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Continued from page 20 – DDT will not hinder Exports to EUThe pronouncement comes as a breather to exporters andproducers in Uganda, most of who have been worryingover the fate of their products.Earlier reports had insinuated that agricultural productsrisked being banned from the EU market once Ugandastarts using DDT, because of Europe’s zero tolerance forit.A ban from the EU, Uganda’s largest trading partner,would come as a blow to the export industry that isalready struggling with supply constraints to deliver tothe market despite a zero tariff regime to the EU underthe ‘Everything but Arms’ arrangement.Last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO)okayed the indoor use of DDT for malaria control, almost30 years after it phased out its widespread indoorspraying.Following this, the Ministry of Health (MoH) alsoannounced that Uganda would start using DDT in Junenext year, pending results from the NationalEnvironmental Management Authority’s investigationinto the potential harm of the insecticide.A cross section of stakeholders including the businesscommunity, environmentalists and some politiciansstrongly criticized the decision.But the statement says the EU, as a signatory to theglobal Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicPollutants (POPs) to which the US and 149 othercountries are party to defend the right of all nations to settheir priorities and plans for malaria control within thescope of international agreements.“Should food consignments from Uganda to the EU beaccidentally contaminated with DDT above acceptedresidue levels, only that particular consignment would bewithdrawn from the market,” it says.“Such an incident would certainly not automatically leadto a general import ban.”ConditionsThe EU says it permits low levels of DDT contaminationin some crops as long as the levels are shown to be safeto consumers and are not being abused by illegalsprayers.The Commission also says it recognizes eachgovernment’s choice of malaria control techniques,including DDT and has supported Uganda and othercountries’ poverty reduction and health strategies withover Euro310 million since 2003.But even with the assurance, Uganda should not take it-21- Traditional African Clinic July/August 2007for granted that DDT can be used at her own will.The EU delegation in Kampala last week said if thegovernment wishes to use DDT for Indoor ResidualSpraying (IRS), it should do so in strict accordance withthe provision of the Stockholm Convention as well asWHO guidelines.The Convention, signed in 2001, bans the use of DDTexcept for public health purposes while WHO also, in its2006 position statement contained in a publication:Indoor Residual Spraying recognizes that DDT is bannedfor agricultural use.However it justifies its use for IRS if used under WHOrecommendations alongside a clear national policy andadequate safeguards for storage, transport and disposal.“It is critical to ensure that adequate regulatory control isin place to prevent unauthorized use of public healthpesticides in agriculture,” WHO said.Information from the Uganda Mission in Geneva says theWHO is even willing to supervise Uganda free of charge.“If our government can arrange, WHO is willing to sendits officials to teach and prepare our leaders on how touse DDT the right way,” the Head of the mission, Prof.Asene Baliuta, said recently.However, the EU also clarified that their position doesnot guarantee the same reaction from their consumers.“The EU and its institutions have no power over thereaction by EU consumers and consumer protectionorganizations in the event Uganda would start usingDDT,” the Head of Economics, Trade and Social Sectorssection at the Kampala office, Mr. Tom Vens said lastweek.CriticsSome Ugandan critics have also argued that the biasagainst DDT is in the minds of consumers and thatwhether the EU officially continues to accept theproducts, the consumers might just stop buying them.“We need to consult widely on DDT. The consumers hereare sentimental. Some just have hysteria against DDT,” aUgandan living in Brussels said.One of the European consumers said he did not mindDDT content as long as the products are declared safe forhuman consumption by the EU. Another, however, saidhis reaction would depend on how others would react toit. “If others shun it, I will also not buy the products but ifthey continue to buy, why not?” he said.They argued that Uganda still does not have thenecessary capacity to do controlled indoor spraying andtherefore should not rush to implement it.Continued on page 22