Globalization and occupational health: a perspective from southern Africa

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 79; no. 9; pp. 863 - 868
• Main Author: LOEWENSON, Rene
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Genève Organisation mondiale de la santé 01-01-2001; World Health Organization; The World Health Organization
• Subjects: Africa; Africa, Southern; Asthma; Biological and medical sciences; Commerce; Cooperation; Developing countries; Economic growth; Employment; Female; GDP; Global Health; Globalization; GNP; Gross Domestic Product; Gross National Product; Health aspects; Health Policy & Services; Humans; Informal economy; International aspects; International Cooperation; Labor force; Labor law; LDCs; Low income groups; Male; Manufacturing; Medical sciences; Migrant workers; Miscellaneous; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational diseases/etiology; Occupational Health; Occupational health services; Occupational medicine; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Public Policy; Social Justice; Southern; Stress; Trends; Union membership; Womens health; Workers; Southern Africa; Africa; Africa, Southern; South Africa; Human; International trade; Perspective; Occupational disease; Employment; Globalization; Developing countries; Worker; Occupational exposure; Occupational medicine; Public health; Hygiène professionnelle; Salud ocupacional; Justicia social; Africa; Maladies professionnelles; Coopération internationale; Occupational diseases; Commerce; Política social; Public policy; Emploi; Cooperación internacional; Justice sociale; Enfermedades ocupacionales; International cooperation; África Austral; Afrique australe; Occupational health; Politique gouvernementale; Social justice; Southern; Empleo; Comercio
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604
• DOI: 10.1590/S0042-96862001000900012

Increased world trade has generally benefited industrialized or strong economies and marginalized those that are weak. This paper examines the impact of globalization on employment trends and occupational health, drawing on examples from southern Africa. While the share of world trade to the world's poorest countries has decreased, workers in these countries increasingly find themselves in insecure, poor-quality jobs, sometimes involving technologies which are obsolete or banned in industrialized countries. The occupational illness which results is generally less visible and not adequately recognized as a problem in low-income countries. Those outside the workplace can also be affected through, for example, work-related environmental pollution and poor living conditions. In order to reduce the adverse effects of global trade reforms on occupational health, stronger social protection measures must be built into production and trade activities, including improved recognition, prevention, and management of work-related ill-health. Furthermore, the success of production and trade systems should be judged on how well they satisfy both economic growth and population health.