The average weight of a mosquito is 2.5 milligrams, this small
insect has dealt a big blow to the human race directly or indirectly with
Africa being the most severely hit. According to 2010 WHO statistics, 90% of 655,000
deaths in the world occur in Africa of which 34000 are Kenyans. A study carried by KEMRI indicated that
financial implication to a Kenyan household ranges between 9 – 20 dollars per
month during Malaria peak time with the poor who live below a dollar a day
making the bulky of the affected population.
The 2.5 Milligram insect is estimated to be costing Africa us $ 12 billion annually; this is slightly over one trillion Kenyan shillings. In other words, this is an equivalent of Kenya’s annual budget. This inset is a nuisance to the world economy as is when is enclosed in your sleeping net. If we were to have our way, we could exterminate the tiny insect from the face of the earth but the methodology available will lead to higher collateral damage environmentally and economically. In fact, it may as well eliminate or cause more boundless suffering to humanity. Insects play a critical role in for example e agriculture, plant insect pollination is far high than the 12 us dollar billions.
One of the successful methods employed to eliminate mosquitoes so far has been by spraying the mosquito habitat with DDT, an organochloride pesticide first synthesized in 1874 by Othmer Zeidler an Austrian doctoral student and whose properties as contact insecticide were discovered by Paul H. Muller 1939. DDT was successfully used to kill mosquitoes thus preventing malaria in the USA, scaling it down in India, North Africa and Arab countries. Today America is a malaria free state, the 1200 cases of malaria reported per year are caused by mosquitoes stowed by planes, and military infected military returning home from malaria prone countries or immigrants.
 |
| ANOPHELES MOSQUITO |
Lethality to insects led to increased
production to cater for Agricultural purposes and to date it is estimated that
a total of 1.8 million tones of DDT have been produced globally. It should be
noted that the characteristics which has made it so successful have in equal
measure made it controversial. DDT or
its metabolites persist in the environment and has spread from the poles to the
tropics DDT in all ecosystems through terrestrial and marine food webs. Most disturbing is its solubility in fat. Once
in a the food chain, it means it will only accumulate and higher concentration
will be on the top of food chains like human beings and other secondary and
tertiary consumers. In controlled
environments it tests have shown that it can induce cancerous tumors in rats
and by extension it can to humans. It is also associated with birth defects, genetic
and reproductive effects.
The effects led to a ban on use of DDT or its derivatives by USA in 1972 after research by Rachel Carson – marine biologists evidenced the role of DDT in the environment more especially to wildlife. Most endangered were birds of prey an example bald eagle in the USA its populations reduced to a point of endangered species, over time after the banning of DDT during the Stockholm conference in 1972 the bald eagle population started to increase to no endangered or threatened. The research is chronicled in the Silent Springs a book she authored in 1960.
The economic impact of Malaria may make countries like Kenya to rethink lifting of the ban on DDT by applying to UN secretariat and WHO on its intentions. However, the application is pegged on unavailability of alternatives to DDT and lack of mosquito resistance to the pesticide. Sadly, mosquitoes have developed resistance in areas where DDT was used for agricultural spray continued use may result to evolution of super insects. The conditions of lifting a DDT ban is are so high, this is compounded by the strict fresh market conditions in Asia and the west which will disallow Kenyan fresh produce accessing their markets dealing a blow to our agricultural depended economy.
It
then means that the mosquito will enjoy it freedom much longer and will keep holding
the world to a ransom. We have the ability to eliminate it but again it will be
like you are eliminating yourself. The
only option is to keep hiding and pillow fight it the tiny insect. It is a
mosquito world.
