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Problem Irrigated agriculture exposes rural people to health risks associated with vector-borne diseases and pesticides used in agriculture and for public health protection. Most developing countries lack collaboration between the agricultural and health sectors to jointly address these problems. Approach We present an evaluation of a project that uses the "farmer field school" method to teach farmers how to manage vector-borne diseases and how to improve rice yields. Teaching farmers about these two concepts together is known as "integrated pest and vector management". Local setting An intersectoral project targeting rice irrigation systems in Sri Lanka. Relevant changes Project partners developed a new curriculum for the field school that included a component on vector-borne diseases. Rice farmers in intervention villages who graduated from the field school took vector-control actions as well as improving environmental sanitation and their personal protection measures against disease transmission. They also reduced their use of agricultural pesticides, especially insecticides. Lessons learned The intervention motivated and enabled rural people to take part in vector-management activities and to reduce several environmental health risks. There is scope for expanding the curriculum to include information on the harmful effects of pesticides on human health and to address other public health concerns. Benefits of this approach for community-based health programmes have not yet been optimally assessed. Also, the institutional basis of the integrated management approach needs to be broadened so that people from a wider range of organizations take part. A monitoring and evaluation system needs to be established to measure the performance of integrated management initiatives. Problematique L&apos;agriculture irriguee expose la population rurale aux risques sanitaires lies aux maladies a transmission vectorielle et aux pesticides utilises en agriculture et en sante publique pour proteger les populations. Dans la plupart des pays en developpement, la collaboration entre les secteurs agricole et sanitaire est insuffisante pour faire face a ces problemes. Demarche Nous presentons l&apos;evaluation d&apos;un projet utilisant des stages pratiques pour agriculteurs en vue d&apos;enseigner aux exploitants agricoles comment gerer les maladies a transmission vectorielle et ameliorer les rendements en riz. L&apos;enseignement apporte aux agriculteurs sur ces deux pratiques est appele <>. Contexte local Un projet intersectoriel concernant les systemes d&apos;irrigation des rizieres au Sri Lanka. Modifications pertinentes Les partenaires au projet ont mis au point un nouveau programme d&apos;enseignement pour la formation pratique des agriculteurs, qui integre une composante sur les maladies a transmission vectorielle. Des cultivateurs de riz habitant des villages concernes par l&apos;intervention et ayant suivi avec succes cette formation ont pris des actions pour lutter contre les vecteurs, ainsi que des mesures d&apos;assainissement et de protection individuelle pour empecher la transmission des maladies, lls ont aussi reduit leur consommation de pesticides agricoles, en particulier d&apos;insecticides. Enseignements tires L&apos;intervention a incite des ruraux a prendre part aux activites de gestion vectorielle et a reduire plusieurs risques menacant l&apos;hygiene de l&apos;environnement. Elle leur a egalement apporte les moyens de le faire. Il est possible d&apos;elargir le programme d&apos;enseignement pour y introduire des informations sur les effets prejudiciables des pesticides sur la sante humaine et pour repondre aux preoccupations de sante publique. Les benefices de cette approche pour les programmes sanitaires communautaires n&apos;ont pas ete evalues au mieux. Il convient aussi d&apos;elargir la base institutionnelle de la demarche de gestion integree afin qu&apos;une gamme plus etendue d&apos;organisations puissent y prendre part. Il faut egalement mettre en place un systeme de surveillance et d&apos;evaluation pour mesurer les resultats des initiatives relevant de la gestion integree. Problema La agricultura de regadio expone a la poblacion rural a riesgos sanitarios asociados a las enfermedades de transmisi6n vectorial y a Ios plaguicidas utilizados en la agricultura y para proteger la salud publica. En la mayoria de Ios paises en desarrollo se da una falta de colaboracion entre Ios sectores agricola y sanitario para abordar conjuntamente estos problemas. Metodos Presentamos una evaluacion de un proyecto que utiliza el metodo de la <> para ensenar a Ios campesinos la manera de controlar las enfermedades de transmision vectorial y mejorar la produccion de arroz. El adiestramiento simultaneo de Ios agricultores en esos dos ambitos es Io que se conoce como <>. Contexte local Un proyecto intersectorial centrado en Ios sistemas de riego de plantaciones de arroz en Sri Lanka. Cambios destacables Los asociados del proyecto desarrollaron un nuevo programa de estudios para la escuela de campo que incluia un componente de control de las enfermedades de transmision vectorial. Los cultivadores de arroz de las aldeas de intervencion salidos de la escuela de campo tomaron medidas de lucha antivectorial y de mejora tanto del saneamiento ambiental como de su proteccion personal contra la transmision de enfermedades. Adema&apos;s redujeron su utilizacion de plaguicidas agricolas, especialmente de insecticidas. Ensenanzas extraidas La intervencion rnotivo a la poblacion rural y le permitio participar en las actividades de control de Ios vectores y reducir varios riesgos para la salud ambiental. Es posible ampliar el programa de estudios para incluir informacion sobre Ios efectos perjudiciales de Ios plaguicidas en la salud humana y abordar otros aspectos preocupantes para la salud publica. Los beneficios de este enfoque para los programas de salud comunitarios todavia no se han evaluado de manera optima. Ademas, es necesario ampliar la base institucional del control integrado para que puedan participar personas de una mas amplia variedad de organizaciones, y hay que establecer un sistema de seguimiento y evaluacion para medir el desempeno de las iniciativas de control integrado., Background and context Malaria and other vector-borne diseases are a major public health problem in WHO's South-East Asia Region. (1) In the wake of increasing resistance to both drugs and [...]

