International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
Volume 17, Issue 3, 2011, Pages 223-229

SALTRA: A regional program for workers' health and sustainable development in central America (Article)

Wesseling C.* , Aurora A. , Elgstrand K. , Flores R. , Hogstedt C. , Partanen T.
  • a Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
  • b Centre of Research on Health, Work and Environment (CISTA), National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Unanleón), León, Nicaragua
  • c Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
  • d Secretariat of Social Integration of Central America (SISCA), El Salvador
  • e National Institute of Public Health, Östersund, Sweden
  • f Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

Abstract

In 2003, the university-based Program on Work and Health in Central America, SALTRA, was launched to build national and regional capacities in occupational safety and health with the goal of preventing and reducing poverty in Central America. SALTRA has implemented 20 projects including action projects in priority sectors (e.g., construction, sugarcane, hospitals, migrant coffee workers); strengthening of surveillance (occupational health profiles, carcinogenic exposures, fatal injuries and pesticides); a participatory model for training and risk monitoring by workers; building occupational health capacity for professionals, employers, and workers, with collaborating networks between the countries; strengthening of universities in work, environment, and health; studies of serious occupational and environmental situations; communication channels; and continued efforts to raise political awareness. SALTRA has placed issues of workers' health on political, business, and academic agendas throughout the region and has laid the foundations for achieving substantial future improvements in health conditions of all workers in the region. External evaluators envisioned SALTRA as an innovative development model.

Author Keywords

South-south-north collaboration occupational health Environmental health Development Universities prevention

Index Keywords

health care policy Communication interpersonal communication occupational disease human Occupational Diseases international cooperation Central America Sentinel Surveillance Humans occupational accident Universities university risk factor Risk Factors Interinstitutional Relations Article organization and management Health Policy occupational health employment Accidents, Occupational public relations
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80053304535&doi=10.1179%2foeh.2011.17.3.223&partnerID=40&md5=823d24b2649ede4857515825a6e86f81
DOI: 10.1179/oeh.2011.17.3.223
ISSN: 10773525
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English