Chlordecone: A recognized occupational disease?

Chlordecone: A recognized occupational disease?

In the West Indies, Emmanuel Macron created a surprise. He called for the recognition of chlordecone contamination as an occupational disease for farmers. This pesticide, used in banana plantations until 1993, has poisoned crops and water for centuries. The French state was accused of closing its eyes while the number of prostate cancers exploded. Used for 20 years in banana plantations to eliminate Charençon, chlordecone was banned in 1993, 17 years after the United States, it is suspected to be the cause of premature deliveries, development delays and explosion of prostate cancer. By announcing the possible recognition as an occupational disease of chlordecone exposure, the President of the Republic paves the way for compensation for agricultural workers victims of insecticide. - François DESRIAUX, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Santé et Travail": 'people are going to have to build occupational disease records based on what’s going to be in the occupational disease chart and then they’re going to have to go to Social Security or their courts and say that they’ve been infected and their pathology is coming home.' in this context." It is not known at this time what pathologies will be affected and what the compensation will be. - Mr François LAFFORGUE, advocate for victims: 'The victims are the farmers we defend, suffering from pathologies such as prostate or bladder cancer and there are environmental victims, residents who have contracted diseases related to chlordecone and we will also take action for them." Today, nearly 95% of the inhabitants of Martinique and Guadeloupe are contaminated with chlordecone but the head of state said he was opposed to a general compensation of the Caribbean population.

01

 

min

 

49

 

sec

File : Chlordecone scandal

Publication date : 28 September 2018