Pesticide Use and Self-Reported Health Symptoms Among Rice Farmers in Zanzibar

ABSTRACT

The agrarian population in low- and middle-income countries suffers from a number of adverse health effects due to pesticide exposure. In Zanzibar, the government subsidizes pesticides to enhance local rice production. The objectives of this study were to assess Zanzibar smallholder rice farmers’ pesticide use and self-reported health symptoms in relation to pesticide exposure, training, and use of protective measures and to raise awareness for future local policy formulation. An exploratory cross-sectional interviewer-administered study was conducted among 99 rice farmers. Participants were selected based on convenience sampling and stratified by expected exposure category. The study participants reported using pesticides in World Health Organization (WHO) Class II. Of pesticide users, 61% reported one or more symptoms of possible acute pesticide poisoning. Only 50% of pesticide users had received training in safe handling and application of pesticides, but those who had displayed a higher use of protective measures. Farmers who did not use protective measures were more likely to have reported skin irritation and headache, which, together with eye irritation, were the most commonly reported acute symptoms. The main sociodemographic differences between the expected exposure categories of pesticide users and nonusers were in gender and education level. Scaling up of training in safe handling and application of pesticides is needed. Further studies are required to better understand the mechanisms behind the choice to use pesticides or not.

KEYWORDS:

• Agricultural workers
• chemical safety measures
• pesticides

Acknowledgments

The researchers would like to thank the translator George Rushingisha who not only translated during the interviews but also made the respondents motivated and open. Without the organizational and logistical support of the agricultural officers and the Zanzibar government’s Plant Protection Division, the study would not have been possible to conduct. Special thanks to Khamis Mohammed Khamis, Zanzibar government’s Plant Protection Division. The researchers also thank the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam for hosting the research team, and Dr. Sujith John Chandy and Dr. Marko Lukic for having reviewed the manuscript. We thank sincerely the respondents for sharing their time and experiences with us.

Funding

The data collection was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, through the Minor Field Study Program, and the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University.

Notes

^∗ The Agricultural Transformation Initiative is a Zanzibar policy that is similar to the Kilimo Kwanza policy (Agriculture First) of Tanzania mainland. The Zanzibar initiative has, however, a higher level of subsidy than that in mainland and does only subsidize herbicides in rice farming (R. S. Mberek, Director at the Department of Agriculture, Zanzibar Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, personal communication).

Additional information

Funding

The data collection was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, through the Minor Field Study Program, and the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University.