Prevention of accidental pesticide poisoning

Pesticide poisoning is a major global health problem, and it is more prevalent in countries like India. The harmful effects on human beings in the form of acute and chronic toxicity exposed to insecticides are well established. The incidence of pesticide poisoning is increasing according to the existing reports, and it is estimated that about 5 million people die every year as a result of intentional, accidental and occupational exposure worldwide. In India majority of pesticide applicators won’t use recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and they also won’t read the instruction given in the pesticide safety manual. There is need for a study to find out the patterns of uses of preventive measures for the safe use of pesticides. Also for a country that consumes one of the largest amounts of pesticides in the world, the level of regulation is woeful. Hence government agencies should regulate use of pesticides in the country in more effective way.