Occupational diseases continue to be a major occupational health problem due to the social and economic burden they represent worldwide. Despite the improvement of official statistics in the Republic of Ecuador, the quantity and quality of mortality records for this cause are very scarce or nonexistent in comparison with fatal injuries due to occupational accidents.
In this particular context and in our opinion, we would like to reflect on some of the components that could be influencing the masking of this problem and, at the same time, offer alternatives for the immediate future. In the first place, we highlight the lack of knowledge of the time and amount of exposure to occupational risk factors of the deceased worker in his working life, for example, those risks of a hygienic nature. Secondly, and in the same way, there is a lack of epidemiological information on the worker's state of health. These aspects are limiting in the subsequent causal explanation for specialists in Forensic Medicine.
However, we must not forget that our strength as specialists (Technicians and Doctors) in occupational safety and health is (always will be) to prevent deaths attributable to working conditions. That is to say, our practical mission is focused on the preventive and promotional character. Therefore, the connection between the results of occupational risk assessments and epidemiological surveillance in occupational health (individual and group) is considered valuable information for the early detection of possible diseases and, consequently, prevent the most serious outcome in terms of damage to the health of the worker “death”.
From these brief reflections, a double need arises. On the one hand, the continuity of university training of specialists in our field, since there is a deficit in the country. On the other hand, the development of lines of research to counteract the existing gaps, such as the study of asbestosis and silicosis. Meanwhile, the analysis of national records of deaths could help to unmask this hidden reality in occupational health and an approximation of the real number of deaths from work-attributable disease.
Antonio R. Gómez García, Ph.D. and Rommel F. Silva Caicedo, Ph.D. (c)
