Model gpa objective X working Compendium

Level 4: Meta-learning materials

2009-2012 Work Plan Number	3.19j Formerly AA6:WBD2
GPA Objective	Objective 3: To improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
CC or NGO Name	National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), SA
Project title	Access to Occupational Safety & Health Information in the SADC Region and in Portuguese-speaking countries (Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique)
Keywords	electronic networks, OSH information, dissemination, coordination
Project leader Email address	Ms Claudina Nogueira [e-mail]
Partners (of the CC Network)	NIOH, South Africa IACP, Italy (Alberto Zucconi [e-mail]) University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa (Mohamed Jeebhay [e-mail]) NIOSH, USA (Max Lum; Marilyn Fingerhut [e-mail]; [e-mail]) CCOHS, Canada (P. K. Abeytunga [e-mail]) HSL, UK (Andrew Curran [e-mail]) Fundacentro (Jorge Duprat Figueiredo Foundation of Occupational Safety and Medicine), Brazil (Alcinéia Santos [e-mail] and Gilmar Trivelato [e-mail]; [e-mail]) FIOH, Finland (Suvi Lehtinen; African Newsletter [e-mail])
Other partners	Worker’s Health Programme, University of Kwazulu-Natal, SA Occupational Health Management Board, Zambia Sida-WAHSA Resource Complexes in Tanzania Mozambique – Centre for Industrial Studies, Safety and Environment (CEISA), Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo (Custódio Muianga [e-mail]) Mozambique - Ministries of Health and Labour Senac (National Commercial Training Service), Brazil (Berenice Goelzer [e-mail] and Regina Helena Ribeiro [e-mail])
Funding	Part of this project is funded through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and is a component of the Work and Health in Southern Africa (WAHSA) Programme, and supported by the NIOH, SA. Close collaboration with Sweden is an integral part of the WAHSA Programme. This project has the endorsement and support of the WHO, and OSH meetings held thus far for Portuguese-speaking countries have received some sponsorship from the WHO.
Objective of the project	Comprehensive OSH information to be established at the NIOH Clearing House, and to be made readily available in all Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, and Portuguese-speaking countries (Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique). This will include information on professional training, research programmes, international development programmes and practical solutions to dust control and the elimination of silicosis, relevant laws and policies. A comprehensive electronic network of OSH professionals in the SADC member states (including Mozambique and Angola), Portugal and Brazil will be established to support the Clearing House and to promote the dissemination and exchange of OSH information in Portuguese-speaking countries.
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project	Recommendations for improving the NIOH Clearing House to be established and implemented, following an evaluation of the information functions of the NIOH in December 2005. The recommendations will include ways that SADC and member countries can promote the collection and dissemination of pertinent information as well as ways to enhance its use to support OSH in the Region (early 2006) A follow-up audit to be conducted by the Sida-WAHSA Regional Programme Director and experts from the NIWL, after the recommendations have been presented and the process of implementation starts. This audit will include an assessment of the Clearing House functions by clients of the Clearing House, as well as an evaluation of the electronic network of practitioners (mid 2007) Training courses to be offered by NIOH Clearing House on access to OSH information to OSH information officers in various SADC countries (2010 – 2012) A network of Portuguese-speaking countries is to be established, for the promotion of OSH – inter-country dissemination of teaching and training materials, research findings, brochures, and any relevant OSH information in Portuguese
Target group and/or beneficiaries	Clients of the NIOH Clearing House, in the SADC Region (OSH professionals and institutions, enterprises, trade unions, governmental agencies), international agencies supporting the Clearing House e.g. ILO and WHO, Resource Complexes that are in the SADC Region, and are collaborators of the Sida-WAHSA Programme, NIOH staff members. Another target group will be the OSH professionals, practitioners and trainers at various institutions in Portugal and Brazil, and it is envisaged that more Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, beyond the SADC member states, will be included in the near future.
