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The Government of Mauritius has developed, with the assistance of the Global Environment Facility and UNDP, a National Implementation Plan (NIP) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
The NIP includes a situational analysis of the POPs issue in Mauritius. This situational analysis and the related initial POPs inventories provided the background from which national priorities and consequent NIP action plans were agreed.
The NIP further outlines a number of priority interventions. From these priority interventions, a number of themes emerge and it was agreed that the first capacity building efforts for the management of POPs in Mauritius will be concentrated around these themes.
Identified priorities for POPs themes are:
- POPs waste and contamination.
- Switch to non-POPs pesticides for malaria vector control.
- Medical waste management.
- Research into PCCD/Fs’ emissions from bagasse burning and monitoring and analysis capacities of POPs.
This project entitled ‘Sustainable Management of POPs in Mauritius’ is subdivided into two themes namely:
Theme 1: Removal of POPs from the environment of Mauritius
The objective of the assignment in theme 1 is to remove POPs from the environment of Mauritius in a sustainable way through disposal of obsolete POPs chemicals and decontamination of POPs-infested areas.
Theme 2: Develop Alternative and integrated Vector Control Strategies for Malaria
The objective of the assignment in theme 2 is to develop and demonstrate alternative strategies for malaria Vector management.
For assisting in the implementation of the second component of the project, develop alternative and integrated vector control strategies for malaria, a National Technical Expert (NTE) is recruited.
Mauritius has in the past experienced catastrophic malaria epidemics, but after the completion of the malaria eradication program the country was declared malaria-free in 1973. Despite this success, the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis remains abundantly present, and outbreaks due to imported malaria cases do occur occasionally.
To prevent reintroduction of malaria, the country has a thorough system for malaria case management in place. Moreover, a number of vector control methods are implemented which include the use of DDT. The large stocks of DDT, donated by WHO in the early 1980s, continue to be used for two purposes: (i) for routine residual spraying around the seaport and airport to prevent the introduction of infected mosquitoes, and (ii) for control of local vector populations in areas or villages where secondary malaria cases have been reported or in the event of a malaria outbreak. DDT is known for its long residual activity on organic surfaces, but is not necessarily superior to other available insecticides when applied to modern-style houses and painted or white-washed structures on which it is currently used.
During the 1950s, the Global Malaria Eradication campaign successfully reduced malaria with a combination of vector control and case surveillance. An. funestus was eradicated in the early 1950s. In 1973, the island was declared malaria-free. Today, Mauritius remains virtually free of malaria even though the vector An. arabiensis is still abundantly present and, as the current generation of Mauritians is consciously aware, the possibility of new epidemics can never be ruled out. Occasional localized outbreaks of malaria do occur, the most recent one being in 1982, but malaria has so far been prevented from re-establishing itself on the island.
Vector control is conducted by spraying for adult and larval mosquito stages and to some extent by environmental methods. Between 500 and 1200 kg DDT is used per year as a preventive measure at the seaport and airport by spraying whitewashed or painted concrete walls or ceilings routinely every 6 months to provide a barrier for any adult mosquitoes that manage to escape from cargoes or planes; permethrin is sprayed as aerosol inside all planes coming from countries with mosquito-borne diseases. Furthermore, DDT is sprayed in areas or villages, mostly in modern-type houses, where secondary malaria cases have been reported.
The health sector’s own ongoing vector control efforts are facing several challenges in keeping mosquito populations at a manageable level to reduce the risk of new malaria outbreaks. There are some problems with DDT use and these are as follows:
First, DDT cannot easily be used for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in peoples’ homes for several reasons: (i) because of the reported low acceptance of the stains left by DDT on walls, (ii) because DDT might not be the best insecticide for modern-type homes because the chemical does not stick well to plastered walls, and (iii) because the main local vector reportedly prefers to rest outdoors, not indoors, and is thus not an ideal target for indoor spraying. Hence, IRS and the use of DDT are more or less restricted to non-domicile structures, such as storage rooms and cattle sheds. Under those conditions it may be difficult to provide sufficient coverage of spray operations to cause mass killing of local vector populations in the event of a malaria epidemic.
Second, the quality of available stocks of DDT and the efficacy of its use on structures around the ports have been confirmed and rule out the possibility that DDT being routinely sprayed have the desired effect on mosquito populations. The stock of DDT was donated to the country in 1982 and 1983.
Third, essential alternative insecticides and other approaches in agriculture, fisheries sector, modified building design, all are being practiced, considered or researched/tested for the efficacy in Mauritius as methods to control the spread of vector diseases. These experiences need to be harnessed in an Integrated Vector Management (IVM) strategy.
Moreover, DDT is a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) pesticide. It is a chemical that that bio-accumulates and is carried through the environment to areas far away from where it is released. This chemical is toxic to humans and wildlife and persists in the environment for several decades.
Under the Stockholm Convention, to which Mauritius is a party, DDT is among one of the twelve man-made chemicals that is to be eliminated from production and use. Currently, the Stockholm Convention allows the use of DDT for disease vector control and in particular, to control the mosquito vector that carries the malaria disease. Mauritius has registered an exemption with the Stockholm Convention Secretariat for the continued use of DDT for a specific period.
Mauritius has a stock of 127 tons of DDT though it is used only for malaria vector control. Existing stock of DDT is used only by public health officials. As per the Stockholm Convention, an action plan has been developed for the reduction in reliance on DDT and on its eventual/possible replacement by safer alternatives. With the financial assistance of the Global Environmental facility (GEF), this project is being implemented.
In addition to this website, applicants can also consult and download the detailed Terms of Reference and payment schedule from the following website: http://un.intnet.mu/undp/html/mauritius/jobs.htm. The National Technical Expert will be expected to work in a team, with the International Technical Expert who will be separately recruited.
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