According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2005), each year an estimated million men and women die from work-related injuries and diseases. Moreover, annually, an estimated 160 million new cases of non-fatal work-related diseases occur worldwide. These include cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal and reproductive disorders, and mental and neurological illnesses (Takala, 2002). Although the estimated aggregate figures are high, there are reasons to believe that the global burden of occupational diseases and injuries is heavily underestimated because of lack of adequate global data (WHO, 2002). Reliable information for most developing countries is scarce, mainly due.
