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Media release
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Stockholm Convention fails to set deadline for worldwide ban on DDT
Dear Daud
Geneva, 3 May 2013 – The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) could not agree on a date for a worldwide ban on DDT. The persistent poison has been banned in industrialised countries since the 1970s, but is still being used to fight malaria in the developing world.
The Stockholm Conference has only agreed to intensify research for affordable alternatives over the next few years. To this end, the convention wants to establish a roadmap. It was the strong opposition to setting any time frame of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the last producer of DDT, India, that killed the proposal for a deadline.
“Regrettably, the proposal to the convention’s stakeholders to commit them to a deadline of 2020 for provision of alternatives to DDT made by the African Group could still not be accepted. This puts in question the commitment of the developed nations and the WHO to stop the use and exposure of our people to already listed POPs like DDT,” said a disappointed African delegate who did not want to be named.
The World health Organisation (WHO) has been recommending the use of DDT for Indoor Residual Spraying since 2006, even though it’s bad for human health, damages the environment and the mosquitoes that spread the disease are developing resistance that makes DDT useless. Not least, because the initial cost of this method is relatively cheap, but only, if the ensuing costs are not accounted for. In addition, DT is practically only being sprayed in the houses of the poor. But the risk of improper use of DDT is high and can have serious consequences for the agricultural sector. In addition, alternatives to DDT are already being used in Kenya, Mexico and Vietnam.
The Stockholm Convention came into force in 2004 and included a limitation on the use of DDT to special cases for controlling the mosquitoes spreading malaria – under the condition that no effective alternatives exist. The non-committal resolution now agreed in Geneva, starts a process with the aim of eventually coming up with alternatives to finally get away from DDT.
The resolution now agreed largely draws on a discussion paper agreed by representatives from governments, international organisations, civil society and business at a roundtable event organised by Biovision Foundation in March in preparation for the sixth meeting of signatory states to the Stockholm Convention. But the paper set a clear deadline for the process to be completed by 2020.
The paper was submitted to the Convention largely unchanged by the 54 members of the UN’s African Group, with even South Africa, a longstanding opponent of a total ban on DDT, supporting it. This marked the first time that the African countries joined forces to take a decisive stand against DDT at an international level.
In Africa alone, nearly one million people die annually from malaria. In projects of Biovision Foundation, the dreaded tropical disease is being fought successfully with environmentally friendly methods. The Integrated Vector Management tackles the problem at its roots. The first step is to inform the people affected about the cause of the illness. With this knowledge they can become active themselves, with the elimination of the breeding grounds of the mosquitoes and improved protection through bed nets and grills in windows and doors of their houses. In Biovision’s project in Malindi, Kenya, this method reduced the number of malaria infections among children below the age of 14 by 70 per cent.
On another level, it has to be ensured, that those affected gain better access to medical treatment. Malaria is only deadly, if not treated properly, mainly for small children and pregnant women.
David Fritz
Head Communications & Campaigns
Biovision Foundation
Schaffhauserstrasse 18
8006 Zurich
Switzerland
T: +41 44 500 49 84
M: +41 79 312 84 13
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www.biovision.ch
