SODISS Paving the Way for Occupational Health Reform

News summary: Sindh Occupational Diseases & Injuries Surveillance System Project Takes Off in Karachi

Karachi: The Department of Community Health Sciences at Aga Khan University (AKU) hosted a dissemination seminar for the piloting of the "Sindh Occupational Diseases and Injuries Surveillance System" (SODISS). The project, conducted in collaboration with the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI), marked a significant step towards initiating occupational health surveillance in Pakistan.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SESSI and AKU for this pilot project, which allowed the development and implementation of a simple, digital surveillance system at SESSI hospitals in Karachi. This system enabled physicians to accurately record occupational diseases and injuries among registered workers, contributing to the development of the first industry-specific occupational health data registry in Pakistan.

Dr. Asaad Ahmed Nafees, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the SODISS project, provided an overview of the project, highlighting key findings and discussing the way forward. "This project represents a critical step in understanding the health challenges faced by workers in key industries across Karachi. The data we gathered will be instrumental in shaping future occupational health policies and interventions," said Dr. Nafees.

The event was attended by senior leadership from SESSI, including Commissioner SESSI, Mr Miandad Rahoojo, who appreciated the research work conducted by the team. He reinforced the need for high quality data to assess the impact of poor safety standards and SOPs at workplaces; and emphasized collaboration for prevention through mass awareness and provision of the required occupational health and safety measures. "The collaboration between SESSI and AKU has opened new avenues for improving worker health and safety in Sindh. The data collected through SODISS will be helpful not only for better decision-making at SESSI but will also enable us to take informed actions for the protection of our workforce," stated Commissioner Rahoojo.

Also in attendance were Ex-Medical Advisor SESSI, Dr. Azam Sulheri, representatives from the Labour Department, Government of Sindh, and ILO, and several occupational health experts including Prof Mohamed Jeebhay from the University of Cape Town.

Deputy Director Labour Department, Government of Sindh, Mr. Javed Ahmed, underscored the significance of the project for the broader labour community. "The SODISS initiative is a groundbreaking effort that will help us better understand occupational diseases that our workers suffer from. The data and insights gained from this project will be crucial in developing  better health and safety regulations, that will benefit countless workers across Sindh".

The project successfully collected data from two thousand patients, analyzing diseases and injuries among workers; some high-risk industries that were identified include auto workshops, tire and glass factories, soap and detergents industry, and flour mills. Next steps, include scaling-up such efforts at the provincial and national level, augmented by targeted surveys in high-risk industries, as well as sustained efforts for the prevention of occupational diseases and injuries according to the local context.