Global strategies dr yitades gebre

Health Promotion in the Workplace:

Global Strategies

Dr. YITADES GEBRE

Advisor, Family Health Disease Management

Pan American Health Organization

Healthy work places: A mode for action

II. Healthy workplaces: a new wayof thinking

• Traditional & emerging occupational health – minimizing workers' exposure to job-related physical & psychosocial risks

• Health promotion – promoting healthy behaviours among workers, both job- and Life style-related

• Enterprise involvement in community – to address broader social & environmental determinants off workers health

2004

Pan AmericanHealthOrganization

II. Healthy workplaces: a new wayof thinking

• Traditional & emerging occupational health – minimizing workers'' exposure to job-related physical & psychosocial risks

• Health promotion – promoting healthy behaviours among workers, both job- and Life style-related

• Enterprise involvement in community – to address broader social & environmental determinants of workers health

Occupational health risks • 160 million new cases of work-related illness

every year (non-fatal)• Occupational risks play a big role in chronic

diseases:– 26% CVD & chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease– 15% asthma– 10% cancer– 8% injuries– 8 % depression

Health promotion: improved workers'health-better performance

• Smoking cessation• Obesity control• Cardiovascular

health• HIV/TB testing &

treatment• Exercise & physical

activity

Enterprise community involvementsocial & environmental determinants

• Safe/healthy access to work – public transport, carpools, walking, cycling

• Voluntary pollution/waste control & clean up

• Primary health care measures unavailable through health care services

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Increased business awareness

1. The ''right'' thing to do: businesses are part of society and ethical/social frameworks

2. The ''legal'' thing to do: in our globalized world, businesses that ignore or undermine workers' health are open to litigation and media scrutiny

3. The ''smart'' thing to do: businesses that protect workers' health are among the most successful over time

IV. Global policy anchors

• WHO Global Strategy on Occupational health for All,1996

• ILO Global Strategy 2003 & Promotional Framework

• World Health Assembly Worker's health: global plan of action (2007)

Workplace health program

• Workplace health programs are a coordinated and comprehensive set of health promotion and protection strategies implemented at the worksite that includes programs, policies, benefits, environmental supports, and links to the surrounding community designed to encourage the health and safety of all employees.

2004


Summary Strategies

• Health-related programs—opportunities available to employees at the workplace or through outside organizations to begin, change, or maintain health behaviors.

• Health-related policies—formal or informal written statements that are designed to protect or promote employee health. They affect large groups of employees simultaneously.

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Summary Strategies

• Health benefits—part of an overall compensation package including health insurance coverage and other services or discounts regarding health.

• Environmental supports— refer to the physical factors at and nearby the workplace that help protect and enhance employee health.

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Is there a difference?

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To the organization To the employee

a well-managed health and safety programme

a safe and healthy work environment

a positive and caring image enhanced self-esteem

improved staff morale reduced stress

reduced staff turnover improved morale

reduced absenteeism increased job satisfaction

increased productivity increased skills for health protection

reduced health care/insurance costs

improved health

reduced risk of fines and litigation

improved sense of well-being

2004


Workplace health promotion is the combined efforts of employers, employees and society to improve the health and well-being of people at work.

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Thank you for your attention!

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Global strategies dr yitades gebre