Employing institution: Makerere University
Host institution: University of Edinburgh
Project title:
Multilevel Interventions to reduce use of highly hazardous pesticides with in the East African Region: Evidence for Policy Action
Dr. Charles Ssemugabo is an environmental epidemiologist with a focus on assessing exposure to chemicals especially pesticides and associated human health effects. PhD in Public Health with a focus in Environmental Epidemiology, where he observed dietary exposure to pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and possible human health risks among consumers in Uganda using the farm-to-fork strategy. He is a Research Associate and faculty member in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at Makerere University School of Public Health.
AREF Fellowship research project
Pesticide poisoning is a major public health problem in many low-and middle-income countries. A significant proportion of years of healthy lives are lost due to intentional or unintentional exposure to highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) that result in poisoning or death Therefore, interventions that can effectively reduce pesticide poisoning and suicides are important. Through this fellowship, Dr. Ssemugabo will review the literature on multilevel interventions to reduce the use of HHPs and analyse secondary data on their use in Uganda. The results will be used to generate a list of HHPs that are responsible for pesticide poisoning in Uganda and to propose effective interventions at different levels to can be implemented to reduce poisoning and suicides due to HHPs in Uganda.
Dr. Ssemugabo will frame the thinking around how multilevel interventions can reduce the use of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) and consequently related poisonings and suicides. Post-placement, Makerere University will provide the necessary infrastructure, networks, and administrative support to develop grant applications for funding to further this work, as well as organise stakeholder engagement workshops to disseminate and refine the thinking around HHPs use reduction.
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“Frame the thinking on how multilevel interventions can reduce poisonings and suicides due to highly hazardous pesticides and what I can do to achieve it”
Dr Charles expects to start his fellowship in November 2024