East African Standard Examines Debate Over DDT Use in Kenya’s Malaria-Control Strategy

Kenya's East African Standard on Monday examined the "raging" debate over the use of the pesticide DDT to control the spread of malaria in the country. Although some experts have said that Kenya's "war on malaria could be lost" if DDT is not implemented as part of the country's control strategy, the government is "emphatic" in its opposition to using DDT, according to the Standard. The Kenyan government banned the use of DDT in 1978, and the National Environmental Management Authority has opposed DDT, saying that it is "harmful to the ecosystem," the Standard reports. "The use of DDT is not in the government policy, so the chemical is out of the question -- at least for now," Dr. James Nyikal, director of medical services, said, adding that the government is working with global partners under the National Malaria Strategy to implement the most effective measures against the disease. However, according to Shrikant Bhatt of the Department of Medicine at the University of Nairobi, Kenya "has no choice but to introduce" DDT, the Standard reports. "The benefits of DDT far outweigh its disadvantages and the government must act now. Much as we have put in place measures to fight malaria, it is apparent we are losing the war against the disease," Bhatt said (Okoth, East African Standard, 5/2). The complete article is available online.