A quick follow-up on yesterday's post regarding malaria. There is an interesting op-ed piece by Tina Rosenberg in the NY Times today. She points out that DDT, which has been endorsed recently by WHO for anti-malaria efforts, was banned in developed countries because it was not used properly, although it did eradicate malaria in those countries. Massive spraying campaigns led to the introduction of unacceptable DDT levels in the environment, creating a danger to birds and fish. The proposal on the table now is to permit twice yearly spraying of minute amounts of DDT inside homes to prevent mosquito infestation. Does this create any risk to the inhabitants of the houses?

I was surprised to learn from the article that only 3% of African children sleep under insecticide-treated bednets. I had thought the percentage was much higher.

The article suggests that the U.S. is now supporting DDT usage, presumably in a safe and appropriate way. I hope this is true.