Vulterability and intoxication by pesticides in family farmers of Paraná

Abstract

Considering that the concept of vulnerability, developed by specialists on HIV virus infection, could be adapted to understand the intoxication occurred by pesticides, the objective of the present study was to make the vulnerability analysis of families exposed to pesticides, operational. A number of 70 families of farmers, living in rural properties of up to 30 hectares, in the municipal district of Maringá (PR) were approached. After a brief situational diagnosis, an interview was accomplished in their homes. The vulnerability analysis indicated that the individual vulnerability for intoxication by pesticides is influenced by the maximization of the economical problems and by the increase of the farming productivity, which are decisive for the perception of the risk and severity of cases resulting from the exposition. The social vulnerability seems not to be linked only to the education and life conditions of the families, but also to the concept of health and the use of health services. The communication process between public services and families seems deficient, and the programmatic vulnerability is directly linked to the effort spent for its solution. There is an inadequacy of human resources on government programs of rural attendance, absence of actions among sectors and multidisciplinary actions, as well as absence of a vertical integration of the strategies approached with the group of family farmers, whose planning is centralized.