Important new research published in the BMJ of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has shown that farmers in subtropical Asian countries are at an increased risk of Chronic Kidney Disease of non-traditional causes (CKDnT).
This study highlights the global nature of CKDnT, and provides further evidence that strenuous labor performed in high temperatures is a causal driver.
The authors go on to suggest that governments must take CKDnT epidemics seriously by providing farmers with occupational health programs on thermal hazards. We fully agree, which is why we are expanding the scale of our occupational programs in Mesoamerica to ensure workers globally are protected from the fatal risks of heat.
For information about this ongoing work, check out our latest program: Prevention Resilience Efficiency and Protection (PREP) for workers in industrial agriculture in a changing climate: https://prepforworkers.org
