Virtually all consumer products used in daily life contain chemicals. Chemicals are therefore, a necessary evil; however, chemicals if not handled appropriately can present negative impacts, sometime irreversible to biodiversity.
Many people and communities around the world are exposed to numerous harmful chemicals, chemicals products and chemicals wastes. In Uganda, very many toxic chemicals are widely used and handled unsafely in many ways, for example, chemicals are poorly; transported, handled, labeled, stored and poorly discarded. Unfortunately, most consumers, especially from the rural areas are either illiterate or semiliterate and are ignorant of the possible harm chemical products may cause to them and their environment.
It should also be noted that Uganda has a National Chemicals Profile and a national Chemicals Policy and Legal Framework to regulate the use and Management of chemicals in the country, it’s a signatory to many international instruments; including minamata convention, Basal, Rotterdam, among others however, the implementation and promotion of these national and international legal frameworks is not adequate.
