News
Articles for February 2005
In Africa, a Plant's Twofold Promise  - Andrew England
Build a market and people will produce. The irony is that many of the aid agencies now so interested in artemisia, such as USAID, blocked the development of a market for so long.
WHO Warns of Malaria Drug Shortage  - Jason Beaubien
This National Public Radio audio story explores the World Health Organization's assertion that there will be a massive shortfall in a key malaria drug, artemisinin.
DDT could eradicate post-tsunami malaria  - Editorial
DDT could curb malaria around the world, if only world policy makers would let it be used.
EU Warns on DDT  - New Vision
Guy Rijcken, the EU Charge d'Affaires has warned Uganda not to use DDT. His claims that DDT will find its way into the food chain, thereby threatening exports, is false and malicious and will no doubt lead to further death and disease in that country. Why doesn't he just admit that he is using the DDT issue as a trade barrier to protect the cosseted EU farmers? This disgraceful behaviour must stop.
Zimbabwe hunger claims 'US plot'  - BBC
As usual the Zimbabwean government blames someone else for the misery, hunger and ill health it is inflicting on its own people. As more and more people are going hungry, it will become increasingly difficult to prevent deaths from preventable diseases, such as malaria.
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Malaria down in Swaziland and Mozambique

By Patrick Leeman

Malaria levels have dropped dramatically in north-east KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Swaziland and in Mozambique over the past five years, since the three adjoining countries implemented joint malaria control.

Representatives of the three countries, headed by national South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, met in Umhlanga, north of Durban, this week to celebrate what were termed "spectacular gains" in eradicating malaria in the region.

The health minister said the joint spraying programme, by the KwaZulu-Natal health department, the ministry of health in Swaziland, and the regional Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative in Mozambique, had yielded remarkable results.

She said that compared with the 2000/2001 malaria season, there had been a 96 percent reduction in malaria cases in KwaZulu-Natal, a 91 percent reduction in Swaziland, and an 86 percent reduction in Mozambique.

Tshabalala-Msimang said that one of the reasons for the success of the programme had been the spraying of homes with DDT as well as the use of a combination of other mosquito-repelling products in the region.

She said she was not persuaded that the treatment of bednets to ward off mosquitoes was the most effective form of treatment, since it did not deal with the problem when the person was outside his or her home.

The minister acknowledged the contribution of the South African Business Trust, and the support of the national Health Department in South Africa, as well as the health departments of Mozambique and Swaziland.

She said that this malaria control programme was seen as a model for future collaboration of this nature in Africa.

It highlighted the value of regional collaboration in disease control since malaria did not recognise international borders.

Tshabalala-Msimang said her department had entered into talks with the Zimbabwean health department, with a view to introducing collaborative malaria control along the Zimbabwe/South African border.

She said the spin-offs of the successful malaria programme had immense positive benefits for tourism in the entire region.

  • This article was originally published on page 6 of The Mercury on August 27, 2023

Mercury new

Published on the Web by IOL on 2023-08-27 06:58:00

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