President Knave's letter to the Ministry of Health, Greece.

Stockholm, Sweden September 11, 2002
BK/gj

Dr. Konstantinos Stefanis, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry
Minister of Health and Welfare
17 Aristotelous Street
10187 ATHENS
Greece

Your Excellency,

Dear Dr. Konstantinos Stefanis,

The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) is an international non-governmental professional society whose aim is to foster the knowledge and development of occupational health and safety in all its aspects. It was founded in 1906 in Milan and is today the world’s leading international scientific society in the field of occupational health with a membership of 2,000 professionals from 93 countries. The ICOH is recognised by the United Nations, ILO and WHO as a NGO.

For successful enhancement of safety at work and occupational health it is necessary to reach also young people with relevant knowledge. The possibility to integrate knowledge of occupational health in education at basic level is a method that we in ICOH see as one way of creating common awareness of how safety at work and good work environment can be created. Basic understanding among young people entering the labour market, that creating good work environment is a joint responsibility for the workers and the management, will be conducive to reduction of work-related accidents and diseases, but also to high quality production and progress of a company.

I have been approached by the ICOH National Secretary of Greece, Dr. Theodore Bazas, member of the Committee on Occupational Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, asking ICOH for support of his proposal to implement relevant occupational health education material and curricula in the secondary level in Greece. As President of ICOH such a request is very close to my heart. Whole-heartedly I support Dr. Bazas’ proposal to implement occupational health education into Greek general secondary education. Greece would in such case take a leading position in the world, together with Sweden, in lifting the area of safe work environment to a common responsibility for all inhabitants in our nations.

Hoping that Greece will have the possibility to create a model for the rest of the world in the enhancement of good working life by giving your youth the information and knowledge that will make them active in promoting safety at work when entering the labour market, I wish Your Excellency and your staff progress in this very important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Bengt Knave, professor, MD. PhD
President of the International Commission on Occupational Health- ICOH
Copy to Dr. Theodore Bazas. MD, MFOM (RCP, London)

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