PREVENTION 15
• Disability caused by poisons in
food, water, air, or workplace. The
recent, common, worldwide use of
chemicals to kill insects and weeds has
become a major health problem. Often
villagers use these pesticides without
any knowledge of their risks, or of the
precautions they should take. As a
result, many become paralyzed, blind,
or disabled in other ways.
To prevent these problems, people
need to learn about the dangers, not
only to themselves and their children
but to animals, birds, land, and to
the whole ‘balance of nature’. Less
dangerous ways to control pests give
better results over time. Laws are also
needed to prohibit the most dangerous
products and to provide clear warnings.
• Poisonous foods in some areas are
a major cause of disability. In parts of
India, thousands of farm workers who
are paid with a poisonous variety of
lentils suffer paralysis from ‘lathyrism’.
The poor know the danger but have
nothing else to eat. Fair wages and less
corruption are needed to correct this
situation.
TO PROTECT AGAINST PESTICIDE POISONING
• Stand so that wind blows spray away from you.
• Wear protective clothing, covering the whole body.
goggles
a long-sleeved
shirt
thick rubber
gloves
(not leather,
it absorbs
pesticides)
long pants
(women too!)
rubber shoes or
boots,
with socks
a hat with
a brim
mouth
and nose
protection: a
respirator or
face mask is
best
a thick
canvas,
plastic,
or rubber
apron
keep
pant legs
outside
boots
• Wash whole body and change clothes
immediately after spraying.
• Wash clothes after spraying.
• Do not let wash water get into drinking supply.
• Do not use spray containers for food or water.
• Do not let children play with spray containers.
CAUTION: Make sure that children, and women who are
pregnant or breast feeding, stay away from all pesticides.
• Fluoride poisoning (fluorosis), mainly from
drinking water, is a common cause of bone
deformities (knock-knees) in parts of India
and other places. Public health measures are
needed to provide safe water. *
The 4 biggest causes of ‘crippling’ in India, affecting
over 2 million people, are reported to be polio, iodine
deficiency, fluorosis, and lathyrism. Given the
political will, all could be completely prevented!
• Dangerous work conditions, poisons in the air, and lack of basic safety measures result
in many disabilities. These include burns, amputations, blindness, and back and head
injuries. In some countries, the use of asbestos for roofs or walls in schools, work places,
and homes causes disabling lung diseases. Strict public health measures and an informed,
organized people are needed to bring improvements.
• Certain dangerous medicines, known to sometimes cause disabilities, are now
prohibited in the countries that make them, but are still sold in other countries. For
example, diarrhea medicines containing clioquinol caused thousands of cases of blindness
and paralysis in Japan. (A good book discussing dangerous medicines in poor countries is
Bitter Pills by Dianna Melrose. See p. 641.)
The high cost, overuse, and misuse of medicines in general adds greatly to the
amount of poverty and disability in the world today. Better education of both doctors and
people, and more effective international laws are needed to bring about more sensible supply
and use of medicines.
*Note: Although too much fluoride is harmful, some is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. In some areas
fluoride needs to be removed from drinking water; in other areas it needs to be added.
disabled village children