Rural Health: Agriculture, Pesticides and Organic Dusts

The Scientific Committee on Rural Health will address the Occupational Hazards in Agriculture, Pesticides handling & Organic Dusts and their impact on health and regarding biological risk of zoonoses in animal breeding.
The Scientific Committee also focusses on health surveillance of agricultural workers and the structure and contents of occupational health services.
The Committee will promote awareness about the hazards and will suggest remedial & preventive actions & will also collaborate with other Organizations active in Rural Health.

Objectives of the Scientific Committee

1. Developing and supporting national and local systems for surveillance and data collection, mainly in developing countries and countries in transition.

2. Promoting adoption and enforcement of legislation (with a particular attention for developing countries and countries in transition) including legalization of workers engaged in agricultural activities and eliminating child labour.

3. Promoting occupational health structures and services, involving and training also general practitioners to this task, periodic health screening to workers of small farms and small-scale industries, and the organization of labour inspection for agriculture workers.

4. Identifying risk factors useful to prevent injuries in agriculture and small-scale industries, including elimination of tractor roll over fatalities, and reduction of other fatalities.

5. Promotion of the safe use of pesticides and other chemicals, and adoption of integrated pest management practices, elimination of all obsolete and the most dangerous pesticides and organic solvents; and promotion of sound use, storage, and disposal of plant protection products.

6. Increasing awareness of dietary issues and food safety.

7. Taking care of problems related to the presence, among agricultural workers, of immigrants (capacity of understanding local languages; educational levels; awareness of the utility of personal protective equipment, etc.) and ageing of the workforce and related problems.

8. Training and educating local rural-health experts. Promoting the teaching of rural health issues in the Universities, at every level (university degree, schools of specialization, masters, etc.).

9. Creating local and international networks of all the subjects involved in rural health programs (Occupational health physicians, occupational health personnel, risk assessors, technical staffs of the enterprises, etc,).

10. Creating reference centres, at the local, national, and international levels.