Health surveillance of populations exposed to pesticides: analysis of reports from Paraíba State, Brazil

Abstract

Pesticides are chemical products used under the pretext of controlling pests and diseases, both in rural and urban environments. In this context, the objective of this study was to analyse the data from the notifications of the Panel of Surveillance on Health of Populations Exposed to Pesticides (VSPEA) by the Ministry of Health for the State of Paraíba, in the historical series from 2007 to 2022. The analysis included the incidence rate; prioritized municipalities for the implementation of surveillance programs; distribution of notifications by gender, age group, exposure location, circumstance, and type of agent. Paraíba has accumulated 2,793 notifications of exogenous intoxication by pesticides. Regarding gender and age group, there is a slight predominance in notifications for women (50.18%), with higher numbers for men aged 40 and older, and for women in the 10 to 29 age group. The vast majority of intoxications occur in homes (74.83%), as a result of suicide attempts (57.50%), with rodenticides being the most common agents (50.30%). Currently, there are 1,316 pesticides approved for commercialization and use in the state, with the majority classified as highly toxic products. It can be concluded that the significant number of notifications indicates that health units are effectively contributing to the systems, and/or cases of intoxication are increasing indiscriminately, mainly due to the easy acquisition of rodenticides. It is important to emphasize that VSPEA is an essential tool for the development and promotion of public policies against pesticide intoxication.