Pretoria – Despite significant progress being made over the past 15 years, the HIV/Aids epidemic and the associated tuberculosis epidemic continue to have a profound impact on workers.
“Of the 36.9 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 2014, the vast majority were of working age and over 60% were workforce participants. Several reports have indicated that gender inequalities remain among the most important drivers of the epidemic, and are linked to gender-related economic disparities,” the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) said on Wednesday.
The institute said the workplace can contribute significantly to attaining the proposed 90–90–90 treatment target for 2020, which means that 90% of PLHIV should know their status, 90% of people who know they are HIV-positive should be accessing antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people on treatment should have suppressed viral loads.
The NIOH said technological advances contribute to the ongoing changes in the world of work in the 21st century.
“This presents us with progress but also with new Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) risks related to new technologies, such as exposure to nanoparticles.
“At the same time, many countries, including our own, are still trying to cope with epidemics of largely preventable work-related diseases, such as silicosis, tuberculosis and asbestos related diseases, that have plagued workers since before the industrial revolution,” said the NIOH.
The NIOH is a public health institute with a history of OEHS innovation, research, teaching and training, as well as service delivery.
NIOH celebrates 60 years
This year, the NIOH celebrates 60 years of dedicated engagement in occupational and environmental health and safety OEHS.
The institute contributes to the reduction of the decent work deficit, works towards the prevention of exposure to workplace hazards, promotes workers’ health and safety and strives to contribute to increased workplace productivity and sustainable enterprises.
More recently, environmental pollution and climate change have received greater attention.
The institute has grown into a national, regional and international reference centre, providing specialised services to government departments and to workers and employers and their organisations.
It serves all industrial sectors, including the public service and the informal economy, and promotes workplace ethics. It also supports the protection of human rights at work and efforts towards greater workplace equity.
The NIOH continues to be a World Health Organisation (WHO) Occupational Health Collaborating Centre and has strengthened collaboration with countries in Africa and with institutes from around the globe.
The institute is in the process of becoming part of the National Public Health Institutes of South Africa (NAPHISA), as it contributes to building bridges with all OEHS professional organisations and tertiary institutions throughout the country.
The institute said the world of work has changed immensely in these 60 years.
“One of the most important challenges is the absence of a national policy on OEHS. Workplace injuries and diseases continue to contribute extensively to the burden of disease in South Africa.
“The majority of these diseases and injuries can be prevented and often remain undocumented and mostly not compensated. Hours of work and the arrangement of working time have been under increasing pressure for change,” the institute said. – SAnews.gov.za
