Social Burden and Economic Cost Estimation of Fatal Injuries in Workers Affiliated to Social Security in Ecuador: a Shared Challenge in Public and Occupational Health

Introduction. Currently, there is limited knowledge on quantifying the labour and monetary losses due to work-related fatalities in developing countries. Objective. To estimate the working years of potential life lost (WYPLLs) and economic losses (ELs) of workers affiliated to the social security system in Ecuador from 2014 to 2020. Methodology. Administrative records of fatal injuries were provided by the General Insurance of Occupational Risks and data regarding workers and their wages were retrieved from the Statistical Employment Registry of Social Security. WYPLLs and ELs were calculated together to assess the impact on gross domestic product (%GDP) according to the place where the fatal accident occurred in men and women by age groups. Results. During the study period, 123,121 accidents were recorded, of which 1,532 resulted in deaths (15-64 years). Consequently, 40,409 WYPLL were lost in the labor market, equivalent to 40.4 years per 1,000 workers. The ELs from premature worker deaths totaled 323.7 million USD, reducing GDP by –0.045%, with CFi exceeding WFi post-2016. Conclusions. Policy adjustments should enhance occupational safety and address work-related travel fatalities, considering Ecuador’s road safety challenges.