TITLE:
Respiratory Health of Artisanal Miner of Lwisha in Katanga/DR Congo
AUTHORS:
Léon Kabamba Ngombe, Nlandu Roger Ngatu, Nyembo Mukena Christophe, Benjamin Kabyla Ilunga, Stanis Wembonyama Okitotsho, Jean-Baptiste Kakoma Sakatolo, Brigitta Danuser, Oscar Luboya Numbi
KEYWORDS:
Artisanal Miners, Prevalence, Ores of Dusts, Respiratory Health
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.12,
December
12,
2016
ABSTRACT: Objective: To determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and make an awareness about the harmful effects of ores dust in the Artisanal miner in the city of Lubumbashi, Katanga province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Method: In total, 104 artisanal miners have been recruited in an exhaustive manner with 122 administrative officers in the town hall of Lubumbashi, responsible for collecting the taxes in the Stations of the bus as the control group. Respiratory symptoms were collected using a standardized questionnaire. To determine the association between the characteristics of the miners and respiratory symptoms reported, a multi-analysis combined with the test of logistic regression has been privileged. Results: The prevalence of the respiratory symptoms was markedly higher in the artisanal diggers, as compared with the group that controls: wheezing (37.5% vs. 7.4%), shortness breathing after effort (26.9% vs. 3.3%), cough (29.8% vs. 12.3%), asthma (24% vs. 1.6%), rhinitis (20.2% vs. 14.8%), conjunctivitis (16.3% vs. 9.8%), and eczema (34.6% vs. 2.5%). After adjusting for age and education level, digger as occupation was strongly associated with a higher risk of developing respiratory and skin problems (p