PESTICIDE POISONING – a Global Health Issue
A landmark study released in December 2020 shows the global impact of pesticides poisoning. According to the study, 44% of the global population working on farms – or 860 million farmers and agricultural workers – are poisoned by pesticides every year.
The study found that the greatest number of non-fatal poisoning cases was in southern Asia, followed by Southeast Asia and East Africa.
Total fatalities around the world from unintended pesticide poisonings are estimated at around 11,000 deaths per year. Nearly 60% of which occur in just one country, India, indicating serious problems with pesticide use, according to the researchers.
“These findings underscore the urgency of reducing and eliminating the use of highly hazardous pesticides,” says Kristin Schafer, coordinator of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) International.
“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. Time for global action is long overdue.”
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