In 2024, the NARKO-NE Association for Addiction Prevention, in partnership with the Institute of Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the support of the Employers’ Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, conducted research on the monitoring and protection of employee health in the Federation of BiH, focusing on addiction-related diseases. On July 2, 2024, the most significant results of this research were presented at the Institute.
The research covered 104 institutions from various sectors, including healthcare institutions, social welfare institutions, government bodies, NGOs and associations, educational institutions, as well as companies in the industry, construction, trade, and hospitality sectors.
NARKO-NE’s Executive Director Amir Hasanović emphasized the importance of sensitizing employers to the significance of investing resources in employee health protection. A positive outcome is that more than 80% of employers included in the research expressed interest in further participation in workplace prevention programs and employee education.
The workplace represents an important resource for the prevention and monitoring of risk factors and the protection of employee health. Aida Ramić Čatak, Assistant Director for Medical Affairs and Head of the Public Health Sector at the Institute of Public Health of FBiH, stated that countries that invest in promoting the health of the working population benefit greatly in disease prevention, improvement of employee health, and better productivity of the institution, company, or organization itself. Both employers and the entire community benefit as well.
Ileana Šnur-Muratagić, a specialist in workplace prevention programs at NARKO-NE, mentioned that work-related stress, family problems, and poor economic conditions are just some of the reasons leading to risky behaviors or the use of certain psychoactive substances at work, topics that are not often discussed. The goal of introducing preventive programs in the workplace is not to discriminate against employees but to protect them, she emphasized.
The results of this research, which is also the only research in BiH that targets the work environment and employees, provide a good basis for analyzing the current situation regarding the monitoring of addiction-related diseases among employees, as well as an argument for defining priorities in planning and implementing future interventions to improve working conditions and reduce potential addiction-related illnesses among employees.
The entire research is available on the NARKO-NE Association’s website at this link.
Azra Halilović
