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DDT set to make a comeback as malaria control agent
G. Chandrashekhar
Mumbai, Nov. 11
AFTER remaining condemned for long, DDT is likely to win back its position as an effective mosquito control chemical for malaria eradication.
It is not that health officials are rediscovering the potency of DDT to fight mosquito menace, but it is simply that no low-cost effective alternative has been found.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to endorse use of the pesticide DDT to control mosquitoes, especially in the infested areas of Africa, despite opposition by environmentalists. Anywhere between 350 million and 500 million people in more than 100 countries are afflicted by malaria every year.
Although DDT as a chemical is looked-down upon and its production and use are banned in many countries, it is allowed for use for public health purposes because of its known potency.
In India, DDT was popularly used in agriculture (both in field and in storage) because of its low cost and effectiveness. However, the Government banned the use in agriculture of DDT and other chemicals such as BHC sometime in the early 1990s.
But the problem did not end there. About 10,000 tonnes of DDT are produced in the country purportedly for mosquito control under the malaria eradication program. A large part of the production, it is suspected, does not go for the intended use, but gets diverted for use in agriculture.
The State Governments have to lift the chemical and ensure its proper application (mosquito control). It is believed that leakages occur from the time the material passes on to the States. As there is little effective monitoring of its intended use.
Wrongful use of DDT in agriculture is known to have affected India's export prospects of a number of commodities including sesame seeds. Thus, DDT misuse in agriculture not only affects produce quality, but also negatively impacts malaria control.
WHO's clearance for use of DDT is perhaps godsend for India. Strict monitoring of DDT use will help the government fight malaria more effectively, experts argue.
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