BRINGING BACK DDT TO FIGHT MALARIA

NCPA Daily Policy Digest ^ | June 27, 2003 | James S. Shikwati

[bruinbirdman]

Countries in Africa and Asia are again being afflicted by massive malaria epidemics that infect and kill millions. DDT, an effective and cost-efficient mosquito repellent, helped reduce malaria death rates by seventy percent in the early 1950s. However, developed nations concerned about the health effects of DDT pressured Third World countries to stop using it, and most did, with disastrous effects.

o More than 100,000 people died during malaria epidemics in Madagascar in the mid-1980s after DDT house spraying was suspended.

o Sri Lanka stopped spraying houses with DDT in 1961 and subsequently had a major malaria epidemic.

o Last year alone, malaria infected over 300 million people and killed more than two million, mostly in Africa.

One Kenyan researcher, Davy Koech, says that DDT could reduce malaria deaths by eighty percent. Furthermore, DDT has been used in agriculture and public health for 60 years and no study has linked it to human harm; it was banned in 1972 by the Environmental Protection Agency despite a judge's ruling that there was no evidence for such a ban.

Yet African countries are forced to follow punitive environmental rules if they want to continue trading with developed nations. Bans and restrictions on the use of biotechnology, fossil fuel, and hydroelectric power, as well as unfair trade tariffs and quotas by developed nations, severely affect economic growth and public health in poor countries.

Source: James S. Shikwati, "Kenyan Environmental Ethics: The DDT Story," Fraser Forum, May 2003.

For text

For more on Human Health Risks

[narby]

Environmentalists like dead people.

[autoresponder]

Hate to say it, but most of those saved from those diseases will then die of AIDS, especialy in Africa; spreading like wildfire in Asia.

If we cannot educate "certain" ethnic/racial groups here, Africa and Asia will not fare any better.

God is thinning the herd.

Perhaps he will thin in the Mid East.

[newgeezer]

I thought DDT was reportedly the cause of endangered birds' eggs developing soft (rather than hard) shells, which not only prevented them from procreating, but also made the eggs unreasonably difficult to fry.

[FateAmenableToChange]

I thought DDT was reportedly the cause of endangered birds' eggs developing soft (rather than hard) shells, which not only prevented them from procreating, but also made the eggs unreasonably difficult to fry.

Reportedly, those studies were debunked in the '70s. Apparently, the researchers played with the experiment by feeding some of their birds low calcium diets. Shell thinning peaked some time in the '40s (pre-DDT) and then shell thickness rebounded through the 70s, despite extremely heavy DDT use. More likely, shell thinning in the wild was linked to heavy petroleum contamination of waterways.

[Noachian]

If I remember right the environmentalists were all shook up about the thinning of birds egg shells. In order to protect the eggs they petitioned the EPA to ban the stuff.

So, millions of people have have died, but hey, the birds eggs are doing good.

[Rebelbase]

DDT fogger trucks used to drive through my neighborhood when I was a kid. Next to the icecream man, they were the most popular truck to follow on our bikes.

[11B3]

"I want my DDT."

Sounds like a song from years ago. With all of Africa's problems, wouldn't it just be quicker and more humane to use VX? (Maybe it would get the insects as well.) [/sarcasm]

[Jemian]

Does that article say how to apply the DDT? I intend to get some and spray my yard.

[null and void]

DDT fogger trucks used to drive through my neighborhood when I was a kid. Next to the icecream man, they were the most popular truck to follow on our bikes.

Me too! Beautiful Beaufort.

[bruinbirdman]

"DDT fogger trucks "

In Louisiana it is (was?) malathion, terrific stuff. Works good on fire ants, too.

yitbos

[mewzilla]

The skeeters will just become resistant to the DDT. Again. Then we'll be left with nastier skeeters and DDT. Again.

[rockfish59]

Especially in Africa!
They can call malaria and AIDS 'Malaids!' or 'MalariAIDS!'

[Rebelbase]

New Orleans, late 60's early 70's.

[backhoe]

West Nile Virus- Bring Back DDT?

Scams, Scalawags, and an all-too-gullible Public...famous frauds sold to America

[Fledermaus]

Another report on malaria and DDT usage.

This from the Washington Times Op/Ed page for July 10, 2003.

The Staggering Cost of Malaria