title: SALTRA: a regional program for workers' health and sustainable development in Central America.
abstract: In 2003, the university-based Program on Work and Health in Central America, SALTRA, was launched to build national and regional capacities in occupational safety and health with the goal of preventing and reducing poverty in Central America. SALTRA has implemented 20 projects including action projects in priority sectors (e.g., construction, sugarcane, hospitals, migrant coffee workers); strengthening of surveillance (occupational health profiles, carcinogenic exposures, fatal injuries and pesticides); a participatory model for training and risk monitoring by workers; building occupational health capacity for professionals, employers, and workers, with collaborating networks between the countries; strengthening of universities in work, environment, and health; studies of serious occupational and environmental situations; communication channels; and continued efforts to raise political awareness. SALTRA has placed issues of workers' health on political, business, and academic agendas throughout the region and has laid the foundations for achieving substantial future improvements in health conditions of all workers in the region. External evaluators envisioned SALTRA as an innovative development model.
authors: Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica. inekewesseling@gmail.com
authors: Catharina
authors: C
authors: Wesseling
authors: Aurora
authors: A
authors: Aragón
authors: Kaj
authors: K
authors: Elgstrand
authors: Reinaldo
authors: R
authors: Flores
authors: Christer
authors: C
authors: Hogstedt
authors: Timo
authors: T
authors: Partanen
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002489:Central America; D003142:Communication; D004651:Employment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007391:International Cooperation; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration