The World Health Organization Supports Use of DDT Against Malaria

National Geographic, as well as Nature News, is reporting that the World Health Organization (WHO) is now supporting the use of the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) to control malaria bearing mosquitoes. As a pesticide, DDT is said to be "more effective, cheaper and longer lasting than the alternatives," and due to recent successes in both India and South Africa, the WHO has overturned its stance on DDT's use in malaria control. However, DDT's environmental impact is legendary. DDT has been linked to the decline of the bald eagle as "DDT and its breakdown products are toxic to embryos and can disrupt calcium absorption," weakening egg-shells. Additionally, "the EPA classifies DDT as class B2, a probable human carcinogen, based on observed carcinogenicity in animals." But, the use of DDT for controlling malaria is very different from the wide scale agricultural use it has previously seen. To control malaria, "small quantities are sprayed once or twice a year on the inside walls and ceilings of houses." Its use in this manner has even gained the support of groups, such as the Sierra Club, that have previously opposed any use of DDT whatsoever.