Indoor residual spraying
Killing the malaria killer
IPN Opinion article
On World Malaria Day, activists and governments discuss many weapons against the disease except one of the most effective: DDT
UN Disarms Weapon of Malarial Destruction
IPN Opinion article
DDT is much-demonised by superstitious Westerners but it has saved millions of lives all over the world (including the USA and Europe) and continues to save lives in Africa. But not for much longer: the WHO's reluctant acceptance of DDT in 2006 has been reversed in favour of a range of human experiments using poor people as guinea-pigs.
EU’s “precaution” on DDT threatens lives of millions of Africans, says health charity
IPN Press release
Africa Needs DDT
IPN Opinion article
If political correctness saved lives, malaria would no longer be a problem. Unfortunately, it doesn\'t, and some donor agencies are doing more harm than good.
DDT still saving lives
IPN Opinion article
The South African Department of Health reintroduced DDT in 2000 and in one year saw an 80 percent reduction in the number of cases. Since then malaria has almost become a rarity for physicians
It is not only in South Africa that DDT is saving lives. Dr. John Goyere from World Health Organization Africa estimates that over 16 million people in seven different African countries, including Ethiopia, Eritrea and Madagascar, are currently protected by the insecticide.
In an exciting example of private provision of public health, the Konkola Copper Mine in Zambia started malaria control in the two towns around its mining operations using DDT. As explained by Dr. Brian Sharp and others in a recent paper in the Journal of Tropical Medicine and International Health, after one spraying round, the number of malaria cases was dramatically reduced.
Malaria and the DDT Story
IPN Opinion article
Malaria and the DDT Story provides an insight into the history of DDT's use to control malaria and the politics surrounding its use. Key points are:
Malaria has long plagued mankind, and was only brought under control with the development of medical and chemical technologies in the 20th century.
A worldwide campaign to eradicate malaria with DDT spraying programmes after World War II nearly eliminated the disease in many poor countries.
Environmental fears lead to the banning of DDT in wealthy countries.
Donor agencies and environmental groups from wealthy countries then pressured poor country governments to stop using DDT for malaria control.
When used to control malarial mosquitoes, DDT has no observable effects on human health and its effects on the environment are negligible.
Partly because of restrictions on the use of DDT, malaria rates are now increasing in poor countries.
DDT spraying remains the most cost-effective solution for poor countries to prevent malaria.
