85 diseases threaten workers in Algeria, says minister

Protesting workers in Algeria.

The list of professional diseases in Algeria includes 85 likely to increase while 18 enterprises only have plans of professional prevention, employment minister said on Tuesday.

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• Work inspection department paid 64,584 working visits in 2008 and 3,857 internal prevention structures were established, said the minister on the World Health Day celebrated by the National Institute of Professional Risks Prevention.
• Secretary General of Algerian Workers’ General Union Abdelmadjid Sidi Said said the number of work accidents has gone down, stressing the necessity of prevention in every enterprise.
• “We are working to reach none risk,” he added.
• Doctors say health coverage in Algeria for workers do not exceed 13 percent while many diseases are still causing their suffering especially in construction and railway works.
• A total of 900 disease cases were declared on the social security fund in the country.