President's Malaria Initiative
Fact Sheet on Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS)
• The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) uses a comprehensive and sustainable approach to saving lives. One of the most important approaches is indoor spraying with insecticides to kill mosquitoes.
• Other methods include purchase and distribution of medicines for treatment; distribution of medicines for prevention of malaria in pregnancy; and distribution of insecticide-treated bednets both to prevent insect bites and to kill mosquitoes.
• Indoor Residual Spraying, also known as IRS, is the application of small amounts of insecticide to the interior walls and ceilings of a home or structure to interrupt the spread of malaria by killing the mosquitoes that can carry the parasite. It is a highly effective, proven malaria prevention strategy that saves lives.
• The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently announced a $150 million Indoor Residual Spraying Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC). Through the new IRS contract, USAID will provide commodities and financial support to the Ministries of Health and National Malaria Control Programs in about 10 to 15 African countries with a high burden of malaria.
• There are 12 insecticides approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for IRS. These insecticides are completely safe when used properly and are recommended by the WHO for reducing or interrupting malaria transmission. DDT is but one of the WHO-approved insecticides for IRS. Its use for IRS to prevent malaria is an allowable exception under the Stockholm Convention - a.k.a. the Persistent Organic Pollutants Treaty or POPs Treaty - when used in accordance with WHO guidelines and when safe, effective, and affordable alternatives are not available. The Stockholm Convention aims to eventually end the use of all POPs, including DDT.
• The determination of which of the WHO-approved insecticides to use for USAID's IRS programs is made in coordination with the host country malaria control program, with the primary objective of preventing as many malaria infections and deaths as possible in the most efficient, cost-effective and sustainable way, and in accordance with the national policies and capacities.
• USAID adheres to strict environmental guidelines, approval processes, and procedures for the use of all WHO-approved insecticides in its malaria control programs, including DDT. We work with WHO and national partners to build country-level capacity to ensure the safe and judicious use of all insecticides, including DDT, used in malaria control programs. And USAID works to strengthen planning and management systems, training, supervision, information management, evaluation and monitoring of IRS programs.
• The use of the insecticide DDT for IRS is very different from the massive agricultural applications that led to the ban of DDT in the United States and other countries, both in terms of the amounts of insecticide used and the potential risks to the environment. If used correctly for this purpose, it poses no known risk to human health. Malaria, on the other hand, is a known risk, killing over 1 million people each year, the vast majority of which are African children.
• DDT is more effective and less expensive than many other insecticides in many situations. As a consequence, it is a very "competitive" choice for IRS programs. With recent examples of successful applications, particularly in southern Africa, interest in IRS-and with DDT specifically-has increased in the WHO and among national control programs, donors and other partners.
• In fiscal year 2006, USAID supported over $20 million in IRS programs in Africa, including the direct purchase of insecticides in the PMI and in other bilateral programs. This is up from $1 million the year before.
USAID and the PMI have conducted large-scale spraying activities in the first three PMI focus countries-Angola, Tanzania, and Uganda-protecting over 2 million people.
