To mark this year’s World Day for Safety, which takes place every April 28th, organized by the International Labour Organization, we look at the vital role that ISWAN plays in supporting the health and well-being of seafarers around the world.
ISWAN – the International Seafarers’ Welfare Assistance Network – is an international maritime charity that has been supported by Lubmarine over recent years to help deliver multiple projects to improve the lives of seafarers and their families globally.
As well as operating a 24-hour helpline as a direct service for seafarers, ISWAN also runs several other projects and campaigns in support of seafarers' welfare.
Seafarers are not only responsible for transporting 90% of the world’s goods but are responsible for the safety and care of passengers travelling by sea. But life at sea is often very tough, with long periods spent away from family and friends, limited or no communication whilst aboard, fast turnaround in ports with restricted or no shore leave, reduced crew numbers and increased workloads, in addition to concerns for their own safety in current challenging locations such as the Red Sea.
As a result, welfare services and facilities both on board and ashore can be a lifeline for seafarers and are central to the vital support that ISWAN delivers through initiatives that include:
- SeafarerHelp – the number one free, confidential, 24/7/365, multilingual helpline providing help and support to seafarers and their families around the world. For professional yacht crew, ISWAN also operates a free, 24-hour helpline Yacht Crew Help.
- Humanitarian support – ISWAN has staff working in India and the Philippines to provide humanitarian support in these regions, administering a number of relief funds to provide financial support to seafarers and their families in crisis or with urgent needs.
- Health resources – available on the ISWAN website - https://www.seafarerswelfare.org/ - and the ISWAN for Seafarers app, including self-help mental health guides and guidance on topics like healthy eating, keeping fit on board and safe travel.
- Improving Standards – ISWAN also works to drive change within the maritime industry for better health and wellbeing amongst seafarers, using data from its helplines to identify areas of need and inform new projects and research.
- Training – ISWAN also provides Maritime Mental Health Awareness training, both in-house training for companies and open access sessions for individuals or smaller groups.
As an example of the importance of its support, in its final quarterly infographic of 2023, ISWAN saw a 44% quarter-on-quarter increase in calls and messages to its helplines relating to mental health challenges, representing the highest quarterly total since its current helpline reporting system was established in 2019.
“We have been proud to support ISWAN over recent years to help deliver its vital projects to support seafarers around the world. You only have to look at the statistics from their Seafarer Help and Yacht Crew Helplines to see how vital their resources are in supporting the health and wellbeing of those at sea around the world,” said Cecile Joannin Global Brand Manager for Lubmarine.