In a report on Scientific American on 4
th May
2009, a panel of doctors led by a University of California epidemiologist
called for restriction in the use of DDT having regards to it widespread use in
Africa especially after the endorsement in 2006 by the World Health Organization(WHO).
According to scientificamerican.com ‘’ The scientists
reported that DDT ‘may’ have a variety of human health effects, including
reduced fertility, genital birth defects, breast cancer, diabetes and damage to
developing brains. Its metabolite, DDE, can
block male hormones’’.
‘’Based on recent studies, we conclude that humans are
exposed to DDT and DDE, that indoor residual spraying can result in substantial
exposure and that DDT may pose a risk for human populations," the
scientists wrote in their consensus statement, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
"We are concerned about the health of children and adults given the
persistence of DDT and its active metabolites in the environment and in the
body, and we are particularly concerned about the potential effects of
continued DDT use on future generations."
In 1947, shortly after the Second World War II, the United States
decided to eradicate Malaria from its territory using DDT in an overwhelming
aerial dispensing spree. By 1952, US had declared it 13 states in the southern
eastern part which had perennial malaria reported cases as Malaria free.
The success of this exercise led to the WHO adopting the DDT
strategy in a so called Global Malaria Eradication Campaign which however
excluded Black African countries with an excuse that, our part of the world was
‘’not ready’’. While the United
States method was aerial dispensing system,
WHO opted for Indoor Residual Spraying system. Though not the best strategy
having regards to the effectiveness of aerial dispensing system, the programme
is reported to have saved 500 million lives in 8 years that would have
otherwise have been lost due to Malaria. This number largely does not include
black Africans and this explains why 90% of all Malaria illness now occurs in
sub-Saharan Africa.
DDT was then praised in superlative terms by the American
National Academy of Science and declared a ‘’miracle pesticide’’.
The success of this programme however did not go down with
Malthusians. In 1972, United
States declared a ban on the use of DDT
twenty years later after it had declared Malaria Free. The ban was base on it
agricultural use which was responsible for depopulation of birds. Environmental
groups joined hands with Malthusians for an unprecedented war against DDT use
till today even after WHO endorsement in 2006 under the leadership of Dr. Araka
Kochi who admitted to WHO Malaria ‘’policy mess’’ and therefore allowed DDT to be
used.
Now, the world has a new group of ‘’menticides’’ referring
themselves as Panel of Doctors who want to cause change in priority for donors
to push their cash into other interventions other than IRS for eradication. The
panel of doctors with all their long paper works were clueless to give alternative
to eradicating Malaria and went ahead to say that DDT should be used as a ‘’last
resort’’.
This is deeply shocking and should send Black Africans on
full scale demonstration against this panel of doctors and their allies. At
what point will the world know to use DDT as the last resort? When 100 people
are dying per second? Currently, WHO taunts that Malaria kills 2 persons each
minute! Is it not enough to tell this Panel of doctors we are in the last resort?
They also had no authentic finding against DDT thereby
referring to their disastrous wishes with a ‘’may’’ phrase.
There
is no evidence that in the 1960s and 80s when DDT was widely used, it had any
disastrous consequence on people.
A
research finding in Uganda in 2007, emphatically indicates low levels of DDT in
parts per billion (ppb) in the human blood samples, urine, soil, beans, and
fish, even after being exposed to the chemical for a long time. The study
further established that “there is also no associated environmental damage or
human defects of infertility, impotence, neurological abnormalities and
cancers.”
What
is more, this research is African oriented – conducted on African soil, by
African researchers and scientist and clothed with excellent reliability and
validity of results. According to Dr Myers Lugemwa of the Department of
Medicine, National referral Hospital,
in Mulago, Uganda – a member of the team that
conducted the research on the effects of DDT in humans and the environment –
when the chemical is applied strictly for indoor spraying, it poses very little
environmental threat.
After all, if the so call future health problems are to be
true, then America should also not produce food and send to so call malnourished
and starving children in Africa because it is likely to also cause obesity
which has ill effects in the long run just as they claim DDT has ill effect in
the future on humans.
I am not an advocate for DDT but found the findings and
statement by the so call Panel of Doctors as unreasonable, ill conceived and a
ploy against humanity. I am equally aware of effective and efficient technology
and insecticides that could be used for a much more highly result oriented
aerial dispensing to eradicate Malaria in the continent of Africa
if resources going into researches sponsoring programmes like this panel of
doctors and nets are channelled for an efficient aerial dispensing system and
public education.
Signed:
Hayford Siaw
Executive Director
Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa
