The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), along with the ILO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed that a joint effort is necessary in order to address this problem and work on its causes. In many cases, these deaths and injuries are preventable. Every April 28 International Memorial Day for Dead and Injured Workers is commemorated.

In the Americas, the figures are also alarming. The ILO has estimated that in Latin America and the Caribbean there are 36 occupational injuries every minute and that approximately 300 workers die every day as a result of occupational injuries. Nearly five million occupational accidents happen annually, and 90,000 of these are fatal.

With regard to occupational diseases, there are indications that in Latin America and the Caribbean, between one and five percent of cases are recorded, primarily those that cause disability subject to indemnization. Occupational or occupational traditional diseases most reported in all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are occupational hearing loss, acute pesticide and heavy metal poisoning, and dermatological and respiratory diseases. Chronic diseases that can be associated with work, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and osteo-muscular afflictions are often not registered.

In Latin America, although global data is not available, it is estimated that the cost of occupational injuries and occupational diseases represents an expenditure ranging from three to 10 percent of the Gross National Product (GDP) of the countries.

In 1999, the countries of the Americas agreed that workers' health is a priority in public health policies, and it forms part of PAHO's strategic plan for 2003-2007, with a commitment to promote and protect the working population in an equitable and just manner. PAHO's Directing Council adopted a resolution to carry out these policies through the implementation of a Regional Plan for Worker's Health.

This plan is based on the Initiative of Healthy Work Environments adopted in the declaration of WHO in Jakarta in 1997. This initiative recognizes the need for a change in the work culture where positive aspects of the labor relations are emphasized, healthy policies for workers are formulated, personal and collective development is supported and organizational capabilities are strengthened.

The Plan emphasizes the need for national leadership and the important role that the international, regional, and subregional organizations, as well as other institutions, play in the application of a common approach to carry out synchronized interventions and optimize the available resources on behalf of the countries. Also required are the cooperation and participation of employers and workers alike, who with their actions must help to ensure health, safety, and well-being. Groups of experts, individuals from various sectors and disciplines, and the majority of the countries of the Region were involved in the preparation of the Plan. It has also benefited from the conclusions and recommendations of national and international forums, as well as the national plans for workers' health.

The strategy, at the local level, aims for formulation of standards to monitor health conditions in the workplace and promote health and safety as part of the quality of life in the workplace. National Occupational Health Councils are being created to advocate for occupational health standards. At the national level, standards provide the technical and scientific basis for policy-making at the national level. At subregional and regional levels, standards allow for balanced negotiations on work and environmental conditions in the framework of free trade and integration.

Cost-benefit studies carried out in Central America demonstrated that when companies invested in health and safety programs for workers, staff turnover is reduced, in some cases dropping from 45 percent to 12 percent in a year. Also, absenteeism due to disabilities and medical consultations fell 80 percent and operational costs were cut by 30 percent. Efficiency increased from 48 percent to 80 percent. Many reports have demonstrated that the most competitive countries are also the most secure. A strategy with low levels of security and health and low income does not lead to high competitiveness or sustainability, the studies showed.

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the oldest public health organization in the world. It works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the living standards of all their peoples. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.

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