Global Alliance for Alternatives to DDT

Promoting a global partnership on the development and deployment of alternative products, methods and strategies to DDT for disease vector control

Birth of the Global Alliance

 

The Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention (COP) allows the use of DDT for public health interventions for disease vector control as recommended by and under the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) due to unavailability of locally appropriate and cost-effective alternatives.

Currently, there are organizations and international collaborations working to develop and deploy alternatives to DDT. These initiatives are being implemented by entities that cut across the spectrum of society and that are driven by the need to reduce the malaria burden. However there is no global coordination of these initiatives and gaps remain. At its fourth meeting, held in May 2009, the COP endorsed the establishment of a Global Alliance for the development and deployment of products, methods and strategies as alternatives to DDT for disease vector control and requested the Secretariat to lead its implementation (decision SC-4/2) .

The Global Alliance will cover four goals and nine challenges, identified from consultations with disease, vector control and environmental experts, endemic country representatives, private sector stakeholders, donor countries and agencies.

The Global Alliance will be governed by an Alliance Assembly and a Steering Committee and will implement its strategy through thematic groups while being supported by a small Coordinating Team. The Steering Committee will provide strategic direction and set priorities for the Global Alliance while the Thematic Groups will address a specific goal or challenge towards achieving the long-term objectives of the Alliance.  

Workplan

Download the 2012-2015 Workplan and Budget

Transfer of the leadership of the Global Alliance

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (decision SC 5/6) decided to transfer the leadership the Global Alliance on alternatives to DDT to one or more United Nations agencies whose mandate is better suited to the implementation of a major project such as the Global Alliance. It also invited the United Nation Environment Programme to take over the administration and implementation of the Global Alliance and collaborate with the World Health Organization and requested the Secretariat to facilitate a transition. Accordingly, the leadership of the Global Alliance for alternatives to DDT is now transferred to UNEP Chemicals. For additional information please contact jacqueline.alvarez@unep.org

First meeting of the Steering Committee

The first meeting of the Steering Committee under the new leadership was held on 27-28 August 2012, in Nairobi, Kenya. 
Meeting documents

Value added to existing efforts

The Global Alliance adds unique value to existing efforts by harnessing the strength of collective action to enhance the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT and to focus on objectives that could not be achieved without the involvement of diverse stakeholders. Through the support of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention, the Global Alliance will be able to directly access Parties, and promote the understanding and the reduction of constraints that might hinder the deployment of alternatives to DDT.

Overall, the value added by the Global Alliance to existing initiatives will be the following:

  • Establishing a clear platform and a joint leadership to address the challenges around the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT and to leverage the benefits of scale (e.g. in planning, dissemination of best practices or awareness raising);
  • Enhancing clarity on the current understanding and agreement on goals and issues while creating momentum in addressing the challenges;
  • Improving coordination between individual initiatives aimed at developing and deploying alternatives to DDT and addressing the interactions between goals;
  • Addressing gaps identified in existing initiatives in a proactive manner while limiting the potential for duplication.
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First Global Alliance Assembly

First Assembly of the Global Alliance for alternatives to DDT
Geneva, Switzerland
on 26 April 2011

The First Assembly of the Global Alliance for the Development and Deployment of Products, Methods and Strategies as Alternatives to DDT for Disease Vector Control was successfully concluded on the evening of Tuesday 26 April 2011 at the Geneva International Conference Centre, Geneva, during the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention. The First Assembly marked a major milestone on the roadmap towards reducing reliance on DDT for disease vector control and the maturity of the Global Alliance to undertake its mission. The global community and donor agencies are invited to extend financial and/or other support for the implementation of the activities planned.

More

All stakeholders including organizations and individuals engaged within the scope of developing and deploying alternatives to DDT for disease vector control are invited to take part. This includes members of organizations whose purpose and mandate lie in the core of the Global Alliance’s objectives and who wish to generate synergies on specific issues. Professional experts who are committed to the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT may join as Individual members. 

All Members will benefit from expertise, networking, materials, reports, and other resources, provided by the Global Alliance. Potential members need to agree on goals and challenges to be addressed to develop and deploy alternatives to DDT and the required steps to resolve them. Members of organizations and individual experts are invited to submit the “Members’ Declaration” reflecting the shared objectives and commitments to become a member of the Global Alliance towards achieving the goals.

