Child labour in Arab countries: call for action [letter]

A PubMed search not limited by year and using the terms "child labour" "child labor" and "working children" found a total of nine peer reviewed studies on working children in Arab countries (Lebanon 3 Jordan 3 Egypt 2 and Morocco 1). Some might attribute this to the seemingly less devastating conditions of child labour in the Middle East and North Africa compared with other developing countries. We argue otherwise using our experience in Lebanon. Children in Lebanon and most Arab countries are often employed in small hazardous industries including artisan production trades and service in the agricultural sector and in homes as domestic helpers. Such workplaces are assumed to be less hazardous to the health of working children than major industries especially if owned by a family member or a friend. However children in artisan and mechanics shops work under poor sanitary conditions with almost non-existent engineering or personal protective measures and suffer from physical strain long hours of work low wages and high exposure to noise and chemicals. When their health was compared with that of non-working school children differences were not striking. However notable differences were identified when subclinical neurotoxic effects of solvents were investigated. (excerpt)