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Discovery: Preventing pesticide poisoning

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Preventing Pesticide poisoning

23/09/2019 GMT

Preventing pesticide poisoning

BBC World Service - Discovery, Preventing pesticide poisoningSearch BBC

How banning pesticides in Sri Lanka led to a massive drop in suicides

Banning pesticides in Sri Lanka led to a massive drop in suicides. Should other countries copy this example?

Thanks to a ban on several hazardous pesticides Sri Lanka has seen a massive reduction in deaths from pesticide poisoning, and the World Health Organisation is recommending other countries should follow this example. 

As Health Correspondent Matthew Hill discovers, hospitals which used to deal with many pesticide related deaths are now seeing fewer cases, and more survivors. However, a lack of mental health services means, for many in rural communities, taking pesticides is still a way of drawing attention to a variety of personal issues - sometimes with tragic consequences.

Image: Rural pesticide shop, Sri Lanka (Credit: BBC)

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