tomhole
Loveland, OH
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Heard on the news today that malaria kills over one million folks in the world, mostly kids in sub Saharan Africa. Did some lookin' and it seems that malaria has been eliminated in most other parts of the world with DDT. Apparently, DDT has been banned. So, nigh on a million kids in Africa get to look forward to dieing each year because the environmental folks think that's better than using that awfull DDT (which apparently you can drink and not die). And Bill Gates has donated $200 million to find a cure.
If I had $200 million to spare, I'd buy them some DDT and let them all live.
Tom
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Stressor
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
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Malaria is treatable, (I've had it twice), and preventable without DDT. Explain your logic?
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tomhole
Loveland, OH
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Apparently it isn't in Africa. Bill Gates is spending $200M to find a cure. If it's treatable, wouldn't they just treat it in Africa instead of letting a million kids die?
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Stressor
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
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Now you are getting into the area where learning something about logistics and medicine and prevention and epidemiology would broaden your information base. If you really want to know more about the problem, just Google epidemiology and malaria and Africa in the same search. Pretty soon, you will be able to see the actual problem for what it is.
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CatandJim
Tulsa, as in Oklahoma
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There is no logic to the above, if true, as far as I can tell. I am prescribed an anti malarial/auto immune suppressant drug for the treatment/maintenance of my Lupus. It is also prescribed in an effort to lessen the affects of arthritis.
Just so you know, here is the information on it's treatment of Malaria:
PLAQUENIL®
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE SULFATE
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
MALARIA
One tablet of 200 mg of hydroxychloroquine sulfate is equivalent to 155 mg base.
Malaria: Suppression- In adults, 400 mg (=310 mg base) on exactly the same day of each week. In infants and children, the weekly suppressive dosage is 5 mg, calculated as base, per kg of body weight, but should not exceed the adult dose regardless of weight.
If circumstances permit, suppressive therapy should begin two weeks prior to exposure. However, failing this, in adults an initial double (loading) dose of 800 mg (=620 mg base), or in children 10 mg base/kg may be taken in two divided doses, six hours apart. The suppressive therapy should be continued for eight weeks after leaving the endemic area.
Treatment of the acute attack- In adults, an initial dose of 800 mg (= 620 mg base) followed by 400 mg (=310 mg base) in six to eight hours and 400 mg (=310 mg base) on each of two consecutive days (total 2 g hydroxychloroquine sulfate or 1.55 g base). An alternative method, employing a single dose of 800 mg (=620 mg base), has also proved effective.
The dosage for adults may also be calculated on the basis of body weight; this method is preferred for infants and children. A total dose representing 25 mg of base per kg of body weight is administered in three days, as follows:
First dose: 10 mg base per kg (but not exceeding a single dose of 620 mg base).
Second dose: 5 mg base per kg (but not exceeding a single dose of 310 mg base) 6 hours after first dose.
Third dose: 5 mg base per kg 18 hours after second dose.
Fourth dose: 5 mg base per kg 24 hours after third dose.
For radical cure of vivax and malariae malaria concomitant therapy with an 8-aminoquinoline compound is necessary.
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As you can see it is one way to prevent or treat Malaria, I'm pretty sure there are more drugs available.
Now, what was the question again? 
Cat
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Doug4.7
Hartselle, AL, USA
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CatandJim wrote:Just so you know, here is the information on it's treatment of Malaria:
...
As you can see it is one way to prevent or treat Malaria, I'm pretty sure there are more drugs available. Remember how rich most folks in Africa are. The drugs you take likely cost more than most Africans earn.
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Dutch_12078
Great Sacandaga Lake, NY
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In addition to Stressor's excellent advice, as background, DDT was not banned for disease vector control, only agricultural use. It has however, been replaced by newer, less persistent alternative chemicals for most uses. India and North Korea still use DDT on crops.
Dutch
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CatandJim
Tulsa, as in Oklahoma
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Doug4.7 wrote:CatandJim wrote:Just so you know, here is the information on it's treatment of Malaria:
...
As you can see it is one way to prevent or treat Malaria, I'm pretty sure there are more drugs available. Remember how rich most folks in Africa are. The drugs you take likely cost more than most Africans earn.
For the money the OP said Bill Gates is donating I am sure they could provide many, many people with enough Plaquenil (the generic name for it) to help protect them from Malaria. Of course I don't know "the rest of the story" and was just offering up my experience with an anti malarial compound.
DDT as a preventive measure may work better and be cheaper......
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Stressor
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
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DDT is still used in South Africa, and other parts of the continent, and WHO would like to see more of it, but since it slows mental development and growth when it is found in breast milk, its ongoing use is causing issues related to that. They can't handle the consequences that the DDT causes either.
It is all about dollar bills and logistics, and there are a lot of effective, but more expensive, pesticides available as well.
Makes us grateful to live where malaria is not.
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CatandJim
Tulsa, as in Oklahoma
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Stressor wrote:..................
Makes us grateful to live where malaria is not.
Absolutely!
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