Doctor: "Cancer causing herbicide still on local market"

Dr Paul Kasenene, a medical doctor who specialises in nutritional medicine has cautioned that the Roundup herbicide which was recently linked to a number of cancers is still widely used by farmers in Uganda.

The herbicide is produced by Monsanto, a global food giant.

In tweets, Dr Kasenene wrote: "What is driving the rise in #cancer? Could our indiscriminate use of harmful pesticides be top of the list. Monsanto's roundup herbicide which has been linked to cancer is apparently being used indiscriminately all over Uganda as far as Kisoro. Most people don't know how bad it is."

Kasenene said policy making institutions like Parliament need to do something before it is too late.

"We can not sit back and watch our fellow citizens be poisoned with these harmful chemicals. We need@Parliament_Ug @UNBS to protect innocent people. Why don't we care or have concern for each other and the value of human life? Such products shouldn't be allowed in the region."

The World Health Organisation has sounded several alarms over the usage of the herbicide but it remains popular amongst farmers.

According to the website, www.healthline.com, Roundup is one of the most popular weed killers in the world.

It is used by farmers and homeowners alike, in fields, lawns and gardens.

Many studies claim that Roundup is safe and environmentally friendly.

Accordinng to the the site, However, other studies have linked it to serious health issues like cancer.

The website says the key ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, a compound with a molecular structure similar to the amino acid glycine. Glyphosate is also used in many other herbicides.

Roundup is a non-selective herbicide, meaning that it will kill most plants it comes in contact with.

Its use increased massively after genetically modified, glyphosate-resistant ("Roundup ready") crops were developed, such as soybeans, corn and canola (1).