Authors: Test T
Source: Occup Health Southern Africa, 15 WAHSA Special Issue, Nov 2009: 2 – 6
Summary:
The work and Health ion Southern Africa (WAHSA) Programme was inaugurated in October 2004, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), to an amount of 5 million SEK/ year for the first four years of Phase1. The programme was intended to continue until 2016.
The overall purpose of the programme was to contribute to poverty reduction by socio- economic development in the SADC region through improvements in occupational safety and health. The programme, consisting of ten projects, included research, training and development aspects within action- oriented projects. Significant advances have been made in occupational health and safety in Southern Africa through the programme, as well as learning about the complexities of running regional programmes. A network of WAHSA participants has been established throughout the region.
The Paris declaration on Aid Effectiveness that aimed to better manage the process of providing aid probably contributed to the realignment of the Swedish government’s international aid policies. Thus, despite the favourable recommendations of the external evaluation, Sida was not able to continue funding the programme beyond Phase1. The funding of activities ended in May 2009
This paper sets out the origins and objectives of WAHSA; provides an overview of the various projects within the WAHSA Programme; addresses some of the lessons learnt and discusses the reasons for its early termination.