The objective of this World Bank financed study is to establish occupational health service packages that can be offered to current and ex-mineworkers in Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe based on the policy and legislative framework for occupational health, the management and organization of the occupational health system, the occupational health service packages and delivery of occupational health services including compensation for occupational diseases and costs of coverage of services for current and ex-mineworkers in each country.

Aquity Innovations has received a grant from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to support the South African Knowledge Hub Pilot: ‘Combating TB in the mining sector in Southern Africa’. Within the context of this pilot program a number of studies are being undertaken to compile intelligence on Tuberculosis and occupational health and safety systems in the mining sectors of 10 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, namely South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

General tasks include:

(I) Review the National Profiles for the delivery of integrated Occupational Health Services to understand the prevailing organization and arrangements including legal framework on the status of National Occupational Health Services and Compensation of occupational injuries, illnesses and diseases;

(II) Meeting with key stakeholders (including Occupational Health Departments, Workers Compensation Departments, National TB programs, Mining Companies, Mine Workers Associations) involved in the regional TB in the mines initiative to understand current coverage of Occupational Health, challenges facing provision of Occupational Health and opportunities for increasing coverage of the services;

(III) Hold consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders to identify the minimum package of Occupational Health Services to be provided in each country based on sound criteria;

through consultations with relevant stakeholders, identify models for increasing coverage of the performance of Occupational Health Services.

- Design of the study, including defining study questions, developing detailed methodology, developing tools and implementation plan;

- Review of South Africa’s One-Stop Service Centres model to identify progress in providing Occupational Health and Compensation Services, Monitoring arrangements, existing evaluations, challenges and lessons to inform the possible minimum packages and models for provision of Occupational Health Services in other Countries;

- Stakeholder consultations in all 4 countries;

- Review of occupational health services in other countries, involving rapid assessment of relevant national legislation and regulations, the type of services provided in the industrial sector and for mineworkers and ex-mineworkers, and the capacity of the countries to scale up occupational health services;

- Develop recommendations on options and approaches to scale up occupational health services.