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Agrochemicals: a potential health hazard
among Kenya's small-scale farmers
M.A. Mwanthi and V.N. Kimani
Department of Community Health, University of Nairobi,
Nairobi, Kenya
A community-based study in 10 villages in Githunguri, Kiambu District,
was conducted to establish the extent of use of agrochemicals and to assess
the attitudes, behaviour, and general awareness of the people of the health
hazards posed by improper handling of agrochemicals. Another objective
of the study was to design and test a health-education curriculum with
active participation and feed back from the community and certain target
groups. The use of pesticides and agrochemicals, in general, was found to
be extensive. The health hazard posed by these chemicals is high because
the community's awareness of the danger is limited. The only precaution
taken was to ensure that the substances were not "within the reach of
children." Cooperation was sought from chemical manufacturers, retailers,
farmers, and community leaders to minimize the dangers of exposure
through improper handling of pesticides.
Kenya's economy is dependent on agriculture and the agricultural sector uses
enormous quantities of pesticides to improve crop yields. Small-scale farmers
are encouraged to use pesticides, although often they neither follow instructions
nor understand the potential hazards of careless handling of these
agrochemicals. The use of insecticides in homes to combat disease vectors,
such as mosquitoes, houseflies, and cockroaches, is also becoming increasingly
common.
These chemicals are readily available in nearly every grocer's shop. They are
purchased from retailers who measure them out from their original containers
into all kinds of unlabeled packages and containers, compounding the problem
of improper handling.
Kenya's Pest Control Products Board estimates that over 700 million KSH
(30 million USD) is spent on pesticides annually (Table 1), mainly by farmers,
for both large-scale cash crops such as coffee and tea and small-scale horticultural
crops.
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