Geneva - Sana
The World Health Organization has warned that working long hours kills hundreds of thousands of people annually, in a trend that is getting worse and may accelerate more due to the Covid 19 epidemic.
Reuters quoted Maria Neira, director of the organization's Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, as saying that "working 55 hours or more per week represents a severe risk to health," pointing out that this information should be used to promote more action to protect workers.
In the first global study of long-hour work-related deaths, a research paper published in the International Environment Journal showed that 745,000 people died of stroke or heart disease associated with long hours in 2016, an increase of 30 percent from 2000.
The joint study prepared by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization, based on data from 194 countries, indicated that most of the victims, or 72 percent, were middle-aged or older men, adding that the most affected people are those who live in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region, which includes China and Japan. And Australia.
She explained that working 55 hours or more per week is associated with an increased risk of stroke by 35 percent and an increased risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent compared to those who work between 35 and 40 hours per week.
The study covered the period between 2000 and 2016 and therefore does not include the Covid 19 pandemic, but WHO officials said that the increase in work from home and the slowdown in the global economy resulting from the emergency due to the Corona virus may increase the risks.
