Pesticides, chemicals lead to cancer and other diseases

A report of Prothom Alo on Thursday highlighted the top 10 causes of people’s death in 2020 in Bangladesh. Among these, cardiac arrest was held responsible for the highest numbers of deaths, 223,612 last year. Coming up second, brain hemorrhage claimed the lives of 85,360 followed by the deaths of 83,134 due to cancer.

We have been living with coronavirus after the first case was detected on 8 March last year. This year, compared to the previous year, there has been a surge in the number of deaths due to heart attack, brain hemorrhage, cancer, respiratory problems, kidney diseases and diabetes.

Last year, deaths from kidney diseases increased the highest, at 164 per cent, followed by deaths due to brain hemorrhage at 88 per cent. The rate of cancer deaths increased 32 per cent this year compared to the previous year.

There needs to be extensive research to determine whether coronavirus was behind this surge in the rate of deaths due to these diseases.

However, it is also a matter of grave concern regarding our national health that every year so many people die of these diseases, regardless of Covid-19.

Along with the research, this issue should be discussed at a policy making level so as to determine how to curb these diseases.

Although agriculture is a leading sector in our national economy, the health and the nutritional status of the people involved in this sector are not given priority.

There has been much development in the agriculture sector and rural economy, but the health and nutrition of those involved in the sector has not improved in that proportion. It is difficult to say exactly what impact the farmers and agricultural workers have on the national average life expectancy. It is noted that cancer, kidney, liver, respiratory and neurological disorders are increasing among the people involved in agriculture.

Many scientific studies have linked the use of pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture to these diseases. Chemical pesticides and the cancer are inextricably related to each other.

According to a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, 64 per cent of the male cancer patients admitted to their hospital from 2015 to 2016 were involved in agriculture.

Although the study is small in size, it is significant as it reveals a major portion of those involved in agriculture are men and the use of toxic chemical pesticides in country’s agriculture is completely uncontrolled.

Pesticide is not only held responsible for the cancer but it also harmful for the liver, the kidney, the nervous system and reproductive health.

It is necessary to conduct more extensive and long-term research to see how far pesticide is responsible for these diseases.

Various countries of the world have already conducted research on the issue, proving the link between these diseases and chemical pesticides.

Taking such scientific information into consideration, it is necessary to take effective steps to control the use of chemical pesticides in our agricultural sector.

Regular awareness programmes and the consultations with farmers at the upazila level can be effective in this regard.