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Areas of Work
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Environmental Health and Food Safety
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In
recent years, the chief responsibilities for water supply/sanitation and pollution
control have been transferred from the Ministry of Public Health to the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. MoPH’s Bureau of Environmental
Health limits its responsibilities to providing technical support and
capacity building, particularly for local organisations.
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The
healthy settings approach is used to promote healthy cities with clean public
toilets and healthy markets, schools and hospitals. The Bureau of
Environmental Health is currently developing a National Environmental HealthAction Plan (NEHAP).
The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) approach is an important tool to minimise
the adverse environmental influences on health.
More
support is needed to improve national capacity for conducting HIAs. Future
environmental challenges include climate change, increasing urbanisation, and
the danger posed by hazardous waste and chemicals, including exposure to
heavy metals in the environment. These contaminants, from industrial or
natural sources, include asbestos, cadmium, arsenic, and lead. Standards have
yet to be set for permissible levels of hazardous chemicals in food, water,
and the environment; surveillance of violations is strictly enforced.
Although
occupational health has been primary concern for Thailand for more than 30 years,
accidents and diseases caused by the workplace environment are on the rise. The most common reports of
occupational health incidents are pesticide poisoning, skin disease due to
exposure to chemicals, back pain, lead poisoning, and silicosis. Effective prevention
of occupational hazards is limited.
Thailand’s
response to these problems is largely confined to providing medical care and
financial compensation to the victims. Reporting systems for occupational
health incidents are in need of strengthening. Occupational safety standards should
be established and inspections undertaken to ensure compliance.
Environment Data and Statistics,
click here.
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Food Safety
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The promotion of
food safety is a key priority for the Royal Thai Government under the
‘Healthy Thailand’ campaign. This priority extends to food products
produced for domestic consumption as well as for export.
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The
Royal Thai Government currently assigned responsibility for food safety to
several agencies. In the Ministry
of Public Health, these agencies include the Food and Drug Administration,
the Bureau of Health Promotion, and the Bureau of Environmental Health. In the Ministry of Agriculture,
concerned agencies include the National Bureau of Agriculture Commodities and
Food Standards, the Department of Livestock Development, and the Department
of Fisheries.
Effective
collaboration among these concerned agencies requires strong planning and
coordination. Using its convening power, objectivity, and technical
capacity, WHO seeks to strengthen Thailand’s multi-sectoral response
to the critical area of food safety.
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Asbestos
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On this year 2012's World Day for Health and
Safety at Work, 28 April, WHO is calling for concerted global action to
promote occupational safety and health in a "green economy" - one
of the themes of the upcoming RIO+20 United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development, 20-22 June. Ensuring workers' health is an
essential prerequisite for sustainable development.
Presently, more than 2 million people die each
year as a result of work-related illness or injuries and some 180 million
people fall ill because of their work. One in every three deaths from
occupational cancer is estimated to be caused by asbestos. Each year around
107, 000 people die from asbestos related cancers, mesothelioma and
asbestosis (fibrosis of the lung) as a result of exposure to asbestos at
work. All forms of asbestos and products containing asbestos, including
non-friable or ‘high density’ chrysotile
asbestos, are considered by WHO as hazardous for human health.
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Asbestos products have the potential to deteriorate
and pose a risk to the community and especially to workers carrying out
alterations, maintenance and demolition. World Day for Safety and Health at
Work is celebrated each year on 28 April to promote the prevention of
occupational accidents and diseases globally.
In collaboration with the International Labour
Organization, intergovernmental organizations and civil society, WHO is
actively working towards the elimination of asbestos-related diseases. The
most effective way to eliminate asbestos related diseases is to stop the
use of all types of asbestos. Raising awareness about the harmful effects
of asbestos is part of an international campaign intended to focus
attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health
and on the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities
worldwide. A healthy environment is also a prerequisite for good health.
Expert assessment indicates that the development of healthier work and
living environments can help prevent up to one quarter of the premature
deaths from communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Related Links:
Asbestos: hazardous for human health video
WHO position on Asbestos (English)
WHO position on Asbestos (Thai)
Chemical hazards in drinking-water - asbestos
More information on asbestos
Asbestos-related diseases
Asbestos: elimination of asbestos-related diseases
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Related Issues
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 Climate Change, click here.
Globally
Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), click here.
Healthy Settings, click here.
Health Impact Assessment, click here.
Household
Water Treatment and Safe Storage, click here.
Indoor air pollution, click here.
International Chemical Control Toolkit, click here.
Occupational health, click here.
Public health and environment, click here.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, click here.
WHO International Programme on Chemical Safety, click here.
WHO
Pesticides Evaluation Scheme: "WHOPES", click here.
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