Sources provide some insights into pesticide-related deaths and illnesses among children in Cape Town, but they don’t offer specific numbers on the overall incidence of these events. Here’s what the sources tell us:
- A retrospective study focusing on the period between 2010 and 2019 found 54 pesticide-related deaths among children under 18 years old admitted to the Salt River Mortuary in Cape Town. This mortuary serves the west of the city, which has a population of over 1.9 million, including an estimated 621,628 children under 19 years old.
- Study authors note that this figure is likely an underestimate of the true number of pesticide-related deaths. There are several factors contributing to this underestimation:
- Delayed national toxicological services in South Africa during the study period, which made it difficult to determine whether pesticides were involved in some deaths.
- Potential under-reporting of pesticide poisonings, particularly those involving street pesticides.
- The limited scope of the study, which focused on only one out of 16 mortuaries in the Western Cape province.
- The study identified terbufos, a highly hazardous pesticide (HHP) registered for agricultural use, as the most frequently detected pesticide in these deaths. This finding underscores the dangers posed by the illegal sale and use of street pesticides, which are often highly toxic agricultural pesticides decanted into unlabeled containers and sold for domestic use.
- The study highlights the vulnerability of children under five years old to accidental and homicidal poisonings. This aligns with findings from other studies and reports, which suggest that children in this age group are particularly susceptible to pesticide exposure due to their developmental stage and behavioral patterns.
- Street vendors often store and display pesticides alongside food items, further increasing the risk of accidental ingestion by children. The sources also mention that aldicarb, a highly toxic pesticide often sold as a street pesticide, is sometimes mixed with food like maize meal or bread and used as bait for pests. This practice can easily lead to children accidentally consuming the poisoned food.
- A separate study on pesticide poisonings at a tertiary children’s hospital in Cape Town reported an increase in cases. While this study doesn’t provide specific figures, it suggests that pesticide-related illnesses among children are a growing concern in the city.
- The sources don’t provide data on the number of children who have become ill as a result of pesticide exposure through pesticide drift. This refers to the movement of pesticide droplets beyond the intended application area, which can contaminate nearby homes, schools, and other areas frequented by children.
While the sources don’t give definitive answers about how many children in Cape Town have died or become ill as a result of pesticides, they present a clear picture of the dangers posed by these chemicals, particularly unregulated sales and use of street pesticides. Data suggests that pesticide-related deaths and illnesses among children are a significant public health concern in the city, and that the true extent of the problem is likely underestimated due to limitations in reporting and surveillance systems.