 |
Safe
household pesticide storage and disposal practices
improved . Initially, students had identified that
pesticides were stored in the same areas where children
play (under their houses on stilts, in the garden and
hanging from trees). |
|
After
four months, houses defined as ‘child unsafe’ had
diminished from 64% to 45%. Pesticide storage and
disposal that were potentially contaminating food,
water and livestock improved by 31%, 22%, and 20%
respectively. Home recycling of pesticide containers
diminished from 16% to 5%. |
|
Students
felt their parents took greater care to protect
themselves during spraying. All wore rubber gloves and
boots and none smoked during the spray operation as
opposed to the initial survey. |
|
Of
the 18 signs and symptoms initially reported by
parents, all but two decreased in frequency. For
instance during the previous season, 23% reported an
episode of vomiting and 28% uncoordinated gait
associated with a spray operation. This diminished to
0% and 6% over the second reporting period. |
What
has been achieved?
Since its
inception in 1999, the IPM Health Component is now well
developed, tested and documented. The model is easily
adaptable in that it has been applied to a variety of
countries with different levels of trainers.
Teacher and master trainers, farmer trainers,
primary, secondary, agriculture college and non-formal
education teachers have learned to conduct these studies in
5 countries that include Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam,
Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
The
farmer, teacher, and student participants universally
appreciate the process. The data that is produced never
fails to reveal the same extremely hazardous conditions of
pesticide use in the region. As a result, farmers and their
communities have become alarmed and seek non-chemical
alternatives. For this reason, these studies are only
conducted within the IPM context.
Furthermore,
it has generated a good deal of interest in the health
community who often lack first hand experience on the
subtle manifestations of pesticide poisoning. As such,
farmers are educating the health care sector. Not only are
they more aware of the problem but they also are learning
new methodologies with which to develop further studies. It
also motivates the health care sector to be more involved
in pesticide policy, because farmer’s well being as an
occupational health issue falls within their domain.
In
addition the data is extremely useful to the agriculture
sector. They too are being educated because they often lack
longitudinal data on spray operation frequency and the
types of products in use. Since they often lack the medical
expertise to deal with these health issues, these simple
study methods has increased their capacities as well.
Finally,
community level activities such as this bring the health,
education and agriculture sectors together. They are being
trained on this innovative health education strategy as
well as benefiting from the data.
