toxicity - pesticides, herbicides and insecticides - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 49- Nigeria: African Countries AdoptControversial Deadly Chemical, DDT, for Malaria TreatmentAlso, occupational exposure in agriculture and malariacontrol has also has been linked to neurological problemssuch as Parkinsons and asthma.More recent evidence from epidemiological studies, thatis studies in human populations, indicate that DDT causescancers of the liver, pancreas and breast, whilecontributing to leukemia, lymphoma and testicularcancer.DDT in the fight against malariaAmidst latest progress reports that malaria incidence hasreduced by one-third in Africa, the preventable but killerdisease remains a major public health challengeconfronting the continent. As a result of this, publichealth officials rely on DDT to fight the disease due toits 'wonder working power'.In the 1950s and 1960s, WHO's anti-malaria campaignrelied heavily on DDT and the results were promising,though temporary. Reviewing what went wrong, expertstied the resurgence of the disease to poor leadership,management and funding of malaria control programs;poverty; civil unrest; and increased irrigation.Like Nigeria's Minister of Health stated, the WHO in2006, reversed a longstanding policy against DDT byrecommending that it be used as an indoor pesticide inregions where malaria is a major problem. As of 2008,only 12 countries used DDT, including India and someSouthern African states, as well as Namibia. With theAfrican governments' adoption of the chemical onTuesday in Abuja, the number is expected to rise.Effectiveness of DDT against malariaWhen it was first introduced in World War II, DDT wasvery effective in reducing malaria morbidity andmortality. The WHO's anti-malaria campaign, whichconsisted mostly of spraying DDT, was initially verysuccessful as well. For example, in Sri Lanka, theprogram reduced cases from about three million per yearbefore spraying to just 18 in 1963 and 29 in 1964.Thereafter, the program was halted to save money andmalaria rebounded to 600,000 cases in 1968 and the firstquarter of 1969. The country resumed DDT vectorcontrol but the mosquitoes had acquired resistance in theinterim, hence, the country switching to malathion, whichthough more expensive, proved effective.Today, DDT remains on the WHO's list of pesticides.The world health body's policy has shifted fromrecommending it only in areas of seasonal or episodictransmission of malaria, to also advocating it in areas ofcontinuous, intense transmission.50-- Traditional African Clinic July 2013South Africa is one country that continues to use DDTunder WHO guidelines. In 1996, the country switched toalternative insecticides and malaria incidence increaseddramatically. Returning to DDT and introducing newdrugs brought malaria back under control.Making a case for the pesticide, Namibia's Minister ofHealth, Richard Kamwir, told PREMIUM TIMES that"DDT is effective against resistant mosquitoes.Mosquitoes avoid DDT-sprayed walls and this is whatwe used in my country. DDT is the best pesticide formalaria control as resistant mosquitoes avoid treatedhouses".He further argued that for the pesticide to be effective, atleast 80 percent of houses in any vicinity must besprayed if not, its effectiveness would be jeopardized."People don't like DDT because of the lingering smelland stains on the walls, but I can confidently tell you thatit worked for us" he added.When to use DDTMany global research experts however urge thatalternatives be used instead of DDT.An epidemiologist, Brenda Eskenazi, said "We knowDDT can save lives by repelling and killing diseasespreadingmosquitoes. But evidence suggests that peopleliving in areas where DDT is used are exposed to veryhigh levels of the pesticide. The only published studieson health effects conducted in these populations haveshown profound effects on male fertility. Clearly, moreresearch is needed on the health of populations whereindoor residual spraying is occurring, but in themeantime, DDT should really be the last resort againstmalaria rather than the first line of defense."Donor agencies against DDT usageAt the moment, the African continent is largelydependent on donor agencies for most of herprogrammes, including malaria control. As a result ofthis, there are fears that the decision to use DDT maywitness some challenges.It has been alleged that donor governments and agenciesshy from funding DDT spraying, or make aid contingentupon not using DDT.According to a report in the British Medical Journal, useof DDT in Mozambique "was stopped several decadesago, because 80 percent of the country's health budgetcame from donor funds, and donors refused to allow theuse of DDT."Before now, many countries had been under pressurefrom international health and environment agencies togive up DDT or face losing aid grants. Belize and BoliviaContinued on page 51