Epidemiology of Pesticides in Developing Countries

Chemical pesticides are group of substances of different classes according to their target species (Eg. herbicides and insecticides), that are created for eradication and control of pests. A global trend of transition from agricultural to industrial workforces has been observed lately in developing countries to increase agricultural productivity which imply increased use of non-patented, more toxic, inexpensive, older, environmentally persistent pesticides to protect their plantations and increase their production up to two or three crops per year seeking for increasing their economic development. The world health organization declared that pesticides – related intoxications in developing countries, have the highest percentages of acute human in toxications either intentional suicidal or occupational exposures, as well chronic intoxications. This widely spread use of pesticides represents a major public health problem which has a real and potential adverse health impacts on human and animal lives, such as cancer. Many different international bodies have declared some preventive measures to reduce this problem such as properly developing a common philosophy of pertaining such chemicals and applying legislations for their use; farmer education, and establishment of personal and family protection programs. Lack of scientific evidence with defective large scale surveillance data to estimate the magnitude of the problem and the significant association between pesticide use and chronic adverse health effects in developing countries; requires close monitoring to identify the most hazardous pesticides to restrict or ban their use through conduction of well-designed epidemiological studies.