Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China

Health workers (HW) are on the frontline fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, they are exposed to multiple occupational hazards. This article analyzed the comprehensive measures of protecting HWs during the COVID-19 response in China. Occupational health protection of HWs was one of the key strat...

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Main Authors: Min Zhang, Rokho Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2021-12-01
Series:Global Health Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644721000944
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author Min Zhang
Rokho Kim
author_facet Min Zhang
Rokho Kim
author_sort Min Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Health workers (HW) are on the frontline fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, they are exposed to multiple occupational hazards. This article analyzed the comprehensive measures of protecting HWs during the COVID-19 response in China. Occupational health protection of HWs was one of the key strategies of the public health measures adopted against the COVID-19 outbreak from the earliest stage in China. This prioritization of HWs health protection was based on the technical and policy guidance of WHO and International Labor Organization as well as the experiences from previous outbreaks in China. The comprehensive measures in China can be summarized as ‘6P-approach’: public health emergency response, prompt learning from lessons, proactive measures of occupational health, precaution strategies against occupational hazards, personal protective equipment and medical devices supply, and professional networking. Through this 6P-approach, China was able to minimize the incidence of COVID-19 infection among HWs, while successfully containing the outbreak during the first quarter of 2020. Although the COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out, however, the COVID-19 pandemic is still under rapidly evolving situation. Experiences from China may provide other countries with an example of prioritizing and incorporating occupational health protection of HWs in their public health measures responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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spelling doaj.art-80c89af85699444ebe2e7cdb85d2a9dd2023-03-16T05:05:39ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Global Health Journal2096-39472021-12-0154215219Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in ChinaMin Zhang0Rokho Kim1School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9 Dongdan San Tiao, Beijing 100730, China; Corresponding author: zhangmin@sph.pumc.edu.cn.Science Division, World Health Organization, 20 Appia Avenue, Geneva 1211, SwitzerlandHealth workers (HW) are on the frontline fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, they are exposed to multiple occupational hazards. This article analyzed the comprehensive measures of protecting HWs during the COVID-19 response in China. Occupational health protection of HWs was one of the key strategies of the public health measures adopted against the COVID-19 outbreak from the earliest stage in China. This prioritization of HWs health protection was based on the technical and policy guidance of WHO and International Labor Organization as well as the experiences from previous outbreaks in China. The comprehensive measures in China can be summarized as ‘6P-approach’: public health emergency response, prompt learning from lessons, proactive measures of occupational health, precaution strategies against occupational hazards, personal protective equipment and medical devices supply, and professional networking. Through this 6P-approach, China was able to minimize the incidence of COVID-19 infection among HWs, while successfully containing the outbreak during the first quarter of 2020. Although the COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out, however, the COVID-19 pandemic is still under rapidly evolving situation. Experiences from China may provide other countries with an example of prioritizing and incorporating occupational health protection of HWs in their public health measures responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644721000944Occupational health protectionHealth workersCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)China
spellingShingle Min Zhang
Rokho Kim
Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China
Global Health Journal
Occupational health protection
Health workers
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
China
title Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China
title_full Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China
title_fullStr Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China
title_full_unstemmed Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China
title_short Occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: 6P-approach in China
title_sort occupational health protection for health workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 covid 19 pandemic 6p approach in china
topic Occupational health protection
Health workers
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
China
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2414644721000944
work_keys_str_mv AT minzhang occupationalhealthprotectionforhealthworkersduringthecoronavirusdisease2019covid19pandemic6papproachinchina
AT rokhokim occupationalhealthprotectionforhealthworkersduringthecoronavirusdisease2019covid19pandemic6papproachinchina