Department of Work Science, Business Economics and Environmental Psychology (AEM), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) , Alnarp , Sweden.
Faculty of Agriculture, Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) , Kampala , Uganda.
Front Public Health. 2016 Jun 28;4:137. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2016.00137. eCollection 2016.
Safe working conditions are essential for healthy living and for ensuring food security among farmers and farm communities in developing countries. There is limited research on this topic, and documentation is essential to understand and change patterns of human health and safety.
In May 2014, six male and female farmers on four dairy farms in Uganda and a female veterinarian were interviewed about their awareness and attitudes to agricultural risk factors, health, and safety. In addition, transect walks were conducted on the four dairy farms.
The dairy farmers reported health and safety concerns, e.g., diarrhea, coughs, fever, cuts while using machetes in plantations, bruises when handling animals, and dizziness and poisoning symptoms from using different agrochemicals, and considered these an occupational hazard. The most important topic mentioned was the use of agrochemicals and drugs on livestock. The farmers spray their animals with insecticides to prevent ticks, lice, tsetse flies, and other biting nuisance flies, using a backpack or hand sprayer. Spraying is conducted without personal protection equipment, which is considered too expensive and difficult to obtain. The farmers reported that they usually feel dizzy, vomit, and have pain and a burning feeling in their face and eyes after spraying. The symptoms are sometimes so severe that they require treatment. In such cases, the farmers buy medication without a prescription at the local drugstore, where the storekeeper often has limited or no knowledge of agrochemicals or drugs except for dosage. Agricultural health and safety training in the region is non-existent, and the farmers expressed a need and desire for improvements in this area.
The level of knowledge and awareness of agricultural health and safety risks, disease, and injury prevention among the Ugandan dairy farmers interviewed was low. The farmers mentioned few agriculture-related complaints, injuries, or diseases except poisoning from using agrochemicals. Training on health and safety in Ugandan agriculture is urgently needed.
安全的工作条件对于发展中国家的农民和农业社区的健康生活和确保食品安全至关重要。关于这个主题的研究有限，因此文件记录对于了解和改变人类健康和安全模式至关重要。
2014 年 5 月，对乌干达的四个奶牛场的六名男性和女性农民以及一名女性兽医进行了采访，了解他们对农业风险因素、健康和安全的意识和态度。此外，还在四个奶牛场进行了横断面行走。
奶牛农民报告了健康和安全问题，例如腹泻、咳嗽、发烧、在种植园使用大砍刀时受伤、处理动物时瘀伤、以及使用不同农药时头晕和中毒症状，并认为这些是职业危害。提到的最重要的话题是在牲畜上使用农药和药物。农民会给他们的动物喷洒杀虫剂，以防止蜱虫、虱子、采采蝇和其他叮咬性害虫，使用背包或手动喷雾器。喷雾时没有个人防护设备，因为认为这太贵且难以获得。农民报告说，他们通常在喷洒后感到头晕、呕吐，并感到脸部和眼睛疼痛和烧灼感。症状有时非常严重，需要治疗。在这种情况下，农民会在当地药店购买未经处方的药物，而药店老板除了剂量外，对农药或药物通常知之甚少。该地区不存在农业健康和安全培训，农民表示需要并希望在这方面有所改进。
接受采访的乌干达奶牛农民对农业健康和安全风险、疾病和伤害预防的知识和意识水平较低。农民除了因使用农药而中毒外，很少提到与农业相关的投诉、伤害或疾病。乌干达农业急需开展健康和安全培训。
