AFM Launch of the book "The Excellent Powder"

09 Apr 2024
Africa Fighting Malaria AFM launched the book "The Excellent Powder: DDT's Political and Scientific History" in Washington, DC and South Africa.

DDT is arguably the most effective insecticide discovered for preventing malaria and other diseases. It is also the most studied and most misunderstood chemical. It is widely viewed as a dangerous poison responsible for bringing bird populations to the brink of extinction and causing cancer and numerous other ailments in humans. These beliefs persist in spite of broad underlying evidence proving DDT was not a source of harm to wildlife, and numerous studies that fail to show that DDT is a cause of harm to human health. DDT remains a vital part of many malaria control programs, yet widespread and entrenched misunderstanding about how DDT actually functions undermines current and future malaria control. Prof. Donald Roberts and Richard Tren explain how the well-funded, organized, earnest, yet misguided anti-insecticide campaigns against DDT have imposed devastating costs on malaria endemic countries and may blight future prospects for malaria control.
Click here to purchase the book ($25).