Only 342 deaths from pesticide poisoning were recorded in hospitals in 2017, according to latest data, out of 10,242 admissions. The case fatality rate recorded was 3.3.” a leading authority on pesticides poisoning told the Sunday Observer. “Of the pesticide poisoning cases, 7,149 were from organophosphates and carbamates. There were 279 deaths from them, while the other reasons for hospital admissions were for drug overdose, snake bite poisoning etc”, he said.
“ This shows we have come a long way from the very high death rate of pesticide poisoning observed over the past seven decades during the 1980s and 1990s.”, Emeritus Prof. Dr Ravindra Fernando told the Sunday Observer, in a telephone interview, shortly after his return from Malaysia where he was honoured for his contribution to fighting pesticides over a period of seven decades. He said Epidemiologic patterns of deliberate self poisoning in the rural areas of Sri Lanka are now changing.
A prospective study conducted from September 2008 to January 2010 in all hospitals with in-patient facilities in the Anuradhapura district, North Central Province showed that there were 3,813 poisoned patients admitted to the hospitals in the Anuradhapura district over 17 months. Selected data were compared to the data collected from a 2005 study in 28 hospitals. “Although, pesticides were still the most common type of poison, medicinal drug poisonings are now 21% of the total, and have increased 1.6 fold since 2005,” he said.
On the health impacts of chronic exposure to pesticides he said there was evidence that chronic exposure to some pesticides can cause health problems, and although there is the potential for widespread adverse effects, very little is yet known about the problem.
“The implications are particularly relevant for developing countries given their reliance on OP and Carbamate-based pesticides and indiscriminate pesticide use in agriculture. Vulnerable groups in society, especially pregnant women (and through them the fetus and newborn) and children, could be chronically exposed to OPC due to environmental pollution, making this an area in which high quality, careful, observational and interventional studies are urgently required,” he emphasised.
Commenting on the recent favourable trends in slashing pesticide use among the rural population who are the most at risk community, he said, “As well as restricting or withdrawing a number of pesticides, Sri Lanka has also actively pursued a number of initiatives to reduce use and increase the safety of pesticide use by farmers - “Integrated Pest Management” (IPM). Furthermore, there has been considerable research interest in Sri Lanka in the medical management of self-poisoning”.
He said unabated continuous lobbying by the Department of Agriculture and other stakeholders finally inspired the Sri Lankan Government introduce the Control of Pesticide Act No. 33 of 1980.
The Act provided for the appointment of a Registrar of Pesticides (ROP) to regulate the importation, formulation, packing, labelling storage, transportation, sale and use of pesticides.
He said other interventions at the regulatory level, including replacing highly hazardous pesticides in agricultural practice with integrated pest management and alternative less hazardous pesticides, had major beneficial effects on both pesticide suicides and total suicides. “Such regulatory action in Sri Lanka, for example, has resulted in a 75% reduction in total suicides with an estimated 93, 000 lives saved over 20 years and little if any effect on agricultural yield,” he told the newspaper .
Viral flu , dengue increasing
The prevailing heavy rains throughout the country has raised the number of victims of the viral flu and dengue, health sources told the Sunday Observer. They warned that the proliferation of breeding sites had led to a sharp rise in mosquitoes and many areas inundated with water was conducive to the dengue carrying vector. “We have stepped up prevention activities in all districts with fumigation and inspection of dwellings , public places and drains.
Health officials and Public Health Inspectors are also making door to door inspections to check mosquito breeding grounds .We urge the public to give them their fullest cooperation and let them enter their premises without obstruction”, a health source said on grounds of anonymity. Dengue Prevention authorities said that several residents who had mosquito breeding sites within their premises had been identified and warned . If they don’t clean up their premises according to our satisfaction we will take legal action against them, they told the newspaper. The total number of dengue cases reported up to Nov. 12 this year was 4,666 bringing the total to 6,7791 so far from January .
Rat fever warning
Epidemiologists also warned those living in flooded areas at risk of Leptospirosis to take great care to adhere to the advice of health officials on how to take precautions before they reported to their places of work. “Rat fever is fatal and there is no cure. But it can be prevented with drugs.
We have distributed the drug Doxycycline free of charge to all health institutes everywhere and also issued leaflets giving details of what one should do if bitten by a vector spreading the disease Health Promotion Bureau sources told the paper. Asked what number they should call, they said to dial the hotline 0710-107-107 which is a free service available 24 hours, and qualified doctors and consultants will answer any inquiries.