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Continued from page 48 - Nigeria: African Countries AdoptControversial Deadly Chemical, DDT, for Malaria TreatmentNigeria, South Africa others approveNigeria's Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu,during the Abuja meeting, emphasized that the WorldHealth Organization has cleared use of DDT in countrieswhere mosquitoes are resistant to other insecticide, notingthat the manner of usage is what matters."Some countries are using them. In the health sector, it's tobe used indoors, not outdoors. It is the Agricultural sectorthat doesn't need DDT. We are not here for rhetorics but toseek the way forward and the summit and African Union isprimarily for that purpose," he stated.Also, the South African representative reiterated that it isimportant for all African leaders to eliminate malaria inAfrica, thus, queried why DDT comes under attackannually whenever it is raised as a means of eradicatingmalaria."If we stop using it, we are sentencing our people to death.Every other continent used DDT to eradicate malaria, sowhy is our turn different in Africa?"He said that within five years, South African had a 600 percent increase in malaria rate from 1996 when the countrystopped using DDT."We had no choice but revert to it. DDT must remain hereuntil a more effective chemical is discovered. We want toemphasize that it must not be removed from our agreedagenda on how to eradicate malaria in Africa," he said.The Commissioner, Social Affairs of the African UnionCommission, Mustapha Kaloko, called for the inclusion ofDDT as the means of eradicating malaria in the region. Hehowever noted that it is not to be generally used whilefood items must be covered and kept away and "only wallsand ceilings are to be sprayed"."DDT will remain in the agenda as the major means forthe eradication of malaria in the continent," he said.Consequently, all African leaders except Central AfricanRepublic which sent no delegate adopted the inclusion ofDDT as the chemical to be used in eradicating malaria inthe region.Though DDT has been adopted by the African leaders asthe key to eradicating malaria in the continent, fear stilllingers even in Nigeria as well as other African countriesover its usage. Delegates who are against its usage werehowever scared of having their names in print whenPREMIUM TIMES spoke to them.One of the Nigerian delegates, who was against DDTbeing adopted, told PREMIUM TIMES that "I wantmalaria eradicated but I am really scared about thenegative impact this would have on the health ofAfricans.DDT is a renowned controversial chemical with grieveimpact on health of mammals; and humans are at theworst receiving end."Other delegates from countries like the Republic ofChad and Mozambique equally shared same views astheir Nigerian counterpart.Effects of DDT on human healthStudies from the United States, Canada, and Swedenlink DDT to diabetes; while the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency states that DDT exposure damagesthe reproductive system and reduces reproductivesuccess in humans. These effects, the agency says, maycause developmental and reproductive toxicity."Research has shown that exposure to DDT at amountsthat would be needed in malaria control might causepreterm birth and early weaning ... toxicologicalevidence shows endocrine-disrupting properties;human data also indicate possible disruption in semenquality, menstruation, gestational length, and durationof lactation" The Lancet- a science journal also states.According to epidemiological studies on humans,exposure to DDT could also lead to premature birthand low birth weight, and may even harm a mother'sability to breast feed.Recently, other researchers from the United States,Canada, and Australia argued that these effects mayincrease infant deaths, thus, offsetting any antimalarialbenefits.A study carried out at the University of California,Berkeley, in 2006 indicated that children exposedwhile in the womb have a greater chance ofdevelopment problems, while other studies havediscovered that even low levels of DDT at birth areassociated with decreased attention at infancy as wellas decreased cognitive skills.In other related researches from around the globe, itwas discovered that daughters of highly exposedwomen to this chemical may have more difficultygetting pregnant. This is called increased time topregnancy, TTP, in medical parlance. Similarly,women who are exposed to the chemical in their firsttrimester of pregnancy (first three months) may havebabies with retarded psychomotor development, whilethose who are unlucky could have a type ofmiscarriage called early pregnancy loss.Continued on page 5049-- Traditional African Clinic July 2013