Report of the 3rd WHOPES Working Group meeting. WHO/HQ, 23-24 September 1999

Overview

Dr Lorenzo Savioli, Co-ordinator of Strategy Development and Monitoring for Parasitic Diseases and Vector Control (PVC), Communicable Diseases Control, Prevention and Eradication (CPE) opened the meeting. He presented the new organizational chart of the Communicable Diseases and explained how different vector-borne disease control programmes, especially Roll Back Malaria, interact within the Communicable Diseases Cluster (COS). He also informed participants of the specific role and function of Vector Control Group, within CDS.

Dr Morteza Zaim, Scientist in charge of the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) recalled that the first and second meeting of the WHOPES Working Group, the scientific committee to assist WHOPES in the review of the reports of testing/evaluation of pesticides in the Scheme, were held in 1997 and 19981·2. He informed that the present meeting was convened to review the reports of the testing/evaluation of deltamethrin 1 0% suspension concentrate (SC) and 25% water dispersible tablet (WT) (AgrEvo, Germany), as well as etofenprox 10% emulsifiable concentrate (EC) and 10% emulsion, oil in water (EW) (Mitsui Chemicals, Japan), for impregnation of bednets for malaria vector control.

Dr Zaim emphasized that one of the mandates of WHOPES is to collect, consolidate and disseminate information on the use of pesticides for public health use.

The meeting was attended by 7 scientists (see list of participants, Annex 2). Mrs R. Njau was appointed as Chairperson and Dr J. Lines as Rapporteur. The meeting was convened in plenary sessions at WHO/HQ in Geneva, 23-24 September 1999, and the reports of the WHOPES supervised trials, relevant published literature, as well as the reports submitted by the national disease and vector control programmes (see bibliography, Annex 1) were fully discussed. Recommendations on the use of the above mentioned products were made.