Focus on Occupational Risks Prevention in agroforestry
On the 19th of June 2024, the Scientific Committee held the 3rd edition of the Thematic Workshops on Occupational Risk Management in Agroforestry in the boardroom of the National Social Insurance Fund.
Experts and scientists accepted the invitation from the president of the AGERPA organising committee, Noël Alain Olivier MEKULU MVONDO AKAME, Director General of the NSIF, to honour the preparations for the AGERPA conference, scheduled to take place from 18 to 22 November 2024 in Cameroon, the host country. A 3rd edition is in the offing, focusing on the theme "Preventive farming in agroforestry for sustainable agriculture and a safe and healthy future". The conference began at 10 a.m. with a speech by the Technical Director, Bagoura Souaïbou, representing the Director General, who outlined the challenges of Occupational Risks Prevention in the agroforestry sector.
"First of all, I would like to welcome you to the NSIF on behalf of the Director General, whom I represent here. Under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, our country shall host the 3rd edition of the Thematic Workshops on Occupational Risks Management in agroforestry. The agroforestry sector is Africa's leading employer, accounting for an average of 60% of the working population. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most accident-prone sectors. The NSIF recorded 3209 industrial accidents reported over the period 2018 to 2022. It is therefore right to focus on this sector in order to reverse the trend. So, I express the hope that these proceedings shall take place under the best conditions, and I declare them officially open on behalf of the Director General”.
The Scientific Committee's mission is to draw up, analyse, validate and update the technical workshops related to the event. Experts in the field of health and safety in the workplace from the NSIF, the University of Douala, ministries such as MINTSS, MINRESI, MINEPDED, MINFOF, MINADER and many others attended the workshops. These workshops are intended to provide appropriate and sustainable solutions for improving the health and safety of workers, and then, improving the productivity of companies.
The session lasted seven hours. During these hours, the experts analysed and amended the ToRs and the provisional technical programme. They also assessed the five recommendations arising from the 2nd edition of the AGERPAs, whose level of implementation is fairly satisfactory. While setting up the NSIF and sectoral ministry working groups to perfect them. The implementation of the recommendations includes, among other things, the drafting of a national occupational health and safety profile and a draft national OHS programme by MINTSS and all the stakeholders, as well as the identification of agricultural enterprises as a prelude to the drafting of a national map of occupational health and safety in the agricultural environment.
At the end of the day's work, the stakeholders were satisfied with the final result. Preparations are progressing and shall be implemented to ensure the success of this year's AGERPAs.
