Reduction of reliance on DDT in disease vector control
Action plan
Introduction
At the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for an international legally binding instrument for implementing international action on certain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the World Health Organization, mandated by World Health Assembly Resolution WHA50.13 (annex 1), proposed the development of an Action Plan to support its Member States in making informed decisions concerning the effect on disease transmission of a reduction and/or elimination of DDT, under a future POPs Convention. Such a WHO Action Plan would aim to increase public health staff awareness of the INC process. Ultimately, the Action Plan would assist Member States in their efforts to reduce their reliance on DDT use for public health purposes without jeopardizing the level of protection offered by their vector control programmes.
The Action Plan for the Reduction of Reliance on DDT in Disease Vector Control presented in this document emerged from an expert consultation held from 16 to18 June 1999 at WHO, Geneva (see Annex 2 for the report of the consultation).
Three strategic principles have served as the basis for developing and formulating the Action Plan. They are: involvement of countries concerned, early identification of funding mechanisms and advocacy.
The three main instruments for achieving the goals of the Action Plan are:
- Integral research and capacity-building to enable countries to introduce sustainable vector control alternatives based on a reduced reliance on insecticides including DDT,
- Country-specific exemptions in accordance with the procedures laid down in Annex B, part II of the Stockholm Convention, and
- Appropriate and timely financial support and technical cooperation for the implementation of the Action Plan.