Suleiman Ambali, professor of environmental and toxicology of the Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, University of Ilorin has said that continuous exposure of humans to pesticides causes decline in male sperm counts.
Ambali, disclosed this in his paper presented recently, at the 192nd Inaugural Lecture of the University, entitled: “Preventing pesticides from poisoning away our health and future- the oxidative approach”.
According to him, there are evidences suggesting human species is approaching a fertility crisis based on tends in male reproductive health.
He says it is obvious that the world will witness fertility crisis based on the troubling data from laboratory and clinical epidemiology studies.
Corroborating his reports, he explains that some Danish scientists’ research has also indicated that sperm counts of men have declined by about 50 percent since 1940 worldwide.
“The researchers analysed the result of sperm counts between 1938 and 1991. Since then several other studies have confirmed the decline.
“Environmental causes including pesticides especially those that cause endocrine changes in foetal and prepuberty life prior to birth or during childhood or during breastfeeding, are involved in the decline of semen quality,” he said.
The Veterinarian observed that going by the troubling data from laboratory, clinical and epidemiological studies, it is obvious that the world will soon witness fertility crisis if we do not act.
According to him, the effect of chemical pesticides on birth sex ratio is in favour of more females than males, adding that the use of pesticides by people have led to reduction in quantity and quality of food available for the well-being.
The expert in Toxicology who quoted WHO, says about three million workers in agriculture in developing world experience pesticides poisoning annually with about 18,000 deaths.
He also disclosed that there is an estimated 250,000 deaths annually from pesticides self-poisoning world-wide, accounting for about 30 percent of the suicide rates globally.
Ambali, therefore called on government and non-governmental organisations to sensitize the populace against indoor use of pesticides.
He says: “Policies aimed at reducing the use of pesticides in the agriculture should be put in place.
“Farmers should be encouraged to use an integrated approach in controlling pests and develop alternative cropping systems less dependent on pesticides.”
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
