The Occupational Health Service Directorate provides leadership and policy direction for occupational health services in Malawi. It promotes the health, safety and well-being of workers by preventing work-related diseases and injuries, controlling workplace hazards and promoting healthy and productive workplaces.
Occupational health services support Malawi's development priorities in mining, industrialisation and urbanisation by helping to maintain a healthy and productive workforce.
Mandate
To provide leadership and policy direction on the delivery of occupational health services in Malawi.
Divisions and Brief Description
1. Occupational Medicine
Focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and management of work-related illnesses and injuries. The division provides worker health assessments and medical surveillance, supports fitness-to-work assessments, manages occupational diseases and supports worker rehabilitation and reintegration. It also coordinates occupational immunisation programmes and emergency response for workers.
Key areas:
Worker health assessments • Medical surveillance • Occupational disease management • Fitness/impairment assessment • Immunisation for high-risk workers • Rehabilitation and reintegration • Emergency response
2. Occupational Hygiene
Focuses on identifying, assessing and controlling health hazards in the workplace. The division conducts workplace risk and exposure assessments, monitors hazards such as chemicals, dust and noise, and supports employers to implement appropriate control measures and occupational safety and health management systems.
Key areas:
Workplace risk assessment • Hazard and exposure monitoring • Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) audits • Exposure assessment • Hazard control measures • Safe work practices • OSH management systems
3. Occupational Wellness and Social Safeguards
Focuses on promoting the physical, mental and social well-being of workers. The division supports workplace health promotion, mental health and chronic disease programmes, ergonomic interventions and social safeguard initiatives that contribute to supportive, healthy and productive workplaces.
Key areas:
Workplace health promotion • Mental health at work • Chronic disease management • Ergonomics • Health awareness • Employee social safeguards • Grievance redress mechanisms
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