Pesticide poisoning: 400 million cases on farms around the world in just one year, the study

    Pesticide poisoning: 400 million cases on farms around the world in just one year, the study

    Cases of severe pesticide poisoning on farms around the world have risen to 385 million today. I study.

    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

    Cases of severe pesticide poisoning on farms around the world have passed by 25 million in 1990 per year to 385 million today. A real pandemic within a pandemic that translates into about 44% of the world population working on farms being poisoned every year.





    These are the figures calculated by the researchers of the PAN (Pesticides Action Network International) on the basis of 157 scientific publications published in 141 countries around the world and on the data collected by the World Health Organization on the causes of mortality. This is a systematic review of acute unintentional pesticide poisoning, published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Public Health.

    The article, titled "The Global Distribution of Acute Unintentional Pesticide Poisoning: Estimates Based on Systematic Review," is the first global estimate of its kind since 1990.

    “These results underline the urgency to reduce and eliminate the use of highly dangerous pesticides - says Kristin Schafer, coordinator of the NAP. These pesticides are causing the unacceptable poisoning of those who produce our food, but also chronic health effects such as cancer and ecological impacts such as the collapse of biodiversity. The time for global action is long overdue ”.

    The study found that the largest number of cases of non-fatal poisoning occurred in theSouth Asia, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa. The highest incidence nationwide has occurred in Burkina Faso, where nearly 84% of farmers and agricultural workers experience acute unintentional pesticide poisoning each year.

    Total deaths worldwide from unintentional pesticide poisoning are estimated to be around 11 thousand a year. Nearly 60% of which occur in just one country, India, indicating serious problems with pesticide use, according to the researchers.

    “Pesticide poisoning is a public health crisis that must be addressed,” said Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director of PAN Asia Pacific. In addition to immediate suffering, poisonings can also cause chronic long-term health effects. It is shocking and shameful that this problem has gotten worse rather than better over the past 30 years. "



    A systematic review

    The authors of the new study conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature published between 2006 and 2018, selecting a total of 157 articles after evaluating more than 800 articles for eligibility based on established criteria and additional data from the cause database. WHO death. The data covered 141 countries in total. Most of the studies have focused on occupational poisonings, particularly of farmers and agricultural workers.

    “We realize that there are limitations in the data on pesticide poisoning - observes Javier Souza, coordinator of PAN Latin America. But this study clearly shows that this is a serious global problem that requires immediate action. Highly dangerous pesticides must be phased out by 2030 to achieve the global sustainable development goals and we must move to healthier and more resilient systems such as agroecology ”.

    The estimated number of unintentional non-fatal pesticide poisonings in the present study is significantly greater than previous estimates. This is partly due to the fact that the current study covers more countries and because there has been an 81% increase in pesticide use since 1990 (it is estimated that around 2017 million were used in 4,1. tons of pesticides worldwide).

    The heavy burden of unintentional pesticide poisoning, then? It once again focuses on the need to tackle the general problem of pesticides more seriously at the international level, especially for farmers and agricultural workers. Will we ever make it?

    Fonti: PAN / BMC Public Health


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