Southern African Pesticides Newsletter	Newsletter Xhosa version
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One of WAHSA's three main sub-projects focuses on Action on Pesticides, is a joint initiative being driven by the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Unit at the University of Cape Town and the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI), Arusha, Tanzania.

The main objectives are to

(i) develop improved pesticide safety training and awareness materials appropriate for the region; and
(ii) implement interventions on pesticide use, agricultural policies and pesticide registration in SADC countries; and
(iii) achieve enhanced knowledge and improved surveillance about pesticide exposures and health impacts in the region; and
(iv) develop a strong regional network for information exchange and consultation.

This will be achieved through a range of activities, including:

• Networking
• Establishing a Resource Centre at TPRI in Arusha
• Expanding the electronic Pesticides list server run from UCT
• Development of joint research protocols on:
• Surveillance
• Risk assessment
• Hazard communication
• Risk perceptions
• Safety training effectiveness
• Economic and health consequences of pesticide use
• Documenting exposure and health effects from pesticides
• Development of training materials and a best practice manual
• Training public officials involved with registration
• Short course training, and train-the-trainer courses, to practitioners and scientists on pesticides and health
• Support for formal degree programmes in the SADC region
• Facilitating exchange visits
• Supporting a regional situation analysis about occupational health policy and policy on pesticides, and on related research
• Organisation of a regional conference
• Action to address exposure in four sites

We would like to invite participation in the activities of the programme, in particular in relation to two of the main activities in the first phase of the project:

a) We aim to establish a network of researchers, service providers and policy makers concerned with pesticide safety, who would assist in the collection and collation of data on pesticide exposures and acute poisoning. We would like to invite recipients of this message to contact the project team to share any information they may have (in the form of published or unpublished reports, theses, papers, descriptions) with the project team on the extent of exposures and poisonings in their countries or locations. These data, often unpublished, may provide very important contributions to establishing an overall picture of the situation with regard to pesticide poisoning in Southern Africa. Through communication of such data, we foresee the development of stronger network in the region committed to health and safety related to pesticides.

b) As part of our action on pesticides, we want to facilitate the development of research activities aimed at
i) the development of improved surveillance for exposures and health impacts in the region;
ii) evaluating and monitoring the effectiveness of hazard communication mechanisms (labelling and safety data sheets) with a view to improving existing measures;
iii) improved understanding of risk perceptions and risk communication amongst target groups dealing with pesticides so as to better inform regional hazard communication strategies; and,
iv) evaluating the effectiveness of different methodologies for training in pesticide safety, particularly involving training in non-chemical or Integrated Pest Management approaches to pest control in the region. To this purpose, we will organize a grant writing workshop for researchers interested in submitting proposals to various funders for activities under the ambit of the WAHSA programme and the Action on Pesticides initiative. The process will involve the submission of draft pre-proposals to an evaluation committee of the programme, who will consider the pre-proposals for appropriateness to the themes of the programme, scientific value and institutional support. Applicants whose pre-proposals are accepted, will be invited to a grant writing workshop to develop proposals for submission to funders.