Samuel Okaka – Radio Apac Fm
APAC-Organic farmers in the Lango sub region rejected the spraying of DDT in their houses and demanded the government to assure them of compensation when their products loose market from their buyers. ‘DDT is not bad’, replied Minister of Health Emmanuel Otalla.
Speaking in a consultative meeting led by the state minister and Apac district leaders, the farmers asked the minister to explain whether government will compensate them when their products is found to be contaminated with chemicals.
“Honorable minister, we would like to know whether government will compensate us incase traces of DDT will be found in our products by our buyers.” The coordinator of organic farmers in Lango sub region Alex Fakken said amidst hummer from the farmers who were seated among the crowd.
‘DDT not harmful’
The minister however said government has not received any formal complains from the buyers of organic products in Uganda. “I would like to assure organics farmers in Apac that DDT is not bad as some people might think, and it is going to be sprayed inside the house but not in the field.” he said. The farmers however said they will not allow their houses to be sprayed with the DDT because of its toxicity and economic effects on their products.
Apac leads in maleria infections.
The reason to use DDT is the fight against malaria. According to Otalla Apac was found to be leading in the whole world in the rate of malaria infection due to numerous mosquito bites. The government has consulted all stakeholders like NEMA, the World Health Organization including countries that import organic products from Uganda and they have blessed it”, minister Otalla said.
The director of the Research Triangle Institute Dr. John Bahana said they are still carrying out a lot of training to ensure everybody understands. He said this program of indoor residual spraying will cover districts like Apac, Oyam, Kitgum, Pader, Gulu and Amuru.
Appeal and warning to health workers
The program manager of malaria control program in the ministry of health Dr. John Bosco Rwakimari said there is need to incorporate the Village Health Team (VHT) in the exercise. He said the ministry will set a disciplinary committee to monitor the spraying exercise and any spray operator who will contaminate the environment will be arrested and dismissed from the exercise.
1 response so far ↓
1 Joe Otim Dramiga // Oct 25, 2009 at 1:45 pm
The farmers in Apac are right. DDT is harmful
Researchers led by the University of Pretoria in South Africa studied 3,310 boys born to women from the Limpopo Province, where DDT spraying was carried out in high-risk areas between 1995 and 2003 to control malaria. The study compared boys born to women in the 109 villages that were sprayed, with those born to women from the 97 villages that were not.
Women who lived in villages sprayed with DDT to reduce malaria gave birth to 33 per cent more baby boys with urogenital birth defects (UGBD) between 2004 and 2006 than women in unsprayed villages, according to research published online by the UK-based urology journal BJUI.
And women who stayed at home in sprayed villages, rather than being a student or working, had 41 per cent more baby boys with UGBDs, such as missing testicles or problems with their urethra or penis.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2009)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023093221.htm
Journal reference:
Bornman et al. DDT and urogenital malformations in newborn boys in a malarial area. BJU International, 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2009.09003.x
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