African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic ... - Blackherbals.com

African Traditional Herbal Research ClinicVolume 2, Issue 7 NEWSLETTER July/August 2007FEATURED ARTICLESDDT: Survival Weapon or Threat?While it’s true that DDT can successfully killmalaria-causing mosquitoes and thus eradicatethe disease, environmentalists warn that thechemical is toxic not only to man but also tobirds, fish and mammalsThere can never be anything like indoor residualspraying of DDT in Uganda. The poor and temporarynature of the majority of houses countrywide will easilyenable DDT to find its way into the environment.This is how Dr. Vincent Muwanika of the MakerereUniversity Institute of Environment and NaturalResources argues over the recent decision by theMinistry of Health to start spraying DDT in an effort tocurb the spread of malaria.This follows an announcement by the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) allowing indoor residual spraying(IRS) of DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichlorethane) inthe fight against malaria.The Director General for Malaria at World HealthOrganisation (WHO), Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, saysthat “scientific and programmatic evidence” has shownthat DDT could be safely be used indoors to fightagainst the malaria spreading mosquitoes.“(Outdoor spraying) has proven to be just as effectiveas other malaria prevention methods, and DDT presentsno health risk when used properly,” he says.The move puts annual indoor spraying of DDTalongside drugs and mosquito bed nets as one of thethree main tools for controlling the disease, whichclaims about a million lives every year worldwide mostespecially in Sub-Saharan Africa.The Malaria Programme Ciontrol Manger at theMinistry of Health, Dr. John Rwakimari says thattreatment of malaria has become more complicatedwith mosquitoes developing high resistance to commonmalaria drugs.“Chloroquine and Fansidar are no longer effectiveEmmanuel KihauleDaily Monitor, March 13, 2007against malaria,” he says. So to many countries, theWHO permission has brought a sigh of relief in the waragainst the disease.Following this, some African countries such asTanzania and Uganda decided to relax their bans onDDT use and the latter has officially announced that itwill start using the pesticide by June this year in thepioneer districts of Apac, Kanungu and in all internallydisplaced people’s camps (IDPs).However according to Dr. Muwanika, the fact that mostof the houses in rural Uganda and urban slums are builtout of poor and weak materials such as mud, wattle,grass, timber and iron scraps should force theproponents of the WHO decision to think twice.“Such structures are very temporary and can hardlystand throughout the period that DDT continues to beactive after spraying. So the so-called “indoorspraying” is virtually direct spray of DDT into theenvironment,” he says.He also says that a number of studies have shown thatDDT could remain persistent in the environment suchas in the soil or in water for many years afterapplication and thus endanger lives.He cites the findings of a 2005 research conducted inKanungu District, which found traces of DDT in soil,crops and fish from a nearby lake (Lake Edward),human plasma and urine 45 years after a spray hadbeen done. In 1959/60, a WHO malaria control teamsprayed DDT in dwelling houses and kraals in thedistrict with the aim of fighting malaria. The research,which was titled Determination of Short and LongTerm Residual Concentration of DDT and itsDerivatives in Man and Environment in Kihihi Sub-County, Kanungu District, also found DDT in areasmiles away from the sprayed areas.-19- Traditional African Clinic July/August 2007The research report itself admitted that this is in linewith the established persistence and slow degradationof DDT in the environment and fatty tissues in animalsincluding human beings. Continued on page 20