Headlines - Surveillance of Occupational Diseases (MCP) in Franche-Comté

The MCP program relies on a network of volunteer occupational physicians who commit to reporting, during two 2-week campaigns held throughout the year—known as “MCP Fortnights”—all illnesses they believe to be work-related, based on their knowledge of the workplace. These illnesses had either not been reported or had not been recognized by an occupational disease compensation scheme at the time of reporting. In 2012, the Franche-Comté region participated in this program for the sixth consecutive year. Among the 1,196 women seen during the "Fortnight" sessions, 118 had at least one work-related illness (reporting rate of 9.9%); among the 1,281 men, 81 had at least one work-related illness (reporting rate of 6.3%). These rates in 2012 were higher than in 2011 (5.0% and 4.9%, respectively) but remained lower than those in 2010 (10.2% and 8.2%, respectively). Musculoskeletal disorders were the most frequently reported condition, with a prevalence of 5.5% among women and 3.5% among men. Mental distress was the second most frequently reported condition, with a prevalence of 3.9% among women (n=47) and 1.6% among men (n=21).Despite a steady decline in participation by occupational physicians in the region observed over the years, 2012 saw a participation rate of 21%, significantly higher than that of 2011 (13%). Nevertheless, it would be beneficial for an even larger number of occupational physicians to participate in these “MCP Fortnight” initiatives to obtain more precise indicators in Franche-Comté, particularly those from inter-company services.