Ouagadougou: Scientists discussed on Friday the impact of climate change on health and safety at work, during the first Scientific Day of the Burkinabè Society of Occupational Medicine (SOBUMET) “for prevention of occupational risks.
According to the representative of the Minister in charge of Health, the Secretary General, Dr Issa Ouédraogo, this day will address a crucial issue which is that of the impact of climate change on health and safety at work.
‘We are all witnesses, if not even victims, affected because we have recently seen heat waves which have a significant impact on the performance of workers, on the health of workers. You can faint at work, or even lose your immunity and be exposed to several diseases,’ he said.
Ouédraogo spoke on Friday in Ouagadougou, during the 1st scientific day of the Burkinabè Society of Occupational Medicine (SOBUMET) under the central theme: ‘Climate change and safety and health at work’.
He recalled that Burkina Faso has experienced floods and droughts in recent y
ears which are the consequences of climate change.
‘I would like here, beyond what the State has undertaken as actions to further protect the environment, to invite each of us to be much more responsible towards the environment and to carry out actions for its protection,’ added the Secretary General.
For the president of the Organizing Committee, Dr Narcisse Oubda, SOBUMET organized this scientific day on current themes such as the impact of climate change on health and safety at work.
‘We are going to reflect on the sub-theme of safety and health at work in high-risk sectors and these sectors have already been defined at the International Labor Organization which are, among others, the agricultural sector, extractive industry, manufacturing and health services and also in the informal sector,’ said Dr Oubda.
According to him, the scientific day will allow the various stakeholders and the academic world to reflect in order to make concrete proposals which will be transmitted to the authorities at the nat
ional and pan-African level.
The president of the Organizing Committee also specified that the solutions will be distributed to employers and workers so that they can be implemented.
In terms of advice, Dr Narcisse Oubda asked the various workers to protect themselves against the sun’s rays with all local means by dressing lightly to allow the skin to breathe and also to hydrate by drinking. enough water.
‘Burkina Faso is facing significant challenges linked to climate change and directly attacks the health and well-being of workers and therefore the competitiveness of our businesses,’ added the representative of sponsor Idrissa Nassa, Dr Désiré Nacoulma.
It is appropriate for scientists, through SOBUMET, to look into the issue to propose concrete solutions to this problem for the well-being of workers and employers.
‘The statistics on the impact of climate change on workers are worrying,’ lamented Dr Désiré Nacoulma.
The representative of the sponsor recalled that the nature and number of professional
risks incurred by workers on a daily basis provide a barometer of the health situation in companies.
In his opinion, this situation affects productivity and good collaboration between employers and workers while preventing the development of businesses.
‘The Burkinabè employers, through its 74 member groups and associations and its 5,000 companies, are sensitive to these issues affecting workers in the formal and informal sectors and remain actively engaged in the search for solutions,’ indicated the representative of the sponsor.
This year, the whole world celebrated occupational risk prevention day on the theme: Impact of climate change on health and safety at work.
On the sidelines of this world day, the commemoration of prevention day in Africa will take place within the framework of the 28th Days for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (JAPRP), which intends to address specific issues linked to our socio-economic realities. economic.
Burkina Faso intends to contribute, like other African countries,
to the implementation of concerted action to prevent and mitigate occupational risks, on the occasion of African Prevention Month in April and 28th Occupational Risk Prevention Days (JAPRP).