Health and Preventive Care for Mineworkers, India

Summary

Unsafe work conditions in the mines lead to high numbers of accidents and lack of preventive care for silicosis and tuberculosis. Health and preventive care is critical to mineworkers' survival.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Health care has always been a neglected issue among mineworkers. Extreme climatic conditions, hard physical labor, the presence of occupational health hazards in the mines, and the lack of safety equipment lead to widespread health problems. Rural communities of the Thar Desert are plagued by dust-borne diseases, such as silicosis and tuberculosis; their isolated location and poverty deny them access to health care. Without treatment, the diseases often prove fatal.

How will this project solve this problem?

In the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, there are more than 70,000 marble and sandstone mineworkers. Funding will provide health and preventive care in the region. Patients will be provided with diagnosis and treatment, including low-cost medication.

Potential Long Term Impact

The health and preventive care for mineworkers will help provide mineworkers and their families better access to healthcare, prevent common illness, raise awareness on health issues and build a cadre of village health workers.

Project Message

Mining communities are isolated and access to medical care is a luxury. Preventive care services save lives and promote health. Training workers to care for themselves ensures that they stay healthy.
- Balu Iyer, Asia Program Director, IDEX

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources