Occupational and environmental health brought to forefront in week-long drive

By A Representative 

On the occasion of World Health Day, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) India organised a nationwide campaign on occupational and environmental health from April 1 to 7, 2026, bringing together workers, community members, public health experts and activists across the country to highlight concerns related to workers’ health, environmental degradation and policy gaps. A parallel signature campaign saw participation from 1,751 individuals across 26 states and five union territories, and the organisation said it would submit a letter to the President and the Prime Minister consolidating the campaign’s findings.

Prof. Ritu Priya outlined the background of the campaign, stressing the need to bring occupational and environmental health issues into mainstream public health discourse and to push for policy-level changes through awareness and dialogue. 

Jagdish Patel raised concerns about limited coverage of workers under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme, noting that only around three crore workers are currently covered despite the existence of laws such as the ESI Act and the Workers’ Compensation Act. He also flagged concerns about the consolidation of labour laws into four labour codes and their potential impact on workers.

Patel said the campaign aimed to identify workers affected by occupational hazards, document their health conditions and establish stronger links between work and health outcomes through direct engagement. Referring to global estimates, he noted earlier figures indicating around 48,000 annual deaths due to occupational causes, while pointing to the lack of updated and reliable data. He also highlighted the role of the International Labour Organization, established in 1919, and called on the Government of India to ratify the ILO Convention 155 on Occupational Safety and Health (1981) to strengthen worker protections and economic development.

Kailash Meena spoke about concerns over access to clean air and safe drinking water, linking environmental degradation to public health risks. He cited the example of Jaipur, where water is being sourced from the Bisalpur Dam located around 180 km away due to rapid urban expansion, and warned about the drying up of rivers originating in the Aravalli range, alongside significant ecological damage to the region.

Social activist Medha Patkar underscored the connection between environment, livelihoods and health, raising concerns over deforestation, declining agricultural productivity and food insecurity. She highlighted the impacts of water contamination from sewage and mining activities and criticised what she described as the dilution of labour protections under the new labour codes. She also pointed to underutilisation of welfare funds meant for workers and linked worsening health outcomes to climate change and unsustainable development models.

The speakers collectively emphasised that occupational and environmental health must be central to policymaking, advocating a “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal and ecosystem health. They called for development models that prioritise public health, sustainability and equity, and concluded the campaign with an appeal for collective action under the slogan “Health for All – Health in All Policies” and “Together for All.”