Together for protecting our children from cancerous organic pollutants: raising public awareness on POPs in Egypt

In Egypt, the historical usage of pesticides and POPs has led to an increase in the number of cancer patients and patients with kidney failure, in addition to reported cases of food poisoning-especially among children in rural areas. To bring light to this situation, the Environmental Pioneers Association organized four public awareness-raising workshops in Alexandria with a total of 210 participants including farmers, university professors, doctors, NGOs and executive officials from Alexandria Governorate and involved ministries. Awareness activities included speeches as well as a questionnaire designed to assess POPs awareness. The workshops drew the attention of public opinion leaders and officials and raised awareness about the risks associated with POPs. Recommendations from the workshops included increasing the number of workshops; encouraging farmers to produce organic fertilizers and crops and eliminate illegal pesticides; and increasing campaigning and advocacy efforts.

Outputs:
POPs questionnaire
Four awareness-raising seminars
Increased media attention