WHO: Bring on the DDT

It's about time some sense is coming to the Africa/malaria situation:

The World Health Organization reversed a 30-year-old policy yesterday and declared its support for indoor use of the pesticide DDT to control mosquitoes in regions where malaria is a major health problem.

The Geneva-based WHO, which provides advice to many developing countries, believes the benefits of the long-acting pesticide far outweigh any health or environmental risk it may pose.

"Indoor residual spraying with DDT and other insecticides will again play a major role in [WHO's] efforts to fight the disease." Arata Kochi, director of the organization's malaria department, said at a news conference in Washington. "WHO will use every possible and safe method to control malaria."

I actually woudln't mind seeing them expand the use to outdoor application as well, but indoor use alone will make a huge difference in controlling malaria, a killer of a million people a year.