Due To the Use of Agrochemicals an Area Was Created To Prevent Disease but It Worked Two Years
<p style="text-align: justify;">The National Commission Agrochemical Research under the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sustainable Development, "was active between 2009 and 2010, but has poor results in the last five years." No progress was made in care and treatment policies. The spread on the issue also was relegated.</p>
The National Commission of Agrochemical Research (NCAR, for its acronym in Spanish) was created in 2009 but, according to the General Audit Office (AGN) "it was very active until 2010." In the last five years "it obtained poor results, not formalized their institutional organization and, did not even, have a specific budget."
It was born in response to increasing complaints and lawsuits regarding poisoning with agrochemicals, product of the fumigations in the fields near the boundaries to the neighborhood Ituzaingó Cordobes. Faced with an urban population presenting various pathologies and oncological diseases, CNIA would aim to "research, prevention, care and treatment of people exposed."
At the time of its creation, the rules stated that "the Commission would be chaired by the Minister of Health and representatives of the portfolios of Health, Science and Technology, Work, Environment and Sustainable Development, Agriculture and Fisheries and agencies like SENASA, ANMAT and INTA." There were meetings with the provinces and various federal councils, such as Health, Environment and Plant Health was also established as necessary.
Therefore, for the control body, the CNIA "is a good tool to implement cross-cutting strategies coordinating actions between national agencies, local jurisdictions, municipal and social organizations." However "it needs to be strengthened so that it can realize many of the outstanding tasks."
The Commission has six specific working groups: GT1 dedicated to the research and development of knowledge, GT2 legislation and regulations, the GT3 whose specific area communication and press, the GT4 treating management integral of agrochemicals, while preparing actions GT5 and GT6 field provides training for prevention.
"The only one who had permanent meetings was the GT4" says the AGN, others "discontinued its activity after 2010." In general, it adds, "the working groups scored low on proposed regulations" because "they failed to obtain at least one law regulating the use of agrochemical, nor a packaging law, or national management plans."
Neither the Ministry nor the Secretariat, says the report approved in 2016, "he was given relevance to the impact of chemicals on health and the environment." The information that exists "does not reflect the real magnitude of the effects and, therefore, the approach commensurate with the seriousness of the problem difficult health policies".
Neither the Ministry nor the Secretariat, says the report approved in 2016, "was given relevance to the impact of chemicals on health and the environment." The information that exists "does not reflect the real magnitude of the effects and, therefore, the approach is difficult in commensurate with the seriousness of the problem of health policies."
No progress was made with regard to the dissemination and awareness as no "adequate communication or education strategy for multiple hit sectors was implemented."
In fact, the audit team found that "it had not summoned to the Ministry of Education taking into account the importance of education and dissemination for prevention."
Also "they were relegated prevention policies, research, care, treatment and mitigation of the problem." The AGN detailed that it "is necessary to strengthen poison control centers assistance, develop a risk map, assess damage to natural resources", just to mention a few points.
Here the public hearings are also necessary. As public consultations "it must be carried out before authorizing an activity with possibly significant negative effects on the environment." In fact, the audit team found "no evidence of activities of citizen participation."
Finally, in general terms, the report warns that since 2009, when the commission was created, "it did not revise or update its work plan nor did it take action plans or update deadlines."