Is called Risk Map and is designed to help organizations and their workers analyze the level of risk of each country in the world. To publish it is International SOS, a world leader in health and safety risk management. In the'2023 edition for the first time a was also introduced indicator risk for mental health.
The Risk Map evaluates the medical and safety risks on a five-level ladder – from “Low” to “Very High” for the medical map, and from “Insignificant” to “Extreme” for the safety map, using a combination of internal and external data that the International SOS team of experts analyzes.
“The risk map provides valuable information for organizations to recognize and understand the specific ways these risks can impact their employees and create tailored solutions to mitigate specific risks,” says a statement from the organization. organization note.
Health risks: mental ones in the spotlight
The 2023 edition of the map also provides an indicator illustrating the incidence of mental illness globally, using external data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease. An estimated 14% (1 in 7) of people worldwide currently suffer from one or more mental health or substance use disorders. "The indicator shows the estimated percentage of a given location's population suffering from mental disorders, so companies can understand which locations may be particularly critical," the statement said.
From the analysis of the map it emerges that one of the improvements main level of medical risk is represented by caribbean islands, largely due to the easing of travel restrictions imposed by COVID. Instead the level of medical-health risk in Mali was brought to "very high" level, due to the growing complexity of the country's security framework. This has led to difficult management of the humanitarian situation and the deterioration of the health system, in the face of a constant increase in requests. All these factors create a difficult security and humanitarian situation, with significant consequences for civilians, and lead to the deterioration of health systems as the demand for them increases.
“With travel and health risks rising in many regions, it's important that organizations also focus on mitigating the impact of mental health issues,” he says Fareed Ahmed, Senior Medical Advisor Italy of International SOS. “The stratification provided by the Risk Map can help decision makers better protect their staff by assessing which locations may have challenges accessing medical care or are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues.”
Security: the crisis in Ukraine and the European security situation
The main security crisis of the last year has undoubtedly been the conflict in Ukraine. This is reflected in the security map as some parts of Ukraine are now marked with a "extreme" level of security risk.
“The security crisis in Ukraine has clearly been significant and impacted both the country and neighboring regions in several ways. We at International SOS have worked with several organizations directly supporting them with all their safety, health and travel needs,” he said. Frank Fantozzi, Senior Security Advisor of International SOS. “For example, we have organized evacuations for large multinationals around the world, including Italy, helping some of their employees, including international collaborators and Ukrainians not subject to military obligations, to leave Ukraine if necessary. Among these, 150 expats linked to Italian companies in the countries involved or in neighboring ones. We also support organizations that have remained in Ukraine by providing field assistance and real-time information on the risks that may impact them. This is especially important for NGOs, media and professional service companies, where many Ukrainian employees now want to go home to visit loved ones." Sos International was one of the first to intervene in Ukraine already at the beginning of the conflict.
Despite the broad impact of the Ukrainian conflict and the increase in social unrest related to the rising cost of living, the underlying context of the risks to theSecurity in Europe has not changed.
Outside of Ukraine, the most significant increases in risk levels occurred in Sahel, where areas of extreme security risk have widened due to the increased risk of unrest, a trend also seen in Mozambique and other parts of Africa.
In ColombiaHowever, the increase in crime, due in part to the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to an increase in high-risk areas.
Il Risk Outlook 2023 report will be published on 8 December 2022. It is possible to participate in the Risk Outlook 2023 webinar in Italian on Monday 12 December at 11.00, by registering .
