Silicosis among the artisanal and small-scale miners in Tanzania a growing occupational health crisis requiring urgent policy actions

Abstract

Silicosis is a lung disease that affects more than 1.1% of artisanal and small-scale miners and mining communities worldwide. It affects more than 35,483 people every year globally. In Tanzania the rapid expansion of artisanal and small-scale mining has increased the risk of workers’ exposure to silica dust, placing the miners and mining communities at risk of silicosis. Currently the prevalence of silicosis among miners and mining communities in Tanzania is approximately 1.62% to 2%. This perspective synthesizes the available evidence on the burden, determinants, and health system challenges related to silicosis among artisanal miners and mining communities as the growing occupational health crisis requiring urgent policy actions in Tanzania. Silicosis is characterized by progressive respiratory impairment, oxygen therapy dependency, and poor quality of life, where the contributing risk factors include inadequate occupational safety measures, limited awareness about silicosis among miners and mining communities, the absence of a silicosis community-based surveillance system, uncoordinated local and international regulatory law enforcement, and inconsistent early screening diagnostic capabilities. Silicosis results in increased risk of tuberculosis, disabilities, and social and economic hardship. This underlines the need for multitrack policy initiatives to increase occupational health safety measures, to implement silica dust control rules and silicosis surveillance, and to expand the preventative, control, and treatment measures. Not applicable.