• A professor in Unilorin has warned that Pesticides cause low sperm count
• According to him, the effects of chemical pesticides on birth sex ratio favours more females than males
• He said farmers most find an alternative way to control pests.

Prof. Suleiman Ambali of the Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ilorin, has warned about the effect of pesticides on male sperm count

Speaking at the 192nd Inaugural Lecture of the University (UNILORIN), entitled:

“Preventing pesticides from poisoning away our health and future –  the oxidative approach”.

In his speech, he advised that continuous exposure of humans to pesticides causes a decline in male sperm count.

Currently, the Prof teaches in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the university.

He further warned that there was evidence which suggests human species was approaching a fertility crisis

According to him, with reference to the troubling data from the laboratory, it was evident that the world would witness a fertility crisis.

Supporting his reports, he revealed that according to the research of some Danish scientists’ sperm counts of men have declined by about 50 per cent since 1940 all over the world.

He said “The researchers analysed the result of sperm counts between 1938 and 1991. Since then several other studies have confirmed the decline“.

Furthermore, he stated that “Environmental causes including pesticides especially those that cause endocrine changes in fetal and pre-puberty life prior to birth or during childhood or during breastfeeding, are involved in the decline of semen quality,”

According to the Prof, the effect of chemical pesticides on birth sex ratio favours more females than males.

Moreover, he explained; “this trend was worrisome as human activities continue to change the natural demography in favour of women, as a lesser number of male births occur”.

In addition to that, he stated that the use of pesticides by people has led to a reduction in quantity and quality of food available for the well-being.

He also said that pesticides have further led to causes and enhanced diseases to plants, animals and humans.

Quoting WHO, he said, “about 3million workers in the agriculture sector all over the world experience pesticides poisoning annually with about 18,000 deaths“.

Also, he revealed that there were an estimated 250,000 deaths annually from pesticides self-poisoning worldwide, which accounts for roughly 30 per cent of the suicide rates globally.

He said the use of pesticides has led people to “poison away the future of our children”

Therefore, he called on government and non-governmental organisations to sensitise the populace against the indoor use of pesticides.

In addition to that, he said, “Policies aimed at reducing the use of pesticides in agriculture should be put in place.

Moreover, “Farmers should be encouraged to use an integrated approach in controlling pests and develop alternative cropping systems less dependent on pesticides,”