Eighth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

The textile is a highly labour intensive industrial sector in many developing countries, including Pakistan. Women are the main suppliers of labour for the industry. The industry can also be highly polluting and contributes to indoor air and water pollution. The relationship between respiratory diseases and cotton dust has been recognized in the literature since almost a century, but the economic effects of exposure on workers’ health and functional limitations have not been clearly explained. This study provides estimates of prevalence of byssinosis and other respiratory symptoms among women textile mill workers and associated functional limitations and economic cost of the illness. Data of 541 female textile workers were collected for analysis from 18 spinning mills. Data of comparable 513 non-textile women were also collected for comparison. The analysis shows that women workers bear a significantly higher disease burden than the control group. The risk of respiratory diseases is elevated for those who work overtime, use firewood for cooking and work longer hours. The sickness absence is also significantly higher for those who work overtime. The research recommends that byssinosis should be made compensable disease and minimum standard should be set. A safety culture should be promoted in textile mills by providing OSH training and advisory services to the workers. Most of the diseases to large extent can be avoided by taking proper precautions and discouraging excessive hours.