After a rather long ban, it seems that one mosquito-killing soldier is making its way back to the frontlines. That particular product is DDT, a pesticide that hasn't been action in 30 years as a result of environmental and public health concerns.

The World Health Organization has decided to change their policy by supporting the use of DDT to control malaria. The disease is commonly carried by mosquitoes and causes at least a million deaths every year.

The current plan being supported intends to combat the spread of malaria by having sprayers visit endemic areas and use the pesticide spray on the interior walls of the house, effectively killing mosquitoes within homes. According to Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, WHO's assistant director-general for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, "indoor residual spraying is useful to quickly reduce the number of infections caused by malaria-carrying mosquitoes; it has proven to be just as cost effective as other malaria prevention measures, and DDT presents no health risk when used properly."

Now, we can say that of just about any drug, but the risks on both sides are great. DDT is perhaps one of the most effective substances for the job, but could also be very harmful to animals and people, depending on who you ask. Careful and prudent use of the pesticide will definitely improve the chances of endemic areas, though finding the proper funding for it will take a good amount of persuasion for renewed support for DDT.