Summary of the project (max 100 words)	Adequate access to information is a basic principle of OSH – practitioners and social partners require the technical information to recognize and control workplace hazards. The right information is also required to promote coordination and to avoid duplication in the planning of research projects and actions for change. Despite this very real need, the Southern African region has inadequate access to information on many aspects of OSH. SADC has recognized this need, and requested that an OSH Clearing House be established at the NIOH to serve the SADC member states. The process of establishing the Clearing House at the NIOH was started following a meeting in 2000, but a number of changes and improvements are required to correspond to the functions originally attributed to the Clearing House, to serve the SADC region. A network of professionals active in OSH in the public and private sectors and in organizations supporting the social partners and communities will be established and maintained. Another function will be the standardization of format for regional web-based projects – this will provide international compatibility and linkage with other WHO CC Activity Areas / GPA Objectives.
Dissemination	Worker and enterprise meetings and associations, professional associations, academic and training institutions, WHO/ILO documents; regional Departments of Labour and Health. Links to related websites. OSH journals: “Occupational Health, Southern Africa” and “African Newsletter on Occupational Health & Safety”.
Impact (global or regional)	SADC Region, Brazil, Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa - AFRO; AMRO; EURO
PROGRESS ON THE PROJECT, as at 8 June 2010	The development of the SADC Clearing House at the NIOH is an ongoing initiative, which needs much work. The proposed consolidation of all three libraries of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) is yet to happen, but the library services across the NHLS (including the NIOH and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases [NICD]), have made the acquisitions of E-Journals a priority and a focus area over the past year. The libraries now have a number of electronic holdings which are used by scientific and technical staff across the NHLS. Phase I of the Swedish-funded WAHSA Programme has officially come to an end, and no further alternative funding has been secured to date for a possible Phase II. A number of information and training materials were developed as part of the WAHSA Programme – information about obtaining these materials is available from the NIOH; some of the materials can be obtained directly from the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) in South Africa – www.mhsc.org.za The work towards developing the network of occupational health and safety links within Portuguese-speaking countries – particularly Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique – is ongoing. Some new projects were submitted by Brazil to the current WHO CC in OH Global Network Plan (2009-2012) after the WHO CC in OH meeting was held in Geneva in October 2009. Brazil is very active in developing training materials, which are shared with the NIO. The NIOH, in turn, shares the materials with Mozambique as part of its OHS capacity-building and outreach core function in the SADC Region.
List of major outcomes already achieved by this project	Phase I if the WAHSA Programme (2004-2008) has come to an end. A number of information materials were developed as outcomes of most projects of WAHSA, especially for the three main action and intervention projects carried out in the SADC Region: Project 7 – Action on Silica, Silicosis and TB; Project 8 – Action on health impact of pesticides; Project 9 – Action on the informal sector. The information materials are available on the website www.wahsa.net under each project. Other main achievements of the WAHSA Programme include: Identification of OSH needs and challenges in the SADC Region The establishment and strengthening of Resource Complexes in three SADC countries: Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique Development of South-South collaborations Capacity-building through training and intervention programmes in the Region – improved capacity to measure and control dust (with a focus on the quarry industry) and pesticide exposures; development of OSH in the informal sector Contribution to and partial regional coordination of the Silicosis Elimination Programme Improvement of TB prevention and case finding All projects have included a strong information dissemination component A publication was released in September 2008 “Work and Health in Southern Africa 2004-2008: Findings and outputs of the WAHSA Programme” and can be requested through the contacts on the WAHSA website A number of activities have been carried out which have strengthened and anchored the Portuguese-speaking network of occupational health practitioners
List of additional major outcomes expected from this project by 2012	The WAHSA programme had initially been proposed as a long-term activity (three phases of four years each). Economic constraints experienced towards the end of the first four years have resulted in no further phases being funded, but Phase I of WAHSA has contributed to paving the way for future OSH action, intervention, advocacy and awareness-raising in the SADC Region. A number of other OSH programmes and initiatives are currently underway in the SADC Region. Major outcomes expected by 2012: The outputs from the aforementioned programmes need be coordinated efficiently for better dissemination and use in the Region and beyond. It is envisaged that this will be possible by making use of established information repositories and dissemination avenues, and possibly proposing new networks for this purpose - like the NIOH website / Clearing House – as a regional resource for information materials South Africa drives a number of OSH training and capacity-building programmes in the Region, with a special focus on the development of OSH key players in government, such as the Departments of Health and Labour. This project can be linked with OSH training initiatives planned for target audiences such as factory inspectors, provincial coordinators and health care workers, for example Further development of the Portuguese-speaking network of occupational health practitioners is envisaged through continued collaborative training activities