Impact of - IDL-BNC @ IDRC - International Development Research ...

eduction in the numbers of organisms that provide biological control
naturally.
In addition, pesticides are contaminating the water channels and rivers of the
Mala valley. Villagers have observed the effects and are worried about the
decrease in prawn production and the death of domestic animals drinking
from irrigation ditches.
The project
The general objective of the occupational health and rural community education
project is to investigate human intoxication caused by the use of pesticides
in agricultural work and to control the effects through community education
and the creation of a system of epidemiologic monitoring. The specific objectives
are threefold: research, education, and epidemiologic monitoring.
Research
To study the prevalence of human intoxication by pesticides;
To study the risk factors, practices, and knowledge of the farmers using
pesticides; and
To study and analyze the potential for self-diagnosis of intoxication and
improve methods to obtain an accurate tool for self-diagnosis.
Education
To design, conduct, and evaluate an educational health program for
farmers that will introduce appropriate pesticide practices and spread
information about the use of the method for self-diagnosis of pesticide
intoxication.
Epidemiologic monitoring
To develop a program to monitor the toxic effects of pesticides and to
provide a model monitoring system based on the participation of health
promoters and communal committees.
Three characteristics of the project reflect the nature of the problem of pesticide
intoxication and the conditions necessary for its solution:
The multicausal nature of the problem and the resulting need for a
multidisciplinary approach;
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