A village in India sets an example for effective and beneficial recovery from harmful pesticide use, making it totally pesticide-free. An addiction to commercial pesticides which devastated the health, economy and environment of the farmers has been turned around by the use of natural pesticides such as neem, chilly and garlic.

A survey conducted on resource-poor smallholder cotton farmers in South Africa over a period of three-years and who had adopted Bt cotton have pointed out positive results. Positive results has also been in terms of higher yields, lower pesticide use, less labor for applying these pesticides and higher gross margins per hectare.

Abstract The research focused on the experiences and identity of aged male farmers in relation to farming and ageing using a phenomenological design. A sample of eight Australian farmers ranging [...]

Pig farming is a risk factor for increased nasal Staphylococcus aureus colonization. Using sequence typing and phylogenetic comparisons, we showed that overcolonization of farmers was caused by a few bacterial [...]

Migrant farm workers with disabilities, primarily of Hispanic (i.e., Mexican/Mexican-American) background in the United States, represent an impoverished rehabilitation population. Despite significant service needs, these workers are often reluctant to seek out community services. Effectively identifying and serving members of this population depends on an informed, collaborative approach among service providers. Key elements of effective intervention include comprehensive outreach strategies, and culturally responsive rehabilitation services. The Kentucky Migrant Vocational Rehabilitation Program (KMVRP) is demonstrating the efficacy of a service delivery model based on the principles of cultural sensitivity training, resourceful outreach efforts, pre-intervention capacity building, and the development of working relationships with consumers, their families and significant others, and key community businesses and human service providers., The National Center for Farmworker Health (1995) has recognized farm work as one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, ranked second only to mining in terms of [...]

Pesticide exposure poses a significant health hazard to everyone who works in agriculture. Growers have more control over their own exposure risk than do the farmworkers they employ. While growers are responsible for providing a safe work environment, their perceptions of the health risk of pesticides influence the amount and quality of safety training and protection they offer to workers. This paper analyzes growers' an cooperative extension agents' perceptions of farmworker pesticide exposure. Data are from in-depth interviews conducted with growers and extension agents who work in western North Carolina. Both groups indicated that the danger of pesticide exposure is exaggerated by the media and the public. They feel that workers are at little risk of exposure because they have received training and protective equipment as required by law and because they are not in direct contact with chemicals. Their perceptions are at odds with results of other research indicating many farmworkers have not received the required training and do not always utilize protective gear. Linguistic and cultural barriers contribute to this discrepancy in perceptions and must be addressed if measures to reduce farmworker pesticide exposure are to be effective. Key words: pesticide safety, farmworker health, Worker Protection Standard, North Carolina

We assessed the quantitative contribution of pig farming to antimicrobial resistance in the commensal flora of pig farmers by comparing 113 healthy pig farmers from the major French porcine production [...]

Researchers discover that Costa Rican banana farmers' constant exposure to pesticides have led to an increase in chromosome abnormalities. Gene susceptibility to certain mixed pesticides, and the overall negative health effects of pesticides on genes are examined.

