Environment, Climate Change and Health
We pursue a healthier environment by strengthening health sector leadership, building mechanisms for political and social support and monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals regarding environmental threats to health.
WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury
In the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals, WHO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) produce the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury (WHO/ILO Joint Estimates). The WHO/ILO Joint Estimates quantify the number of deaths and amount of health loss (disability-adjusted life years or DALYs) caused by occupational risk factors. Global, regional and national estimates are produced, disaggregated by sex and age group.
According to the first joint estimates, almost 1.9 million people died from work-related diseases and injuries in 2016. This includes 750,000 deaths attributable to exposure to long working hours, which was first quantified as part of the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates and identified as the risk factor with the largest work-related burden of disease.
Our official estimates have been produced under our interagency Collaboration Agreement with the ILO.
Quick links
Latest estimates
WHO Occupational Burden of Disease Application tool
This online application tool allows you to interactively explore the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates. You can use the tool to map the estimates by country and conduct health inequalities analyses by region, sex and age group. The tool also allows you to download all estimates.
WHO
©
Credits
Publications
All →
24 April 2022
The effect of occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation on malignant skin...
This is a report for the World Health Organization (WHO)/International Labour Organization (ILO) Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease...
17 September 2021
WHO/ILO joint estimates of the work-related burden of disease and injury, 2000-2016:...
This monitoring report presents the joint estimates of the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization of the global, regional...
External publications
All →Global, regional and national burdens of non-melanoma skin cancer attributable to occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation for 183 countries, 2000–2019
Environment International, November 2023, 108226
The prevalences and levels of occupational exposure to dusts and/or fibres (silica, asbestos and coal): A systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury
Environment International Volume 178, August 2023, 107980
Estimating the population exposed to a risk factor over a time window: A microsimulation modelling approach from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury
PLoS ONE 17(12): e0278507
Related content
13 October 2023
Infographics
All in all WHO languages →
Videos
Podcast
Related Technical Advisory Groups
Partnerships
Contact
Related health topics