The Antananarivo Inter-company Health Space (ESIA) is celebrating 20 years of commitment to occupational health and safety. To mark the occasion, it organized a conference-debate on the theme ‘Investing in Humans’.
The ESIA places anticipation and prevention at the heart of occupational health and safety issues. On Friday, a conference was held in Antsahabe in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Civil Service, the World Health Organization (WHO), and various companies and field actors.
An ESIA health official noted that inter-company medical services often focus on curative care at the expense of prevention, which should be a priority. This neglect has significant repercussions on worker health.
According to a 2021 report by the WHO and the International Labour Organization (ILO), work causes nearly two million deaths annually worldwide. In Madagascar, 2,313 workplace accidents and 2,275 cases of occupational diseases were officially reported to the National Social Security Fund (CNaPS) in 2019, according to a 2022 report.
However, these accidents and illnesses are preventable. The ESIA highlighted ergonomics as a key lever for prevention. Poor adaptation of work to the human being can lead to health issues, absenteeism, and reduced work capacity. Conversely, an integrated ergonomic approach allows for the identification of risks upstream and the implementation of appropriate responses.
The situation is expected to improve with Madagascar’s new Labor Code, promulgated in 2024, which mandates the creation of a professional risk assessment document. This document requires employers to identify, evaluate, and record risks to better protect the health and safety of employees.
For the ESIA, investing in humans means more than just reacting to problems; it involves preventing, anticipating, and supporting professional transformations to sustainably preserve the health and skills of workers.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-05 05:53:49 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/sante-et-securite-au-travail-les.html
