SOM Basics in OH webinar series 2024 - 9 Caring for those who care: Safeguarding health, safety, and wellbeing of health workers.

FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

Webinar summary:

Health workers play a crucial role in providing quality healthcare services to communities around the world. However, the health sector, which is supposed to restore, protect, and promote health, is also among the most hazardous sectors for the health and safety of workers. Health workers are exposed to a wide range of occupational hazards, including biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards, including violence, which can affect their health and wellbeing.

The protection of the health and safety of health workers should be part of the core business of the health sector: to protect and restore health without causing harm to patients and workers. Safeguarding the health, safety, and wellbeing of health workers contributes to improving the productivity, job satisfaction, and retention of health workers. It also facilitates the regulatory compliance of health facilities with national laws and regulations on occupational health and safety, considering the specific working conditions and occupational hazards in the sector.

At the United Nations (UN) High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage held during the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in 2019, all heads of states and governments committed to scaling up efforts to promote healthier and safer workplaces, increase access to occupational health services for workers, and take action to improve the protection of health, safety, and wellbeing of health workers. In 2022, with resolution WHA74.14 on protecting, safeguarding, and investing in the health and care workforce, the World Health Assembly

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Dorothy Ngajilo is an Occupational Medicine Specialist working with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Occupational and Workplace Health Programme. She is responsible for supporting WHO technical work in occupational health, including development and implementation of occupational health and safety programmes for health workers in different countries. 
Prior to joining WHO, Dr. Ngajilo worked in the Ministry of Health of her native country, Tanzania, as an Occupational Medicine Physician and a technical advisor to the Tanzanian Workers Compensation Fund (WCF) and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OSHA), providing technical support on all matters related to occupational health and safety. 
Dr. Ngajilo is a medical doctor with Occupational Medicine specialty training from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is also a Fellow of the College of Public Health Medicine (Occupational Medicine) of South Africa. 

Chair: Professor Kaveh Asanati

FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.