Pesticides translating into a public health concern
Pesticides are self-harming and are the second most common method of suicide in Nepal. Between 2017 and 2020, a total of 2,535 pesticide poisoning cases and 62 deaths were recorded, commonly used chemicals involving organophosphates, pyrethroids, and phosphides. Beyond these cases, routine pesticide continues to harm farmers health and financial strain. In 2022, a study conducted in Bhaktapur district, found that within 48 hours of pesticide use about 64.9% of small-scale farmers reported acute or delayed illness symptoms.
In 2008, in Kavrepalanchowk district, farmers spent NRs. 1.1 million annually on pesticide-related health costs, nearly half the local government’s total budget at the time. On an average, the costs for pesticide- exposed individuals were eight times higher than those for unexposed in the same family. A study from same district found that with each additional year of exposure to pesticide, increases chronic health conditions including t respiratory disease, cancers, metabolic disorders, birth defects, and neurological complications increased by 30%.
Global evidence shows that pesticide exposure causesneurotoxic effects in children, impairing growth, and increasing risks of behavioural, and neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
