WHO and UNEP Roll-back DDT use in Malaria Control

A joint announcement on behalf of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Environmental Project (UNEP), in cooperation with the Global Environmental Facility, has paved the way for a ban on twelve organic persistent pollutants, including the infamous Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT).  DDT was outlawed throughout the world after research suggested increased risk of cancers and other diseases, combined with massive ecological effects catalogued in the book ‘Silent Spring.’ Despite this, DDT use has continued in many Malaria-endemic areas, where its risks are outweighed by the benefits of vector-control it brings.

The announcement last week detailed the success of a five-year trial in Mexico and Central America of pesticide-free techniques and management regimes for controlling malaria. These reduced incidence of Malaria by 60%. This project was one of many carried out as part of the WHO’s Integrated Vector Management Strategy (IVM). The success of the trial means these alternatives to DDT can be used in combination with interventions adapted to local circumstances to improve Malaria control, and ultimately help achieve the MDG surrounding the disease.