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Joint WHO-ILO tripartite meeting on occupational health of health workers: Geneva, 6-9 July 2010
WHO and ILO are organizing a joint tripartite experts meeting on HIV, TB & other occupational health for health workers to be held in Geneva, Switzerland at the international headquarters for WHO and ILO on 6-9 July 2010.
The objectives of the meeting are to:
- Review and validate the joint WHO-ILO policy guidelines for health worker access to HIV and TB prevention, treatment and care services; discuss implementation steps and roles for ILO, WHO, social partners (employers’ organizations and trade unions) and other related organizations (PPE, GHWA, etc); and map out implementation strategies.
- Elaborate and establish a global framework for national occupational health programmes for health workers to provide countries with guidance on setting national and health workplace policies including HIV and TB.
- Develop strategies and tools to support the Framework. One of the tools currently being developed is the ILO Wise+ workplace assessment tool and action manual for health facilities- Health-Wise, with an emphasis on maternity services.
Launching healthy workplaces: a global model for action
The WHO healthy workplaces model: a comprehensive way of thinking and acting that addresses:
- work-related physical and psychosocial risks;
- promotion and support of healthy behaviours;
- broader social and environmental determinants.
In October 2009, and after a systematic review of literature on healthy workplaces, WHO held a workshop with attendance of the ILO, 56 experts from 22 countries, international worker and employer representatives, and NGOs in official relations with WHO.
The result was the healthy workplaces model that combines evidence-based approaches and principles of health protection and health promotion. The ideas are not new, but the model is innovative as it combines the four avenues of influence employers can take, with the participation of workers.
Launching healthy workplaces: a global model for action on the occasion of the World Day for Health and Safety at Work
Occupational health
One of WHO's functions and which is enshrined in its Constitution (art.2.i.), is to promote the improvement of working conditions. In 2007, the World Health Assembly endorsed the WHO Global Plan of Action on Workers' Health (GPA) (2008-2017) which is a follow up of the WHO Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 1996.
The main objectives of the GPA are to:
- Strengthen the governance and leadership function of national health systems to respond to the specific health needs of working populations
- Establish basic levels of health protection at all workplaces to decrease inequalities in workers health between and within countries and strengthen the promotion of health at work.
- Ensure access of all workers to preventive health services and link occupational health to primary health care.
- Improve the knowledge base for action on protecting and promoting the health of workers and establish linkages between health and work.
- Stimulate incorporation of actions on workers health into other policies, such as sustainable development, poverty reduction, trade liberalization, environmental protection and employment.
WHO has developed a Global workplan in collaboration with the WHO Network of Collaborating Centres based on the objectives of the GPA for 2009-2012. The workplan organizes the activities of the Collaborating Centres into 14 priority areas.
Related links
Global Plan of Action - English [pdf 1.05Mb]
Global Plan of Action - French [pdf 1.05Mb]
Global Plan of Action - Spanish [pdf 1.06Mb]
Global Plan of Action - Chinese [pdf 1.60Mb]
Global Plan of Action - Russian [pdf 1.07Mb]
Global Plan of Action - Arabic [pdf 474kb]
Read the Global Strategy
Read the Declaration on occupational health for all (1994)
Read the Stresa Declaration on Workers Health (2006) [pdf 147kb]
Elimination of asbestos-related disease
Related links - Collaborating Centres
Network of WHO Collaborating Centres in occupational health
Summary of Priorities
The Network of Collaborating Centres supports the implementation of the WHO Global Plan of Action with the above activities
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