AGENDA calls for urgent action to curb acute pesticide poisoning among farmers
DAR ES SALAAM: More than 400 million farmers and farmworkers worldwide are estimated to suffer from unintentional acute pesticide poisoning every year, representing nearly half of the global farming population, according to a new global study published in Frontiers in Public Health.
The study, based on publicly available data covering the period from 2006 to 2023, estimates that between 402 million and 433 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning (UAPP) occur among farmers and farmworkers globally every year.
The findings were commissioned by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) and highlight the scale of pesticide exposure as an ongoing public health concern, particularly in agricultural communities.
Speaking during the Press Conference Ms. Dorah Swai from Environment and Responsible Development (AGENDA), in Tanzania, said the findings point to significant risks faced by agricultural workers, particularly women in Africa who are heavily involved in farming activities.
“Women in Africa face higher risks from pesticide exposure due to heavy involvement in farming, weeding, and harvesting. They often lack protective gear, safety training, and control over resources, leading to acute and chronic health issues that can also threaten unborn or breastfed children,” she said
“Even if they were available, protective gear is also not preferred given the hot climate around the year,” she indicated
Ms. Swai said, “The study estimates the world’s farming population at approximately 934 million people. Based on this figure, the researchers estimate that about 46 percent of farmers experience unintentional acute pesticide poisoning every year,”
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“The burden is not evenly distributed across regions. The greatest estimated number of non-fatal UAPP cases occurs in Southern Asia, followed by South-Eastern Asia and Eastern Africa, placing agricultural workers in these regions among those facing a particularly substantial burden of pesticide-related illness,” she added
She highlighted that, the figures also point to a wider exposure problem that extends beyond the farmers included in the study. The estimated 402 million to 433 million cases do not include the approximately 84 million children working in agriculture worldwide, despite children being more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults.
The study also does not account for rural families who may be exposed to pesticides through spray drift during agricultural spraying or through pesticide residues that remain in the surrounding environment.
For farmers and farmworkers, exposure can occur at several stages of agricultural production. Workers may come into contact with pesticides while preparing and applying them, touching treated crops, or handling contaminated equipment and clothing. Consumption of highly contaminated food can also become another pathway of exposure.
Acute pesticide poisoning refers to illness or other health effects that occur shortly after exposure, sometimes within 48 hours. Frequently reported symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting and skin rashes.
However, the health consequences may extend beyond these immediate symptoms. Repeated exposure over a long period may not always produce obvious effects immediately, but can contribute to serious health problems later in life.
The scale of the problem is reflected in the evidence gathered for the study. A total of 139 countries were covered. Of these, 62 countries were represented through 214 published articles covering the period between 2006 and 2023, while another 77 countries were represented through data from the World Health Organization Mortality Database.
The publications examined in the study reported approximately 369,632 annual cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning. Of these, 9,182 were fatalities while 360,450 were non-fatal cases.
Using this evidence, researchers estimated that between 402 million and 433 million UAPP cases occur worldwide every year, including approximately 11,000 deaths.
The findings therefore draw attention not only to fatal pesticide poisoning but also to the much larger number of people who survive acute exposure and may experience significant health effects.
To his part Mr. Silvani Mng’anya, Principal Program Officer at AGENDA and Coordinator for the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) in Anglophone Africa, said the findings provide strong evidence that acute pesticide poisoning remains a major global public health challenge.
“The study noted along with other estimates, robust evidence is presented that acute pesticide poisoning is an ongoing major global public health challenge. There is an urgent need to recognize the high burden of non-fatal UAPP, particularly on farmers and farmworkers,” Mng’anya said
He said implementation of recommendations by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with Target A7 of the Global Framework on Chemicals, could help reduce the burden associated with highly hazardous pesticides.
“Target A7 calls for the phase-out by 2035 of highly hazardous pesticides where their risks have not been appropriately managed and safer, affordable alternatives are available,” he added
For AGENDA, the issue is therefore not only about documenting the number of people affected but also about reducing exposure by moving agriculture towards safer alternatives.
“The implementation of the recommendation by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Target A7 of the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) to phase out highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) by 2035, could significantly reduce the burden of UAPP,” Mng’anya said
He added that, “The findings also place particular attention on the conditions under which agricultural workers operate. In many farming communities, access to appropriate protective equipment, pesticide safety information and training can be limited,”
He highlighted that, At the same time, the effectiveness and acceptability of protective equipment can be affected by working conditions. In hot climates, agricultural workers may find protective clothing difficult to wear for long periods, potentially increasing direct exposure.
“The concern also extends beyond the farmworker. Pesticides released during spraying can drift beyond the targeted fields, while residues can remain in soil, water and other parts of the environment. This creates potential exposure pathways for people living in surrounding rural communities,” he indicated
He stressed that, “The study’s findings consequently raise a broader question about how agricultural productivity can be maintained while reducing risks to workers, their families and surrounding communities,”
He cited that, “PAN International, which commissioned the study, is a network of more than 600 participating non-governmental organizations, institutions and individuals across more than 90 countries. The network works to replace hazardous pesticides with alternatives that are considered ecologically sound and socially just,”
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Founded in 1982, PAN International operates through five independents but collaborating regional centres that implement its projects and campaigns.
In Tanzania, AGENDA for Environment and Responsible Development is a member of PAN International and has served as a coordinator of non-governmental organizations within PAN Anglophone Africa since 2024. AGENDA is also involved in coordinating the IPEN network in Anglophone Africa.
The latest findings provide a quantitative picture of the scale of acute pesticide poisoning among the world’s agricultural workforce.
With hundreds of millions of cases estimated annually and thousands of deaths, the evidence places greater attention on prevention, safer agricultural practices, worker protection and the gradual replacement of highly hazardous pesticides.
For agricultural communities in Eastern Africa, where the study identifies a substantial number of non-fatal cases, the findings underline the importance of strengthening awareness, safety measures and access to safer alternatives while addressing the practical realities faced by farmers in their daily work.
