Barriers to the implementation of occupational health and safety regulations in Lebanon.

This study aims to explore the barriers that prevent the implementation of occupational health and safety regulations in Lebanon. A qualitative approach was adopted including a document analysis of the available legal documents pertaining to occupational health and safety at the national level and ten in-depth interviews with professionals in the field of occupational health and safety in Lebanon. Our findings show that the implementation of the occupational health and safety regulations in Lebanon is hindered by several barriers including the lack of a holistic legal framework, lack of promotion of a health and safety culture at work, insufficient number of labor inspectors, insufficient training for labor inspectors, lack of necessary tools and equipment, lack of an adequate documentation system, hierarchy within the Ministry of Labor, weak compliance, and the influence of the informal sector.

[Construction of a common vision of nurses and midwives training in Democratic Republic of the Congo.] / Construire une vision commune de la formation des infirmières et sages-femmes en République Démocratique du Congo.

OBJECTIVE: To present the activities that facilitate the development of a public policy by public health and higher and university education ministry stakeholders - based on a common vision of nurses and midwives training in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). METHODS: An operational research using different methods applied by experts called ?policy brokers? according to a framework covering the advocacy mechanisms (Advocacy Coalition Framework) designed to promote the development of a public policy. The population comprised 2 types of common interest groups (coalitions), derived from 3 systems (sociocultural-legal, educational, professional), involved in the choice of the ?secondary AND higher? or ?secondary OR higher? training profile for the concerned professionals. The methods comprised: workshops (discussion, training, restitution, validation, negotiation, scientific, reflection group meetings), training activities (programme development, training of nursing and midwives trainers-supervisors) and a variety of media coverage and marketing activities. RESULTS: The nurses and midwives profiles required in the DRC have been established. The levels required for their training have been validated and defined by a common vision of the two ministries concerned. A formal consultation framework was set up to launch the required reform for the review of these two professional's profiles. CONCLUSION: The public policy experts' activities based on the advocacy framework are complex, lengthy and time-consuming. In DRC, a Ministerial decree is currently being finalized to address the creation of a formal consultation framework concerning the training and utilisation of human health resources.