|
 
 |
| LETTER TO EDITOR |
|
| Year : 2019 | Volume
: 10
| Issue : 2 | Page : 92-93 |
|
Improving the workplace conditions to successfully attain sustainable development goals
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava2
1 Vice-Principal Curriculum, Member of the Medical Education Unit and Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Web Publication | 24-Jan-2020 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) – Deemed to be University, Tiruporur - Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu - 603 108
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/mjmsr.mjmsr_29_19
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Improving the workplace conditions to successfully attain sustainable development goals. Muller J Med Sci Res 2019;10:92-3 |
How to cite this URL:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Improving the workplace conditions to successfully attain sustainable development goals. Muller J Med Sci Res [serial online] 2019 [cited 2023 Jun 4];10:92-3. Available from: https://www.mjmsr.net/text.asp?2019/10/2/92/276685 |
Dear Editor,
Occupational hazard is a well-known entity and is a global public health concern, primarily because it accounts for a major proportion of the global disease burden.[1] In fact, more than 2% of the total deaths reported worldwide and a significant percentage of the disease-associated life years have been attributed to the improper working conditions.[2] There are no doubts that the working environment is a crucial determinant of the health and sustainable development, as exposure to harmful working conditions often affects people of low socioeconomic status and living in low- and middle-income nations.[2] It is quite obvious that the presence of adverse workplace settings will account for a poor health outcome and an increase in health expenditure.[2],[3]
Presence of good conditions in the workplace has a direct effect on the attainment of optimal health and sustainable development goals (SDGs). For instance, healthy workplace is extremely crucial for bringing about a universal end to all forms of poverty (SDG 1), ensuring healthy lives and promotion of well-being for all (SDG 3) and for attaining a sustained financial growth, including productive jobs employment and respectable work for everyone (SDG 8).[1],[2] Furthermore, it is quite essential that both men and women should have similar job opportunities and provisions in their employment and that adequate provision should be in place for meeting the needs of an aging workforce.[2],[3]
It is worth noting that most of the occupational exposures and diseases are preventable through the implementation of cost-effective interventions.[2],[3],[4] There is an immense need to protect and promote the health of all workers by addressing the prevailing unhealthy practices at the workplace.[3],[4] The first and foremost thing is to formulate comprehensive policies in collaboration with the employers and the employees and to ensure that these policies are effectively implemented, monitored, and periodically evaluated.[2] At the same time, efforts have to be taken to reach those workers, who have been employed in informal settings to benefit them as well.[2] This should be followed by the establishment and strengthening of the institutional infrastructure to meet the special health needs of the working population.[2],[3] In addition, special emphasis should be given to gather evidence regarding health conditions of workers at the workplace so that the desired strategies can be formulated.[2],[3]
Further, specific guidelines should be framed to ensure the delivery of appropriate health services (viz., preplacement examination and periodic examination) to enable the early detection of occupational hazards.[2],[3],[4] Moreover, the support and collaborative efforts of all the stakeholders, including concerned ministries and policy makers, are a must to ensure that prevention of occupational diseases is ensured.[2] Furthermore, there is a definite scope for exploring the option of fostering linkage between developed and developing nations to facilitate the implementation of best practices, including the technical support.[2] In addition, there should be suitable provisions to encourage the reintegration of sick or injured workers in the society again and this requires massive support from the government as well as nongovernmental agencies.[2]
In conclusion, a definite association between the working conditions and health/quality of life has been observed, and thus any reduction in the occupational exposure will play a massive role in not only reducing the global burden of the disease, but also in the attainment of some of the major SDGs.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS, Ramasamy J. Preventing diseases through promotion of a healthier environment: World Health Organization. Ann Trop Med Public Health 2016;9:364-5.  [Full text] |
| 2. | Prüss-Ustün A, Wolf J, Corvalán C, Bos R, Neira M. Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments: A Global Assessment of the Burden of Disease from Environmental Risks. Geneva: WHO Press; 2016. p. 1-26. |
| 3. | Gale S, Mordukhovich I, Newlan S, McNeely E. The impact of workplace harassment on health in a working cohort. Front Psychol 2019;10:1181. |
| 4. | Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS, Ramasamy J. Ensuring sound mental health in the workplace. Indian J Occup Environ Med 2017;21:97. [ PUBMED] [Full text] |
|
Search Pubmed for