The Global Burden of Occupational Disease

Abstract

Purpose of ReviewBurden of occupational disease estimation contributes to understanding of both magnitude and relative importance of different occupational hazards and provides essential information for targeting risk reduction. This review summarises recent key findings and discusses their impact on occupational regulation and practice.Recent FindingsNew methods have been developed to estimate burden of occupational disease that take account of the latency of many chronic diseases and allow for exposure trends and workforce turnover. Results from these studies have shown in several countries and globally that, in spite of improvements in workplace technology, practices and exposures over the last decades, occupational hazards remain an important cause of ill health and mortality worldwide.SummaryMajor data gaps have been identified particularly regarding exposure information. Reliable data on employment and disease are also lacking especially in developing countries. Burden of occupational disease estimates form an important part of decision-making processes.

Le travail est-il toujours bon pour la santé ?

“…Les troubles musculo-squelettiques occasionnés par des contraintes biomécaniques sont la première cause d'arrêt de travail et de sortie prématurée de l'emploi [4]. Globalement, la fraction de la mortalité totale attribuable à des facteurs professionnels a été estimée entre 5 et 7 %, ce qui à l'échelle mondiale occasionnerait 1 à 2 millions de décès par an [5] ; ce sont donc plus de 30 000 décès qui seraient attribuables chaque année, en France, à des facteurs professionnels. Outre le poids considérable de la pathologie d'origine professionnelle sur la santé de la population, il faut souligner que les facteurs professionnels sont aussi un des déterminants majeurs des inégalités sociales de santé.…”

Global and regional burden of disease and injury in 2016 arising from occupational exposures: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

“…A safe and healthy work environment is a fundamental right of all workers. Burden of disease studies are an important source of information on the level of ill health in communities and on the risk factors that contribute to this ill health 1. The results provide guidance to policymakers in terms of where resources might best be used and can provide insight into the effectiveness or otherwise of past interventions.…”

Improving Education and Training to Reduce the Burden of Occupational Cancer. The Riga-European Association of Schools of Occupational Medicine (EASOM) Statement on Work-Related Cancer

“…Cancer is the leading cause of work-related deaths, and the International Labour Organization (estimated that over 100,000 cancer deaths in Europe in 2011 could be attributed to occupational causes [1]. A number of studies have estimated the population attributable fraction (PAF; proportion of cancer that could be avoided in the absence of the risk factor) in different countries, resulting in a wide range of estimates of the PAF, ranging from 3% to 10%, according to countries, cancers, and exposures [2,3]. In the occupational context, the PAF is the number of cases in a population with the occupational risk factor, minus the number of cases in the population without the occupational risk factor, divided by the total number of cases in the population.…”