IMRAAN BUCCUS: A toxic crisis of insecticide, migrants and public health services failure
Instead of blaming spaza shops, hazardous pesticides must be banned and proper refuse collection services provided to communities
The poisoning of children linked to the pesticide terbufos underscores a serious public health crisis in SA. The tragic deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto, and others in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, have shown the grave consequences of systemic neglect and government failures to protect vulnerable communities.
Terbufos is a pesticide designed to protect crops such as maize and sugar cane from pests. In wealthier countries, such as the US and across the EU, its use is tightly controlled, if not banned outright. The reason is simple: it is a potent neurotoxin, particularly dangerous to children, whose developing bodies are ill-equipped to cope with its harmful effects. Even small exposures can cause respiratory distress, seizures or long-term neurological damage...
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