Farmers' occupational health care--worldwide

This review will summarize the current state of preventive health care systems for farmers in the world. It is obvious that well-organized occupational health care systems for farmers occur sporadically in only a few countries, and generally are in the initial stages of development. Large cooperative farms and plantations may have industrialized occupational health care. In some countries in Europe, e.g., France and Austria, farmers' organizations may include a certain amount of health and safety activity within their social insurance systems for farmers. Moreso than in other places, the Scandinavian countries have tried different approaches to provide comprehensive health services among farmers. Regardless of the kind of system, it is obvious from experiences worldwide that agriculture is a risky occupation and farmers are exposed to numerous hazards which may result in injuries, work-related diseases, and death. It is promising to note an increased interest in this situation from many parts of the world.