Sickness absence among employees of healthcare organizations in the public sector in Mongolia: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand the rate of sickness absence (SA) among employees of public healthcare organizations in Mongolia, to identify factors associated with long-term SA, and to estimate costs due to SA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included employees of public healthcare organizations who had certified SA from 2016 to 2018. Sociodemographic and occupational characteristics of absentees and the data on absences were collected. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with long-term SA (≥15 days) among employees who had SA. Absence parameters and the average costs due to SA were calculated and the total cost due to SA at all public healthcare organizations was estimated. RESULTS: From 2016 to 2018, there were 13 653 absentees and 21 043 SA, and the absence rate was 0.9%. The average absence length per absence and absentee were 9.63 days and 14.85 days, respectively. Factors associated with long-term SA were age ≥40 years, 10-19 years in employment, working at the second and tertiary levels, and night shift. The average cost per absentee was 295.5 USD, and the estimated total cost for all health organizations was 1 796 993 USD per year. CONCLUSIONS: The absence rate was 0.9% and older age, longer work experience, higher organizational level, and night shift were associated with taking a long-term SA. To reduce the costs of absenteeism and promote the health of employees in healthcare organizations, policymakers should review the policies related to SA and develop national guidelines on SA for employers, healthcare managers, and employees.

Clean Air, Smart Cities, Healthy Hearts: Action on Air Pollution for Cardiovascular Health.

More than twenty percent of all cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths are caused by air pollution - more than three million deaths every year - and these numbers will continue to rise unless the global community takes action. Nine out of ten people worldwide breathe polluted air, which disproportionately affects those living in low-resource settings. The World Heart Federation (WHF) is committed to reducing the impact of air pollution on people's health and has made this a priority area of its global advocacy efforts. In pursuit of this goal, WHF has formed an Air Pollution Expert Group to inform action on air pollution for CVD health and recommend changes to public health policy. This policy paper lays out the health impacts of air pollution, examines its position on the global policy agenda, demonstrates its relevance to the cardiovascular community, and proposes actionable policy measures to mitigate this deadly risk factor to health. The paper considers the important roles to be played by the Members of WHF, including scientific societies and the physicians that constitute them, heart health foundations, and patient advocacy groups. The paper concludes with a detailed table of recommendations for the various sub-target groups at the global, national, local, and patient level.