Pesticide usage and occupational hazards among farmers working in small-scale tomato farms in Cameroon
Date
2019-06-18
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SpringerOpen (part of Springer Nature)
SpringerOpen (part of Springer Nature)
SpringerOpen (part of Springer Nature)
Abstract
Background: Agriculture is undoubtedly the backbone of the Cameroonian economy, and other economic activities
thrive only if production in this sector is assured. It has been estimated that approximately 25 million agricultural
workers worldwide experience unintentional pesticide poisoning yearly. Unfortunately, limited information exists about
the health and safety of the farmers. The aim of this study was to describe the occupational health and safety (OHS)
conditions of farmers working on small-scale tomato farms in the western region of Cameroon.
A cross-sectional research method was used to collect data from tomato farmers in May 2017, using a questionnaire
developed by the research team.
Results: A total of 104 tomato farmers from small-scale farms participated in the study. The analysis revealed that the
occupation is male-dominated (86.5%). The training and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among farmers
were rare (35.6%), and farmers were mostly exposed to chemical hazards. The farmers reported the following workrelated
health problems: skin irritation, backache, impairment of the central nervous system (CNS), visual problems, and
respiratory difficulties.
Conclusions: The OHS conditions on small-scale tomato farms are mostly poor, thus predisposing farmers to the risk
of work-related health problems. Exposure to occupational hazards can be significantly reduced if the required PPE are available and efficiently used.
Description
CITATION: Tambe, A. B., et al. 2019. Pesticide usage and occupational hazards among farmers working in small-scale tomato farms in Cameroon. Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 94:20, doi:10.1186/s42506-019-0021-x.
The original publication is available at https://link.springer.com
The original publication is available at https://link.springer.com
Keywords
Tomato growers -- Cameroon -- Working conditions, Pesticide applicators (Persons) -- Cameroon -- Working conditions, Pesticides -- Cameroon -- Risk assessment, Industrial safety -- Cameroon, Farms, Small -- Cameroon
Citation
Tambe, A. B., et al. 2019. Pesticide usage and occupational hazards among farmers working in small-scale tomato farms in Cameroon. Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 94:20, doi:10.1186/s42506-019-0021-x