high blood
pressure
Example 2: Integrated pest and weed management
will reduce pesticides poisonings
Suicides from pesticides
ingestion
• 258,000 deaths
Acute pesticide poisonings
among agricultural workers
• 18 – 130 per 100,000
full time workers
Chronic effects, including
cancer
7|
A vision of
What
needs
health in
to
be done?
Sustainable
Development:
Setting goals &
measuring
success
8|
The way forward: Health Sector to provide leadership
on governance for sustainable development by….
– Provide evidence on health impacts
of innovations /technologies
– Ensure health an outcome of SD
policies, by implementing Health
Impact Assessment (HIA)
– Set goals, define health indicators,
and measure results
9|
Facilitate greater uptake of health impact
assessment – the tool for including health in all
policies
HIA can:
10 |
•
Identify policy options that are most favourable for
health, including workers
•
Establish a baseline against which to monitor and
measure the extent to which policies are contributing
to health and development goals
•
Define monitoring and evaluation framework
•
Promote public participation and community
engagement in decision-making processes
Set goals and measure results - Examples of workers'
health indicators for sustainable development
•Rate of occupational accidents – fatal/non-fatal
•Rate of occupational diseases
•Index of production of toxic chemicals, by toxicity
class
•Economically active children aged 10-14
11 |
•Occupational accidents/diseases in sector affected
by the greening of the economy – energy, transport,
construction, extractive industry, agriculture, waste
management
Opportunities for occupational health in sustainable
development
• Green jobs
– healthy, safe and decent
• Full cost pricing
– include social (occupational health) externalities
in the price of energy and products
• Green technologies
– prevention through design
• Key sectors
– renewable energy, green construction, public
transport, waste management
• Sustainable production and consumption
12 |
– occupational health as a measure of business
sustainability
WHA Resolution 60.26 "Workers' Health:
Global Plan of Action
• The health of workers is an essential prerequisite for
productivity and economic development
• Work towards access of all workers with essential
interventions and basic occupational health services
for prevention of occupational and work-related
diseases and injuries
• Incorporate measures for workers' health economic
development policies, poverty reduction strategies
and national plans and programs for sustainable
development.
13 |
Incorporate workers' health in the
policies on sustainable development
14 |