Pesticides Cause About 11,000 Deaths a Year, Nearly 60% in India, Study Finds

Pesticide poisoning causes about 11,000 deaths worldwide each year, and nearly 60% of those fatalities occur in India, according to a study published in Frontiers in Public Health.

The research, prepared by experts from Pesticide Action Network, draws on data from 139 countries covering the period from 2006 to 2023. It estimates that between 402 million and 433 million cases of unintended acute pesticide poisoning occur annually.

Based on a global agricultural population of about 934 million people, the study estimates that roughly 46% of farmers suffer pesticide poisoning each year. South Asia recorded the largest estimated number of cases, followed by Southeast Asia and eastern Africa.

Burkina Faso had the highest national incidence in the study. Nearly 84% of farmers and agricultural workers there experienced some form of poisoning, the researchers said. Workers face exposure mainly while preparing and applying pesticides, handling treated crops, or touching contaminated equipment and clothing.

The authors called for immediate measures, including the phased elimination of highly hazardous pesticides, as recommended by the United Nations. They said the findings show that acute pesticide poisoning poses a global public-health challenge and that nonfatal cases, especially among farmers and farm workers, require greater recognition. The Food and Agriculture Organization's governing council could help reduce the burden by implementing a gradual phaseout, they added.