Toxicovigilance Systems and Practices in Africa
| Autor: | Randolph Ngwafor, Hatem Abdel Moniem Ahmed, Pouokam Guy Bertrand, Chiara Frazzoli |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis toxicosurveillance 010501 environmental sciences Toxicology risk management 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Environmental health Medicine 030212 general & internal medicine Risk management 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Service (business) Chemical Health and Safety business.industry Public health Africa consumer Environmental resource management toxicovigilance Hazard poisoning Chemical poisoning Community health Commentary business |
| Zdroj: | Toxics |
| ISSN: | 2305-6304 |
| Popis: | African consumers and citizens are growingly aware of the wide range of toxic poisoning scenarios from different products and hazards. Recurrent episodes on poisoning that have been reported in Africa include toxic hazards in consumers’ products ranging from food to herbal medicine, drugs, and cosmetics. Chemical poisoning remains an issue that is overlooked by public health stakeholders in Africa. Available information on toxicovigilance systems and practices in African countries is reviewed in terms of increasing development, organization and articulation levels. Less than nine out of 54 African countries have a legally recognized toxicovigilance system. Of these, the majority have created toxicovigilance systems recently, and are facing many challenges in developing them, at regional and country levels. Basic structures for a good toxicovigilance system include a phone line service (available 24/7), and hospital facilities. Pesticides emerge as the hazard recognized by all of the toxicovigilance systems, and may represent a prototypic toxicant towards a toxicovigilance system that is inclusive of a wider spectrum of toxicological hazards for the protection of community health. Toxicovigilance today is more reactive than preventive in Africa, but some milestones are present that constitute some promising seminal efforts. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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