Ask the Coordinator - November 2006
E-Mail Your Questions about PMI or other malaria programs directly to Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer, U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, at askthemalariacoordinator@usaid.gov.
Question:
Dear Coordinator Ziemer,
I first became acquainted with USAID through an international communications class in which my professor suggested that we look at your Web publications as an example of communications published by a governmental organization. I recently visited www.fightingmalaria.gov in an effort to come to a deeper understanding of our government's current efforts to fight this hideous disease abroad. While I did find the Web site informative and easily navigable, I did not find some of the information that I was seeking. I had heard reports on NPR saying that these projects involved spraying the inside of homes with the pesticide DDT! While I do not fully understand the effects of this pesticide, I am aware of many efforts to ban its use. I have heard that it can have terrible side effects.
Is it true that the government is urging people in impoverished African nations to use this harmful agent in their homes? If so, why isn't there a link to information as to why the government believes that the pesticide is not harmful in these instances?
Sincerely,
Cathryn Wojcicki
Answer:
Dear Cathryn,
Thank you for your question about DDT! First I am glad you found the Web site www.fightingmalaria.gov easy to navigate. I am very sorry though that information on the use of DDT for malaria prevention was not easily accessible. We have corrected this.
“Indoor residual spraying” (also known as IRS) is the application of small amounts of insecticide to the interior walls of houses to kill or sometimes repel malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. IRS is a highly effective, proven malaria prevention strategy that saves lives. DDT is but one of 12 World Health Organization (WHO)-approved insecticides. The determination of which insecticide used for a particular program is made in coordination with the host country malaria control program, with the primary objective of preventing as many malaria infections and deaths as possible in the most efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable way, and in accordance with national policies.
The use of the insecticide DDT for IRS is very different from the massive agricultural applications that led to the ban of DDT in the United States and other countries, both in terms of the amounts of insecticide used and the potential risks to the environment. If used correctly for this purpose, it poses no known risk to human health. Malaria on the other hand kills over 1 million people each year, the vast majority of whom are African children.
There are many misperceptions about DDT. The World Health Organization has endorsed the safe use of DDT against malaria saying that “DDT presents no health risk when used properly.”
I assure you that we adhere to strict environmental guidelines, approval processes, and procedures for the use of DDT and all other insecticides.
I hope this information makes you feel more comfortable with the work we are doing to fight malaria.
Tim Ziemer
Malaria Coordinator
President’s Malaria Initiative
askthemalariacoordinator@usaid.gov
