The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently awarded an $8 million grant to support the improvement of workplace safety and employee health in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

The funds, awarded to La Isla Network, will go towards preventing “workplace illnesses, injuries, chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes and COVID-19 in the agricultural sectors of all three countries and in El Salvador’s textile industry,” a DOL press release said. 

“La Isla Network is a global health organization that focuses on preventing and mitigating the impact of heat stress and Chronic Kidney Disease of non-traditional causes, an epidemic that impacts thousands of agricultural workers in Central America,” the release said. “The organization has also worked on other health and safety issues in Central America, including the COVID-19 pandemic.”

La Isla Network will attempt to meet its objectives through aiding employers and unions in preparing for future pandemics, strengthening social systems for workers affected by injury and illness, and “increasing employers,’ workers’ and government institutions’ adoption of practices that prevent, mitigate and remediate workplace illnesses and injuries,” the release said.

The project will involve the establishment of centers of excellence at sugar mills and manufacturing facilities, the hosting of training events and workshops, and data collection utilizing safe practices, the release said. It will also monitor occupational health and safety to share with “local labor and health ministries to help them adapt their workplace safety protocols.”

The effort is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Root Causes of Migration Strategy, which includes a pledge of over $20 million in the region for the enforcement and education of workers’ rights, the release said.