May 1st is approaching. It is a day to remember workers world over and their problems. One can ponder over the welfare of the cultivators also who sustain the entire humanity by producing food. One of the greatest risk for a farmer is trauma and resultant infections which can cause infected wounds, abscesses and even tetanus, if the wounds get contaminated by mud containing germs of tetanus. They are also more prone to develop fungal infections of the hands and feet due to working in damp conditions. These kinds of infections become chronic and persistent or recurrent, due to chronic exposure to moisture prevailing in the soil and vegetation around. This also makes them vulnerable to develop chronic eczema over exposed parts of the body. Any of these skin conditions results in itching, blisters and eruptions over the exposed parts. Scratching results in development of secondary bacterial infection which manifests as boils and furuncles. Farmers carry a greater risk of bites by snake, scorpion and other poisonous insects which move about in bushes close to fields. There is a higher prevalence of diseases in farmers, which result from close proximity to animals, birds and live stock. The diseases include brucellosis, rickettseal infections and bird flu. The constant chronic exposure to dust and spores of various kinds makes them more prone to develop bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive airways diseases. Thus, one suffers from chronic cough and breathlessness, which increases progressively in severity and duration. This increases susceptibility to serious conditions such as lung tuberculosis or cancer. Exposure to smoke, due to various activities like cooking, burning weeds, among others, aggravates the lung disease. Overcrowding in houses (large families living in small houses), increases the possibility of cross infections, causing diseases such as tuberculosis and bacterial pneumonias. Mostly the poorm including farmers, resort to alcohol, smoking and other drugs as means of recreation. This also spoils their health in multiple ways. Because of being exposed to so many health hazards, many farmers develop health related problems, by the time they are middle aged, thus affecting their capacity to work. This is unfortunate because it is the sole means of livelihood for them. Apart from these health related problems, they can also develop other infectious as well as non infectious illness. When a poor farmer becomes sick, they avoid going for medical treatment immediately for lack of time and resources. They only go to the hospital when sick, necessitating hospitalisation, thus spending more money and time. Some of them go to traditional healers and may develop toxicity to vital parts like liver and kidney. To avoid all these problems, farmers need to be educated about measures to keep a good health. They need to be advised about using protective measures like wearing gloves and long boots while working in the fields to avoid trauma. They need to understand the importance of good personal and food hygiene. Keeping the nose covered when exposed to dust would be useful in preventing chronic lung diseases. Keeping the houses well aerated and sunlit, keeps microbes away. They also need to be counseled about harmful effects of alcohol and recreational substances. Healthy farmers can contribute much towards overall productivity of the society hence their health should be concern for all. Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital
