Did the EU threaten Uganda?

By Alex Singleton | 23 November 2005

One of the misconceptions that has been growing is that the EU is forcing developing countries to go without DDT for fighting malaria. It is being claimed that the EU threatened Uganda with sanctions for using DDT against malaria.

Sounds outrageous. But it is just an urban myth. The EU did no such thing. What it did say is that:

If Uganda is to use DDT for malaria control, it is advisable to do so under strictly controlled circumstances. The country would also have to set up a parallel system to monitor foodstuffs for the presence of DDT. This would ensure that any contamination of foodstuffs is detected and corrective measures taken.