Great Green Idea: Green Living: DDT Saves Lives: Fact or Fiction

DDT Saves Lives: Fact or Fiction

Editorial: Ezra Drissman

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) has a long history in the United States. In the 1950's, farmers used to spray the chemical onto their crops en masse. This effectively killed many of the insects but also poisoned the surrounding environment.

In many places where this chemical was found, higher cases of cancer occurred. It also is linked to disruption of the human endocrine system, can cause reproductive problems and impair immune function. On top of these findings, there was the book "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson which found that the chemical had a terrible adverse effect on the environment and greatly reduced the population of birds of prey. This led to the eventual ban of DDT in the United States in 1972.

The United Nations is aiming at a worldwide ban of the DDT by 2020. Is the ban of this chemical in developing nations, in particular Africa, a good thing?

To understand this question, one must look at the disease of malaria, how it is spread and how it affects the region of Africa. Malaria is a disease that affects about 250 million people a year. (World Health Organization) Nearly 1 million people die of the disease a year. It is especially dangerous for children, which accounts for 20% of all childhood deaths on the African continent. (WHO) This breaks down to a child dying every 45 seconds.

Malaria is the number 9 killer of people in third world countries.(WHO) However, this statistic may be higher as it can have an even deadlier effect on HIV patients and pregnant woman. HIV/AIDS is the number 4 killer and low birth weight and prematurity of babies is number ten.(WHO) It can likely be deduced, that a weakened immune system caused by Malaria has a corollary relationship to those deaths as well.

The monetary numbers are quite staggering, especially when taking into account that it is in relationship to third world countries. According to unfoundation.org the economic cost of malaria to the continent of Africa is estimated at $12 billion. Assuming that it costs $.25 a day to feed a child, 131.5 million children on the continent of Africa could be fed for an entire year by utilizing the $12 billion.

Malaria is spread through mosquitoes. Since the continent does not have the same housing and protection from the elements that most first world countries have, people must sleep with nets around their bed for protection. To date, the best way to stop the spread of Malaria is to kill the instruments that carry them from person to person. Large scale use of chemicals is the best and most cost effective way to eradicate the disease. This is not a new phenomenon as it was used to rid many first world countries of terrible diseases. The best way to kill mosquitoes is the use of DDT.

There are some major drawbacks to DDT. As seen in the United States during the middle of the 20th century, large use of the chemical can have a long lasting effect on the inhabitants, both human and otherwise. It may especially be harmful to individuals with HIV/AIDS. It disrupts the human endocrine system, causes reproductive problems, impair immune function and can cause certain cancers. (http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/11583.html )

While the effects on humans of large scale exposure to DDT is no doubt extremely harmful, it must be understood that it was caused by the misuse of the chemical by farmers. If applied in smaller quantities (http://www.malaria.org/attarannaturemed.html ) the health effects would be minimal when compared to Malaria.

If the goal of the green movement is to improve the lives of people then we must consider the expansion of the use of DDT in certain circumstances. It is unfathomable to think that so many children and adults lives could not only be saved by the use of a simple chemical, but cared for with the money saved by not having to treat the disease. Once the Malaria epidemic is contained then the scale back of the use of DDT should of course be entertained. If there is a more economical way to deal with the Malaria problem, it should be studied and implemented. However, at this time, the people of Africa need quick answers and that answer is DDT.