Study: Long working hours kill hundreds of thousands annually

The World Health Organization said yesterday that working long hours kills hundreds of thousands of people annually, in a trend that is getting worse and may accelerate more due to the "Covid-19" epidemic.

In the first global study on long-hour work-related deaths, a research paper published in the journal Environment International showed that 745,000 people died from stroke or long-hour work-related heart disease in 2016, an increase of nearly 30 percent over the year 2000. .

"Working 55 hours or more per week represents a severe risk to health," said Maria Neira, WHO's director of environment, climate change and health.

"We want to use this information to promote more action, more protection for workers," she added.

The joint study prepared by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization indicated that most of the victims (72 per cent) were men and were middle-aged or older.

The study also stated that the people most affected are those who live in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific Region, which includes China, Japan and Australia.

The study, which was based on data from 194 countries, said that working 55 hours or more per week was associated with an increased risk of stroke by 35 per cent, and an increased risk of dying from heart disease by 17 per cent, compared to those who worked 35 to 40 hours per week. .

The study covered the period between 2000 and 2016. Consequently, it does not include the "Covid-19" pandemic. But WHO officials said the increase in work from home and the global economic slowdown resulting from the coronavirus emergency may have increased the risks.