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New ways to fight malaria

01.12.2009, PAN Germany Press Release, Carina Weber

Download of the Press Release dated December 1st, 2009

On December 3rd, the "Day of No Pesticides" and the "Bhopal Day", PAN Germany will publish the study "Environmental strategies to replace DDT and control malaria". This will contain examples of successful projects applying methods and approaches to malaria control which pose a lower risk. PAN Germany calls on politicians and financiers of malaria control programmes to promote pesticide-free measures to a greater extent.

In 14 countries DDT is applied indoors for malaria control. Recent findings about health consequences of DDT spraying in living and sleeping quarters, however, confirmed once again the necessity of ending the use of DDT.

"DDT use often harms people already suffering from poverty, malnutrition and the scourge that is malaria. It can have adverse effects on health and hit families very hard. One example are birth defects", said Carina Weber, Director of PAN Germany. According to the legally binding Stockholm Convention, effective since 2004, the use of the hazardous insecticide DDT has to be gradually reduced and globally eliminated.

The PAN Germany study demonstrates that there is a whole range of pesticide-free methods and approaches to malaria control, ranging from technical to socio-structural measures. However, according to the study, such approaches can only be effective on a large scale if politicians and financiers of malaria control programmes pay significantly more attention to non-chemical approaches in the future.

Concrete examples presented in the study show that the political will and the involvement of the population affected by malaria in control programmes are fundamental prerequisites for lower-risk and more effective strategies.

Carina Weber: "Many people from the fields of science and politics, from cities and villages, citizens´ groups, development organisations and health care already contribute to the implementation of successful lower-risk strategies of malaria control. Now is the time to support people in malaria regions in adapting the experience of pioneers to their local situation and implementing the resulting strategies successfully."

For further information:

Carina Weber, tel. +49 40-399 19 10-23, email: carina.weber(at)pan-germany.org

The study is available at: http://www.pan-germany.org/download/ddt/ddt_alternatives.pdf

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