Preventing Occupational Tuberculosis in Health Workers: An Analysis of State Responsibilities and Worker Rights in Mozambique
| dc.contributor.author | Garcia, Regiane | |
| dc.contributor.author | Spiegel, Jerry M | |
| dc.contributor.author | Yassi, Annalee | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ehrlich, Rodney | |
| dc.contributor.author | Romão, Paulo | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nunes, Elizabete A. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Zungu, Muzimkhulu | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mabhele, Simphiwe | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-06-29T15:27:51Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-06-29T15:27:51Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-10-16 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2020-10-26T14:22:27Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Given the very high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among health workers in Mozambique, a low-income country in Southern Africa, implementation of measures to protect health workers from occupational TB remains a major challenge. This study explores how Mozambique’s legal framework and health system governance facilitate—or hinder—implementation of protective measures in its public (state-provided) healthcare sector. Using a mixed-methods approach, we examined international, constitutional, regulatory, and policy frameworks. We also recorded and analysed the content of a workshop and policy discussion group on the topic to elicit the perspectives of health workers and of officials responsible for implementing workplace TB policies. We found that despite a well-developed legal framework and national infection prevention and control policy, a number of implementation barrier persisted: lack of legal codification of TB as an occupational disease; absence of regulations assigning specific responsibilities to employers; failure to deal with privacy and stigma fears among health workers; and limited awareness among health workers of their legal rights, including that of collective action. While all these elements require attention to protect health workers from occupational TB, a stronger emphasis on their human and labour rights is needed alongside their perceived responsibilities as caregivers. | |
| dc.identifier | doi: 10.3390/ijerph17207546 | |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - AU - Garcia, Regiane AU - Spiegel, Jerry M AU - Yassi, Annalee AU - Ehrlich, Rodney AU - Romão, Paulo AU - Nunes, Elizabete A. AU - Zungu, Muzimkhulu AU - Mabhele, Simphiwe AB - Given the very high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among health workers in Mozambique, a low-income country in Southern Africa, implementation of measures to protect health workers from occupational TB remains a major challenge. This study explores how Mozambique’s legal framework and health system governance facilitate—or hinder—implementation of protective measures in its public (state-provided) healthcare sector. Using a mixed-methods approach, we examined international, constitutional, regulatory, and policy frameworks. We also recorded and analysed the content of a workshop and policy discussion group on the topic to elicit the perspectives of health workers and of officials responsible for implementing workplace TB policies. We found that despite a well-developed legal framework and national infection prevention and control policy, a number of implementation barrier persisted: lack of legal codification of TB as an occupational disease; absence of regulations assigning specific responsibilities to employers; failure to deal with privacy and stigma fears among health workers; and limited awareness among health workers of their legal rights, including that of collective action. While all these elements require attention to protect health workers from occupational TB, a stronger emphasis on their human and labour rights is needed alongside their perceived responsibilities as caregivers. DA - 2020-10-16 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 20 LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2020 T1 - Preventing Occupational Tuberculosis in Health Workers: An Analysis of State Responsibilities and Worker Rights in Mozambique TI - Preventing Occupational Tuberculosis in Health Workers: An Analysis of State Responsibilities and Worker Rights in Mozambique UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33415 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33415 | |
| dc.source | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | |
| dc.source.journalissue | 20 | |
| dc.source.journalvolume | 17 | |
| dc.source.pagination | 7546 | |
| dc.source.uri | https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph | |
| dc.title | Preventing Occupational Tuberculosis in Health Workers: An Analysis of State Responsibilities and Worker Rights in Mozambique |