IOM re-designated by WHO as a Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health for a further 4 years
One of the ways that the World Health Organization (WHO) gets its work done is in partnership with other organisations, through its Networks of Collaborating Centres (CCs). Typically, they are institutions of high scientific and technical standing that have already attained international recognition, and are willing and able to work with WHO to further WHO’s programme and objectives. Designation as a Collaborating Centre is for a limited period only, typically 4 years; institutions can re-apply for further terms.
The WHO Network of Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health is one of its strongest networks. It has championed improvements to workers’ health in many ways, now integrated into WHO’s Global Plan of Action for Workers’ Health http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA60/A60_R26-en.pdf. The Collaborating Centres help with implementation of this plan – see http://www.who.int/occupational_health/network/en/ for more information.
IOM has been a WHO Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health since 1995. IOM’s designation for 2005-2009 ended in April this year. Many of our activities are in line with the WHO Global Plan of Action. However, for re-designation we proposed four projects in particular. Two of these relate to one long-established hazard, asbestos, which remains a hugely important issue for workers’ health worldwide. IOM’s projects concern the reliability of methods for counting asbestos fibres (our contact for this is Dr. Alan Jones). The other two projects where we lead concern the topical new materials of engineered nanoparticles. One IOM project (contact Dr. Lang Tran) involves new research to characterise the possible risks from these materials; the other (SAFENANO – contact Dr. Rob Aitken) is focused on collating and disseminating up-to-date information about safety and risk.
We are very pleased that, on the basis of these and other activities, WHO has re-designated IOM as a Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health for a further 4 years.
Fintan Hurley, IOM’s Scientific Director, represented IOM at the 8th Meeting of the WHO CCs in Occupational Health, held from October 18-23 at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. There were 171 participants representing 57 Collaborating Centres from 42 countries. Fintan found the meeting very interesting in giving perspectives on issues of work and health internationally, for example the different ways that common problems are being dealt with in different parts of the world with different infrastructure and resources; and what new issues are emerging.
Documents for the meeting are available at:
http://www.who.int/occupational_health/network/collaborating_centres
where there will no doubt also be a report in due course.