Membership

International

Special Interest Section
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Overview

The section provides:

  • An impetus to physicians practicing international medicine to join ACOEM and contribute to its goals;
  • Members and corporate entities with resources of persons/organizations with expertise in international aspects of occupational medicine (initially a directory of section members);
  • A focal point for foreign individuals and institutions/multinational corporations desiring information on American occupational medical practices to link with ACOEM experts;
  • Official liaison between ACOEM and other international organizations dealing with occupational medicine, coordinating appropriate medical care for expatriates in occupational medicine matters; and
  • A network of section members willing to participate in hosting foreign occupational medicine dignitaries and/or matching them with their American counterparts.


In addition to the general populations' large health problems, developing countries have many serious problems in small and large industries. Persons working in industries of developing countries have impaired health and the same morbidity rate as the general population; major causes of morbidity are infectious/parasitic diseases and diseases resulting from malnutrition. The incidence of occupational disease is usually high as workers have no experience with industrial work and lack knowledge to apply preventive measures or use protective equipment. The result is an increase in accidents/occupational diseases. The need for health services in the developing world must be recognized and appropriate occupational health services instituted; health services of developed countries must not just be copied. Occupational hazards, safety, and workload must be considered if the working environment is to be improved. The use of health exams applying preventive medicine and basic health care are imperative to any successful occupational health program. Expertise from the technological western world must be utilized to develop appropriate occupational environments and assist the developing world in avoiding some of the errors the West has made. 

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