NSSA launches Vision Zero Campaign NSSA

Tanaka Vunganai Herald Reporter
The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has launched the Vision Zero Campaign aimed at reducing occupational injuries, fatalities and diseases. The campaign is running under the theme “Reinforcing occupational safety and health preventative culture through optimum gathering and utilisation of data”.

Speaking at the launch in Harare last week, NSSA board chairperson Mr Robin Vela said the campaign was triggered by an increase in occupational diseases.

“We have also seen an increase in the number of occupational diseases, which is partly due to improved reporting systems. As NSSA, we have recognised the need for Zimbabwe to join the rest of the world in the Vision Zero Campaign aimed at reducing work related accidents, injuries, diseases and deaths. The Vision Zero concept is a transformational approach to prevention that integrates the three dimensions of safety, health and well-being. The concept itself is premised on the fact that accidents at work and occupational diseases are neither determined by fate nor unavoidable, they always have causes,” he said.

Mr Vela said diseases such as asthma and tuberculosis were mostly affecting those in the agriculture, mining and construction industries.

“The increasing trends in diseases reported were for asthma, skin diseases, pneumoconiosis (related to dust exposure), noise induced hearing loss and chronic backache. Agriculture, mining and construction industries suffer more from asthma and tuberculosis. It is important that we realise that occupational diseases affect all workers even us who are not in the traditionally dangerous occupations,” he said.

The Global Vision Zero Campaign, which Zimbabwe has now adopted, was launched by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) in 2014 during the 20th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Frankfurt.

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