Preventing pesticide poisoning
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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Saving lives from pesticide poisoning
Duration: 01:57
Broadcasts
- Mon 23 Sep 201919:32GMTBBC World Service except South Asia
- Tue 24 Sep 201904:32GMTBBC World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, News Internet & Europe and the Middle East only
- Tue 24 Sep 201905:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean & South Asia only
- Tue 24 Sep 201906:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & East Asia only
- Tue 24 Sep 201910:32GMTBBC World Service West and Central Africa
- Tue 24 Sep 201913:32GMTBBC World Service Australasia
- Tue 24 Sep 201917:32GMTBBC World Service South Asia
- Sun 29 Sep 201923:32GMTBBC World Service
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