Interventions to Reduce Pesticide Exposure from the Agricultural Sector in Africa: A Workshop Report
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Abstract
Despite the fact that several cases of unsafe pesticide use among farmers in different parts
of Africa have been documented, there is limited evidence regarding which specific interventions are
effective in reducing pesticide exposure and associated risks to human health and ecology. The overall
goal of the African Pesticide Intervention Project (APsent) study is to better understand ongoing
research and public health activities related to interventions in Africa through the implementation
of suitable target-specific situations or use contexts. A systematic review of the scientific literature
on pesticide intervention studies with a focus on Africa was conducted. This was followed by
a qualitative survey among stakeholders involved in pesticide research or management in the
African region to learn about barriers to and promoters of successful interventions. The project
was concluded with an international workshop in November 2021, where a broad range of topics
relevant to occupational and environmental health risks were discussed such as acute poisoning,
street pesticides, switching to alternatives, or disposal of empty pesticide containers. Key areas of
improvement identified were training on pesticide usage techniques, research on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at exposure reduction and/or behavioral changes, awareness raising,
implementation of adequate policies, and enforcement of regulations and processes.
Description
Keywords
Pesticides, Risk assessment, Sub-Saharan Africa, Environmental health
Citation
Röösli, M.; Fuhrimann, S.; Atuhaire, A.; Rother, H.-A.; Dabrowski, J.; Eskenazi, B.; Jørs, E.; Jepson, P.C.; London, L.; Naidoo, S.; et al. Interventions to Reduce Pesticide Exposure from the Agricultural Sector in Africa: A Workshop Report. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 8973. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19158973