**2. Methods**

Information used in this chapter was obtained through the desk review of published journals, conference proceedings and books as well as personal experiences

**17**

able development.

*Occupational Health Hazards Associated with Nigerian Fisheries*

of the authors with fish farmers, fishers and fish processors over time. The published materials were mainly sourced from the internet. While review studies from year 2000 were considered, only recent materials from Nigeria between 2011 and 2020 utilized in providing empirical evidences of occupational hazards in fisheries.

In this section, the authors first reviewed different literatures on the definition of health, occupation and occupational health. Occupational hazard was also defined as a concept and different categories were later identified and presented.

Health is defined as a condition of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing which does not mean the mere absence of disease and infirmity. Health is associated to the physical conditions of both mind and body, of all people at the workplace including the workers, contractors and visitors, and their protection from harm in the form of injury or disease [11]. Occupational health is a branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and treatment/control of job-related injuries and illnesses. It is closely linked to public health and health systems development. According to WHO [12], occupational health is a multidisciplinary field of healthcare which deals with all aspects of health and safety, in order to enable a worker to discharge their occupational responsibilities, in a way that causes least

harm to their health. This is achieved through the prevention of hazards. According to the definition jointly provided by International Labour

Organization and World Health Organization [13], the aims of occupational health include promoting and maintaining the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; preventing amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; protecting the workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabilities; and, above all, the adaptation of work to

Health is central to the sustainable development of nations globally, hence ensuring healthy living and promoting wellbeing of people has been included as a whole goal in the sustainable development agenda [14]. According to Alamu [15], sustainable development is the organizing principle for meeting human development goals while at the same time sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystems services upon which the economy and society depends. WHO [16] defined sustainable development as a strategy for meeting the present generation's needs without compromising the future generation's ability of meeting their needs. This implies that globally, human health is recognized as a prerequisite for the attainment of sustainable and productive economy. In terms of occupational health, the attainment of sustainable development implies the satisfaction of material needs through work and other production processes without causing danger to one's health, environment, as well as the community resource base in both short and long terms. Occupational health is a basic element and constitutes a social and health dimension of the principle of sustain-

**3. Linking occupational health to sustainable development**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94205*

**3.1 Definition of occupational health**

man and of each man to his job.

**3.2 Health, work and sustainable development**

of the authors with fish farmers, fishers and fish processors over time. The published materials were mainly sourced from the internet. While review studies from year 2000 were considered, only recent materials from Nigeria between 2011 and 2020 utilized in providing empirical evidences of occupational hazards in fisheries.
