| DDT Attracts Unwarranted Criticism |
| Author: Jasson Urbach | Date: 24 August 2010 |
Imagine a medicine that has saved tens of millions of lives consistently for decades. Imagine that it is still being used highly successfully – yet, many people wish to see it taken out of use because they fear it may cause harm. They base their fears on some research studies – studies which are weak, un-replicated, often contradictory and do not amount to any kind of solid scientific evidence of harm. Most rational people would conclude that such a life-saving medicine should be used as long as the evidence is that its benefits outweigh its costs. Such a scenario is playing out right now. Public perception and the media response is to condemn this 'medicine' and the reason they do so is because it is not actually a medicine – but an insecticide. Why, when the word ‘medicine’ is replaced with ‘insecticide’, is all rationality, fairness and balance is discarded and it becomes acceptable, even celebrated, to be biased, irrational and unreasonable – even when the very poorest members of society will pay dearly? Following closely in the footsteps of Carte Blanche, the investigative journalism show, Special Assignment, recently ran a story entitled “Collateral Damage”. The focus was, once again, on the insecticide used for malaria control, commonly known as DDT. Like the Carte Blanche exposé, the Special Assignment story was based on research conducted by Professor Riana Bornman and her colleagues from the University of Pretoria and published in the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI). The paper claims that ...
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How the EU's new pesticide regulations will harm the fight against malaria. Campaign for Fighting Diseases discussion paper no. 5.
Johan Biermann examines the threat to health-care delivery posed by South Africa's health legislation and offers suggestions for an alternative health-care dispensation in which all patients, rich and poor would receive high-quality private care.
Johan Biermann examines the threat to health-care delivery posed by South Africa's health legislation and offers suggestions for an alternative health-care dispensation in which all patients, rich and poor would receive high-quality medical care from a licensed
Canadian pharmacy.
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