Pesticide Vendors in the Informal Sector: Trading Health for Income

Abstract: South African low-income communities face many challenges (e.g., insufficient housing, poor service delivery, and abject poverty); additionally, a silent challenge of pest infestation plagues these areas resulting in disease risks, nuisances, and stigma. Consequently, an enterprising urban informal sector business has emerged providing residents with highly toxic, effective, cheap, and illegal “street pesticides.” These pesticides pose acute and chronic health risks for vendors and residents. The economic opportunity provided by the high demand for effective and cheap pest control results in the high risk of health effects being traded for income. Current measures to control and “regulate” the massive street pesticide sales result in toxic stockpiles and government’s “turning a blind eye.” Solutions will only be achieved through open dialog identifying and developing non-toxic pest control strategies while ensuring vendors’ income; and relevant stakeholder recognition that pest infestation is a social and environmental health determinant needing acknowledgement in different government policies.

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