World risk map new with mental health data

International SOS, a leading provider of safety and health services, has just released its annual interactive Risk Map 2023. This helps companies and their mobile workers gain a better overview of the level of risk in each country around the world. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and the security conflict in Ukraine, the risk map provides valuable information that enables organizations to identify and understand the specific impact of these risks on their employees. As global risks continue to evolve around the world, the use of data-driven tools such as the risk map can help organizations and companies meet their duty of care in these often uncertain times.

Mental illness as a risk

In addition to the medical and safety risk levels, the map now offers a further category representing mental illnesses worldwide. This is based on external data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease. The new risk layer shows the estimated percentage of a given country's population suffering from mental illness. This allows organizations, particularly large multinationals, to understand which locations may be vulnerable to the onset of mental illness. The data shows the extent of the epidemic increase in mental illness that employees are facing and employers are having to absorb. It is estimated that approximately 14 percent (1 in 7) of people worldwide currently suffer from one or more mental health or substance use disorders.

Dr. Stefan Esser, Medical Director Central Europe at International SOS comments, "Due to the growing increase in travel and health risks in many regions, it is important that companies also focus on mitigating the ongoing impact of mental health issues. Although other acute medical issues regularly arise that can also have a significant impact, mental health issues remain in the background and should not be overlooked." The details provided by the risk map could now help decision-makers better protect employees: "Responsible parties can see at a glance at which locations access to medical care is more difficult or which locations are particularly vulnerable to the occurrence of mental health problems," says Stefan Esser.

World risk map shows changing security situations

In various countries, the risk level has changed compared to the previous year. For example, the Caribbean islands have improved significantly in terms of medical risk, mainly due to the relaxation of COVID-related travel restrictions. In contrast, the medical risk for Mali was raised to "Very High" due to the complex security environment in Mali. This has led to a challenging humanitarian situation and is weakening health systems in the face of increasing demand. The risk map also provides a better understanding of the overall security situation in the countries through which employees may be traveling or working. This in turn helps companies develop tailored solutions to mitigate the specific risks their employees may face.

In various regions of the world, the security situation has changed compared with previous years. In Africa, for example, there has been an increase in risk ratings, particularly in the Sahel, where areas of extreme security risk have expanded due to increased militancy. This trend is also evident in Mozambique and other parts of Africa. Or in Latin America, where a rise in crime, due in part to the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to an increase in high-risk areas in Colombia.

Security: Ukraine crisis changes the security situation in Europe

The biggest security crisis of the past year was undoubtedly the conflict in Ukraine. This is reflected in the security layer of the map, as parts of Ukraine are now marked with an "extreme" security risk. Gautier Porot, Head of Crisis management Practice EMEA at International SOS comments, "The security crisis in Ukraine has affected the country and neighboring regions in many ways. International SOS has worked with a wide range of organizations and companies during this difficult time, providing support on all security, health and travel matters. Our support has been provided in two ways: on the one hand, at a strategic level, with the aim of directly advising the crisis cells of the companies so that they understand the current situation, the possible evolution of the situation and the immediate measures to be taken in order to preserve their freedom of action. Secondly, at the operational and tactical level, by means of evacuations for large multinational companies around the world, including Swiss companies. In this regard, where necessary, we have assisted some of their employees, i.e. international employees and Ukrainians without military obligations, to leave Ukraine." In addition, International SOS has assisted companies that have remained in Ukraine with on-the-ground assistance as well as timely information, about the risks that may affect them. This is proving particularly important for non-governmental organizations, for the media and for service companies, where many Ukrainian employees want to return home to visit relatives. "We are monitoring the current situation in detail and continue to keep our clients informed of the state of the conflict, taking care to provide them with an objective assessment of the facts, including their short, medium and long-term implications. It is critical to consider this conflict extremely carefully, as insidious and (slow) emerging crises could have systemic implications for the entire region and beyond (e.g., energy crisis, food crisis). To prepare for future crises, it is essential to go through future scenarios and possible solutions to problems. This makes it possible to limit the impact of the crisis - in terms of the company's resilience. Detecting weak signals is one of the most important success factors here," adds Porot.

Despite the far-reaching impact of the Ukraine conflict and an observed rise in social unrest associated with increased costs of living, the fundamental security risk environment in Europe has not changed.

Overall, employees are increasingly mindful of risks, and are more concerned about travel than they were before the pandemic. Therefore, companies should consider changes in risk assessment and trends in their planning. They should ensure that employees have access to reliable information about the risks they may face, support them with effective risk mitigation measures, and create clear communication plans for employees before and during higher-risk travel.

Source: International SOS. Go to the interactive map here.