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

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Pesticide poisoning among agricultural<br />

workers in Bolivia<br />

C. Condarco Aguilar, H. Medina, J. Chinchilla,<br />

N. Veneros, M. Aguilar, and F. Carranza<br />

Instituto Nacional de Salud Ocupacional,<br />

Ministry <strong>of</strong> Public Health and Social Security,<br />

La Paz, Bolivia<br />

The division <strong>of</strong> Bolivia into altiplano, valleys, and lowlands, with many<br />

intermediate subregions,favours the development <strong>of</strong> different agricultural<br />

practices and the use <strong>of</strong> different agricultural chemicals. Both traditional<br />

methods, using hand tools for personal food production, and modern<br />

agroindustrial methods, primarily in the lowlands and parts <strong>of</strong> the valley<br />

regions, are used in agriculture. This report presents the results <strong>of</strong> a study<br />

<strong>of</strong> the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) <strong>of</strong> workers in the altiplano,<br />

valley, and lowland regions <strong>of</strong> Bolivia. An assessment <strong>of</strong> the health<br />

status <strong>of</strong> workers exposed to organophosphate insecticides was also carried<br />

out. The lowland areas and the mesothermal valleys were found to be the<br />

regions with the greatest problems. The factors contributing to this<br />

situation are reviezved.<br />

The well-known division <strong>of</strong> Bolivia into altiplano, valleys, and lowlands, with<br />

many intermediate subregions, has resulted in the development <strong>of</strong> various<br />

agricultural products for domestic or commercial use. Two main types <strong>of</strong><br />

production are carried out: traditional, rudimentary, cultivation using manual<br />

tools to produce food for personal consumption (in the altiplano and parts <strong>of</strong><br />

the valleys); and modern agroindustry (in the lowlands and parts <strong>of</strong> the<br />

valleys). With the economic crisis, which is not limited to Bolivia, agriculture<br />

is becoming the hope for improving social and economic conditions. This<br />

suggests that crop production should be increased, which is likely to lead to<br />

greater use <strong>of</strong> pesticides.<br />

From the earliest times, farmers have fought pests that, at times, destroy 30%<br />

to 50% <strong>of</strong> the crops. Between 1930 and 1940, new stronger insecticides were<br />

introduced, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), toxaphene,<br />

76

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