Biological Monitoring of Workers Exposed to Pesticides: Guidelines for Application in Field Settings

Abstract:: This guideline was produced for those persons responsible for the maintenance of health and safety measures at agricultural workplaces handling potentially hazardous organophosphate and carbarnate chemicals. It is primarily aimed at professional nursing and other medical staff charged with monitoring workers for pesticide exposure, but will be useful to all personnel involved in workplace health and safety monitoring for pesticide exposure. The guidelines concentrate on monitoring for organophosphate and carabarnate insecticides because the technology is reasonably readily available and the methodology well described. These chemicals are widely used and are the most common cause of acute poisoning by pesticides. The guidelines have also been written bearing in mind the Hazardous Chemical Regulation 556 of 25 August 1995, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that includes agricultural workplaces, in addition to industry.

Subject:: Science and Technology
Grade Level:: Post-secondary
SubTopics:: Industrial and Agricultural Impacts , Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition
Collection:: University of Cape Town

Promoting Equitable Access to Health Care for Households

Abstract:: The idea for developing this set of training materials arose from the ÔAffordability Ladder ProgramŐ (ALPS). The ALPS initiative focused on the experience of households of illness and of seeking health care. As the name would suggest, a key focus of ALPS was that of affordability and other aspects of access to health care for households. The ALPS team recognised that almost all of the training materials presently available focus on illness and health services from the health systemŐs perspective, with little or no attention devoted to the perspective of households. The training materials can be used for a diverse set of target groups, but are primarily aimed at current and future health sector managers. It is also envisaged that the case studies can be used on an ad-hoc basis in post-graduate programs such as Masters in Public Health programs. Six case studies have been prepared for this course: Experiences of households in Sri Lanka; Availability of health services and resource allocation; Affordability of drugs in the context of the World Trade Organisation (WTO); Tax and insurance funding for health systems; Health service acceptability issues; Access board game.

Abstract:: The key objectives develop an understanding of the dimensions of access to health care; create greater awareness of health care access constraints from the household perspective; promote critical evaluation of policy options to address access constraints in relation to equity goals; promote and strengthen effective development and implementation of equitable health sector policies. The training materials can be used for a diverse set of target groups, but are primarily aimed at current and future health sector managers. It is also envisaged that the case studies can be used on an ad-hoc basis in post-graduate programs such as Masters in Public Health programs. Six case studies have been prepared for this course: Experiences of households in Sri Lanka, Availability of health services and resource allocation, Affordability of drugs in the context of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Tax. Insurance funding for health systems, Health service acceptability issues, Access board game.