Members of the Global Alliance

List of members of the Global Alliance including those who participate in its committees and core-teams:

Members of the Global Alliance

The Global Alliance Assembly will comprise all Members of the Global Alliance. As the supreme governing body, its role will be to endorse the composition of the Steering Committee, to approve the strategy proposed by the Steering Committee and progress reports submitted by the Thematic Groups, and to approve the annual budget and the annual financial report.

The mission of the Global Alliance is to support the development and deployment of alternative products, methods and strategies to DDT for disease vector control. It will do so by providing an inclusive global platform for cross-sector dialogue, by supporting existing initiatives and by catalyzing new initiatives or partnerships to stimulate concrete action and to replicate and scale up best practices.

The Global Alliance will work in coordination with the broader malaria control agenda to support the reduction and control of malaria transmission.

Based on the analysis of challenges and on consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, four broad objectives have been identified for the Global Alliance to pursue over its lifetime:

  • Bring together key organizations and stakeholders involved in developing and deploying alternatives to DDT for disease vector control to enhance their collaboration and effectiveness for achieving agreed goals;

  • Facilitate the identification of gaps in existing programmes and catalyze the launch and implementation of pertinent complementary action oriented initiatives;

  • Raise awareness of all stakeholders involved in disease vector control and facilitate their access to peer-reviewed information regarding the status of development and deployment of alternatives to DDT;

  • Monitor the progress towards the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT and share results and recommendations with the community of stakeholders involved in disease vector control.

The Steering Committee will be the decision making body between the meetings of the Alliance Assembly. Its role will include the following:

  • Provide strategic direction and priority setting for the Global Alliance; prepare a strategy and submit it to the Alliance Assembly for approval; approve an annual work plan, monitor and review its implementation;
  • Endorse the establishment and mandates of Thematic Groups and review their periodic progress reports;
  • Identify gaps and issues in the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT based on inputs from Members;
  • Provide oversight and guidance for the Coordinating Team;
  • Secure funding for the Global Alliance operating budget;
  • Review the annual Financial report and submit it to the Alliance Assembly for approval;
  • Review new membership applications to the Global Alliance and admit new members; terminate memberships.

 Members of the Steering Committee

The Steering Committee will be made up of 15 members, with two representatives from Stockholm Convention Party countries in each region (10 members) with due consideration to malaria endemic countries and a representative from each of the other group of Stakeholders including academic and research institutions, multilaterals, civil society/non-governmental organizations, donor countries/ foundations and private sector.

In addition to the 15 members, the Coordinator will be an ex-officio member of the Steering Committee. Each group will determine a process for selecting its representation. The Coordinator will facilitate the nominations and submit a proposal for the composition of the Steering Committee to the Alliance Assembly for approval.

The Steering Committee will have a term of two years and be chaired by a chairperson elected from amongst the Steering Committee members.

Meetings

The Steering Committee will meet at least once a year. Discussions will be open to the participation of organizational and individual Members as observers, without voting status.

Challenges associated with developing and deploying alternatives to DDT for disease vector control

Goal 1:
Strengthen the base of knowledge available to inform policy formulation and decision making

  • Challenge 1:  Understand and establish the full cost-effectiveness of alternatives compared to DDT (including direct alternatives to IRS interventions as well as other vector control interventions such as ITNs or environmental management)

  • Challenge 2:  Monitor vector resistance patterns across regions and understand vector resistance mechanisms

Goal 2:
Overcome the complexity and cost of deploying alternatives to DDT

  • Challenge 3:  Cover the potential additional cost of using alternatives rather than DDT for disease vector control

  • Challenge 4:  Support in-country decisions regarding the choice of alternatives for disease vector control through the development and implementation of specific tools, guidelines and strategies

  • Challenge 5:  Develop in-country capacity to implement Integrated Vector Management programmes and support cross-sector coordination in deploying alternatives to DDT

Goal 3:
Make available new alternative vector control chemicals

  • Challenge 6:  Bring to market new formulations of existing pesticide classes equally effective as DDT in vector control

  • Challenge 7: Address the issue of barriers to discovery and commercialization and bring to market new active ingredient classes to counter vector resistance in the long term

Goal 4:
Develop non-chemical products and approaches for vector control

  • Challenge 8:  Demonstrate the impact of environmental management across differing locations (e.g. impact on malaria burden, cost effectiveness, scalability) and set the agenda for further research

  • Challenge 9:  Address the issue of barriers to discovery and development of non-chemical alternatives to DDT and set the agenda for further research