EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL MORBIDITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Abstract

Objectives. Occupational morbidity and accidents at the workplace are health indicators in direct etiological connection with the occupational risk factors, which adequately reflect the state of working conditions and the quality of health care provided to workers. The aim of the study was to assess the occupational morbidity in the Republic of Moldova.

Methods. A retrospective epidemiological study of the occupational morbidity registered in the Republic of Moldova was performed. The observation period was from 1991 to 2019. The primary data were taken from ”The Register of Persons with Occupational Intoxication or Occupational Disease Detected, New Case f-360/e”. The intensive and extensive indicators and the measure of the central tendency was performed using Microsoft Excel software.

Results. During the observation period, there were detected 887 cases of occupational diseases (intoxications) and 895 affected persons, which is an average of 61.7 ± 20.63 cases per year. The most cases were registered in 1991 (102 cases), and the fewest in 2019 (1 case). It should be mentioned that in 2014 and 2016 years no cases of occupational diseases were registered.

Conclusions. In the Republic of Moldova there is an underdiagnosis of occupational diseases, caused, primarily, by deficiencies in the organization of health care of the working population, according to the principles of occupational hygiene, but not from the positions of occupational medicine. It is imperative to strengthen the knowledge of family doctors in the area of occupational health and to ratify Convention 161/1985 on the organization of occupational health services of the International Labor Organization.