Byline: A. B. Bohadana (1), D. B. Teculescu (1), S. E. Megherbi (1), Q. T. Pham (1) Keywords: Key words: Bronchial responsiveness--Farming--Work-related wheeze--Spirometry--Atopy. Abstract: There is only limited information on the factors associated with nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in farmers. Our purpose was to examine the relationship between BHR and respiratory symptoms, atopy, and abnormalities of lung function in a sample of French farmers. Farmers scheduled for a preventive medicine check-up in northeastern France were examined. Occupational exposure, respiratory symptoms, and work-related symptoms were assessed by questionnaire, sensitization to 34 common and agricultural allergens by skin prick tests, and BHR by the single-dose (1,200 ug) acetylcholine (ACh) challenge test. Data were obtained from 741 farmers (95% of those invited). Seventy-seven subjects (10.3%) had BHR defined as a fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV.sub.1) aY= 10% after the inhalation of ACh or, for those with a poor lung function, an increase in FEV.sub.1 &gt 10% and &gt 200 ml after the inhalation of 200 ug of salbutamol. The proportion of asthmalike symptoms, especially wheeze during work, positive skin tests to acarian (storage mites) and cereal dust allergens, and low levels of lung function was significantly greater among reactors than among nonreactors. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed a significant and independent association between BHR and wheezing during work (OR = 4.99 95% CI = 2.29--10.89 p= 0.0001) and baseline FEV.sub.1 (OR = 1.49 95% CI = 1.05--2.20 p= 0.026). In conclusion, hyperreactive farmers had significantly more asthmalike symptoms, positive skin tests, and abnormal lung function than normoreactive farmers. Work-related wheeze and low baseline FEV.sub.1 were significantly and independently associated with BHR. Author Affiliation: (1) Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, Unite 420, Epidemiologie Sante Travail, Cedex France, FR (2) Service de Pneumologie A, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, Cedex France, FR Article note: Accepted for publication: 26 January 1999

Agricultural chemicals pose health risks for farmworkers engaged in cultivating and harvesting crops. In a project to develop culturally appropriate interventions to reduce farmworker exposure to agricultural chemicals, formative research used in-depth interviews and focus groups to elicit beliefs and knowledge about exposure from farmers and migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina. Farmworkers were concerned about acute effects they attributed to exposure and had little knowledge of long-term effects of low-level exposure. They believe that some individuals are inherently more susceptibility to the health effects of exposure than others; most do not recognize the skin as a site of chemical absorption. They report instances of exposure that reflect the power relationships with farmers, indicating that lack of knowledge is not the only issue that must be addressed in an intervention. Farmers believe that farmworkers are not exposed to chemicals because they do not mix or apply chemicals. Such a belief is consistent with the training received by farmers. The PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model is used to identify predisposing and reinforcing factors on which an effective intervention should focus. Key words: farmworker, farm health, agriculture, pesticide, health intervention; US, North Carolina

This article provides an overview of the inordinately high rates of health and injury problems among farmers, farm workers, and their families in the U.S. It offers a critical review of farmer health and safety research and intervention efforts which primarily focus on engineering and education. An understanding of farmer health problems rooted in social and economic conditions of industrialized agriculture is offered based on data from a series of group interviews with farmers in Iowa and Nebraska, recent survey data, and relevant social science research. Key words: farming, industrialization, health; United States, Iowa, Nebraska

This article explores possible interventions to address the expressed health and medical care concerns of a pilot sample of Mexican-origin farmworkers in Santa Barbara County and research-based assessments of health needs of the population. Using a medical and political ecology model that situates the US farmworkers and dependents in this study as an economically peripheral community within the policentric global economy, the article explores the possibilities and problems of melding the aims and methods of scientific intervention research with those of social interventions at the community level and beyond. Health problems addressed include recurrent chemical exposure, the prevalence and treatment of tuberculosis, and maternal and newborn health. Health care problems discussed include issues surrounding access to care, effective treatment, and racism and cultural insensitivity in public health care. Key words: farmworker health, Mexican immigrants, intervention studies, tuberculosis, chemical exposure, participatory research; US, California

This essay provides an introduction and overview for this special thematic section. We discuss the general occupational and environmental health risks that those who provide farm labor - farmers, farm families, and farmworkers - experience as a result of commercial agriculture. We first briefly review some of the farm safety research literature, highlighting the important trend of listening to those who perform farm labor as they speak for themselves about their health and safety concerns. We then introduce the individual articles in the collection and highlight their common themes: (1) control; (2) economic stress; (3) beliefs; and (4) access to information. We conclude that applied anthropology has a key role to play in reducing occupational and environmental health risks for farm labor by conducting the research that indicates the most proximate causes of farm injury and illness, and by developing appropriate interventions to address these causes. Key words: farm health, agricultural injury and illness, farmers, farmworkers