The Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention (CPSP) works to reduce the number of pesticide suicides worldwide. We are a philanthropically funded research and policy initiative within the University of Edinburgh.
An estimated 14 million people have died from pesticide self-poisoning since the Green Revolution, making it one of the most common methods of global suicide. We work in low and middle-income countries, where pesticide self-poisoning is a recognised and significant health problem, in collaboration with national policy-makers. Our work aims to identify lethal pesticides responsible for deaths and end their use through regulatory action.
To mark World Health Day 2024, Ellie Roger explores the causes of pesticide poisoning – one of the world’s major, yet often overlooked, health challenges.