Thanks for some informative comments. Clearly, I should have said the WHO rather than the WTO. I apologize for this carelessness that is especially disturbing to me since I often write about the WTO.
I also regret that I probably exaggerated how many lives could have been saved over the years by extensive use of DDT spraying in houses. However, I am not guilty of saying that DDT spraying alone would do the job, for I did say that mosquito nets and drugs are also useful. A combination is the best approach, but these other methods are just not a good enough substitute for DDT spraying. So I do stand behind a claim that opposition to DDT spraying by many organizations caused a very large number of needless deaths from malaria.
Does the recent WHO statements supporting the use of DDT in homes reflect a change in attitudes toward DDT home use by this organization? One strong critic of my discussion points out several errors in what I said, and I am indebted to him for these corrections. However, he is inconsistent on this issue of whether the WHO has "changed" its position. On the one hand, he says that "The WHO…has always supported its use" (that is, DDT spraying), but then quotes with approval a statement by another critic of DDT spraying that "The World Health Organization's new (!) stance on DDT" (my parenthesis). "New" or not new, that is the question? I was wrong to say that the WHO had banned the use of DDT in homes until recently. However, it is accurate to say I believe that the WHO had not strongly endorsed its use until a few weeks ago, and that many donor agencies were for this reason reluctant to finance purchases of DDT for household spraying.
One commenter challenged me (and his challenge was very well answered by another commenter) as to whether DDT house spraying does pass a relevant benefit-cost criterion. Accepting his assumptions, DDT spraying would cost $12 per year per person. That amount seems to be a highly worthwhile expenditure if we relate it to estimates of the value of saving the lives of young persons even in very poor countries. Of course, a full analysis would require knowing the money value placed on their utility by people in poor countries (my paper with Rodrigo Soares and Tomas Philipson in the March 2005 issue of the American Economic Review on declines in mortality in poor countries tries to measure utility value of improved life expectancy, not improvements in GDP alone), the probabilities that such spraying would save lives or significantly improve the quality of lives, the productivity of alternative uses of these funds, such as to find an effective vaccine, and so forth. I, have not, nor has any one else to my knowledge, made these calculations, but if spraying only costs $12 per year, and it is effective in significantly cutting deaths from malaria (some commenters dispute that), to me that seems like a great use of private or public funds.
I want to say - thank you for this!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/18/2009 at 07:50 AM
I want to say - thank you for this!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/18/2009 at 08:32 AM
Perfect site, i like it!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/18/2009 at 03:41 PM
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/18/2009 at 05:40 PM
4.txt;8;9
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/18/2009 at 07:19 PM
Just love tiffany and ugg boots,thanks!!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/19/2009 at 02:53 AM
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/19/2009 at 06:05 AM
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/19/2009 at 07:42 AM
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/19/2009 at 10:21 AM
Great. Now i can say thank you!
Posted by: Anonymous | 09/19/2009 at 11:46 PM
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 05:25 PM
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 05:26 PM
Great site. Keep doing.
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 07:12 PM
Great site. Keep doing.
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 07:13 PM
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 09:00 PM
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 09:00 PM
Great site. Good info.
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 10:45 PM
Great site. Good info.
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/08/2009 at 10:47 PM
Beautiful site!
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/09/2009 at 12:30 AM
Beautiful site!
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/09/2009 at 12:31 AM
comment6
Posted by: Anonymous | 12/30/2009 at 05:37 PM
That was my thought,too.
Posted by: mbt online | 07/18/2011 at 03:53 AM
intake decrease type weight hyper including gains product main muscle large action physique female attempt 2008 rest america title contest.
Posted by: Steroid Sale | 04/27/2012 at 04:36 PM