Regional Meeting: East Africa Occupational Health And Safety In The Mining Sector

Background and Context

In the backdrop of the critical challenges faced in the mining sector, the upcoming strategic regional meeting of the East African Community seeks to address the pressing issue of occupational health and safety. This meeting acknowledges the inherent dangers associated with mining, which affect millions of individuals, including women, men, and even children, who often lack adequate protection. The risks span from blasting and rock falls to toxic chemicals and compromised air quality. Notably, occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer are alarmingly prevalent among miners. Furthermore, mining activities have been identified as significant drivers of infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS, which are disproportionately common in mining communities. This is where the linkage with AUDA-NEPAD’s initiatives becomes instrumental in addressing these challenges comprehensively. Firstly, it is imperative to emphasize the importance of training and education for diverse cadres of workers, including the strengthening of community healthcare workers. AUDA-NEPAD’s primary healthcare project, Bijimi, which has been piloted since 2022 in five AU member states, including Chad, Lesotho, South Sudan, and Burundi, aims at enhancing the community healthcare workforce. This project is directly relevant to the meeting’s objectives, as it bolsters the capacity of healthcare workers to address health challenges, including those stemming from the mining sector. Secondly, AUDA-NEPAD’s initiatives have been working diligently to fortify TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care for individuals employed in the mining sector and their families. Notably, the Primary Health Care Workforce Initiative, Bijimi, aligns with efforts to tackle TB within mining communities. It’s in conjunction with the TB in the Mining Sector (TIMs) and the Southern African TB and Health Systems Support (SATBHSS) initiatives, which collaborate closely with the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The collaboration between these initiatives underlines the interconnectedness of health and safety issues within the mining sector. Lessons learned from Bijimi, TIMs, and SATBHSS, as well as their collaboration with SADC, will provide invaluable insights and success stories that can significantly inform the development of a regional strategy for East Africa to address occupational health and safety in mining. To underscore the pressing need for a robust primary healthcare system, it’s worth noting that an effective healthcare infrastructure can significantly mitigate the health risks associated with mining. Adequate healthcare not only safeguards the well-being of miners and their communities but also contributes to the economic sustainability of mining entities and mineral sourcing companies. Therefore, this strategic meeting carries the promise of addressing these complex challenges while fostering safer and more secure working environments in the East African mining sector. Considering these critical considerations, the upcoming regional meeting is poised to play a pivotal role in reshaping the approach to occupational health and safety in mining across East Africa.

Objectives

1. Foster knowledge sharing among stakeholders from East Africa, AUDA-NEPAD, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on best practices and lessons learned from AUDA-NEPAD’s initiatives (Bijimi, TIMs, SATBHSS) to strengthen occupational health and safety in the mining sector.

2. Develop a comprehensive strategy for capacity building in occupational health and safety (OH&S) in East Africa, emphasizing education and training for various worker cadres, including community healthcare workers, with a focus on aligning with the Africa Mining Vision (AMV).

3. TB Prevention and Care: Explore innovative approaches to TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care for individuals working in the mining sector and their families, drawing from AUDA-NEPAD’s experiences and successful initiatives.

4. Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate dialogue and collaboration among national bodies governing mining, international organizations (ILO, WHO, UNDP), development agencies (World Bank, African Development Bank), and academic institutions in East Africa, reinforcing the importance of OH&S.

5. Regional Strategy Development: Create a roadmap for a regional strategy to enhance occupational health and safety in the East African mining sector, building upon the insights gained from AUDA-NEPAD’s initiatives and SADC’s experiences.

Meeting Format and Structure

Meeting will be conducted in English and French with simultaneous interpretation. The format will be a combination of plenary and breakout sessions.

Provisional Agenda

This agenda includes both plenary and breakaway sessions to address the stated objectives.

Day 1 – 22nd November 2023

Morning Session:
08:00 AM – 09:00 AM: Participants Arrival and Registration

09:00 AM – 09:30 AM: Welcome and Introduction (Plenary) Presided Over by Dignitary from Rwanda, AUC, and AUDA- NEPAD
09:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Keynote Speeches on Occupational Health and Safety (Plenary)

10:30-10:45 Coffee Break
10:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Plenary Session 1 – Knowledge Exchange and Collaboration Presentation on AUDA-NEPAD’s

Initiatives (Bijimi, TIMs, SATBHSS) Lessons Learned and Best Practices Panel Discussion and Q&A

12:30 PM – 02:00 PM: Lunch Break

Afternoon Session:
02:00 PM – 03:30 PM: Breakaway Session 1 – Capacity Building Workshop Education and Training Strategies

Strengthening Community Healthcare Workers

03:30 PM – 04:00 PM: Coffee Break
04:00 PM – 05:30 PM: Breakaway Session 2 – TB Prevention and Care Strategies for TB Prevention in Mining

Communities TB Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care Group Discussions

Evening Session:
07:00 PM – 09:00 PM: Dinner and Networking Event

Day 2 – 23rd November 2023

Morning Session:
09:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Plenary Session 2 – Stakeholder Engagement Roles of National Bodies Governing Mining Involvement of International Organizations Collaboration with Development Agencies and Academic Institutions

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Coffee Break
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Breakaway Session 3 – Strategy Development Workshop Developing the East Africa OH&S

Strategy Aligning with the Africa Mining Vision

12:30 PM – 02:00 PM: Lunch Break

Afternoon Session:
02:00 PM – 03:30 PM: Breakaway Session 4 – Training Programs and Pilot Projects Designing Tailored Training Programs Implementing Pilot Projects for OH&S

03:30 PM – 04:00 PM: Coffee Break

04:00 PM – 05:30 PM: Plenary Session 3 – Closing Plenary Adoption of the East Africa OH&S Strategy Document Formation of East Africa Occupational Health and Safety Forum Announcing Follow-Up Actions and Programs 05:30 PM – 06:00 PM: Closing Remarks by AUDA-NEPAD and COEHA/MADI

Evening Session:
07:00 PM – 09:00 PM: Networking Dinner

Day 3 – 24th November 2023: Strategic Meeting of Key Partners to Review Outcomes and Plan Follow-Up Action

Budget Estimate

Budget estimate for accommodating up to 50 AUDA-NEPAD sponsored Bijimi, TIMS, and SATBHSS participants from different African countries, including travel expenses, visa fees, accommodation, conference services, interpreters, interpretation materials, and printing of communication materials, with a total amount of up to $160,000 USD: