The health of workers in selected sectors of the urban economy: Challenges and perspectives

This paper aimed at analysing and systematizing the health challenges faced by the poorest strata of urban workers and to discuss solutions. The research which provided the basis for the paper adopted a qualitative methodology, which interveiws carreid out with ILO and WHO staff members from different departments and programmes, completed with interviews with professionals from other institutions. Furthermore, several academic and technical documents related to theory and empiric cases were consulted. The references and information were categorized into themes of interest, focusing on five sectors of urban workers, namely: construcion, waste picking and recycling, street trading, domestic work and agriculture. The solutions analysed include social participation, capacity building, cooperation and partnerships between different actors. The research concludes with a call for an integrated approach encompassing good practice.