Mosquito!.

Malaria is extending into new areas of the world and global warming may encourage the spread of the malarial mosquito to Europe and non-malarial areas of the U.S.A. The programme begins its review of the problem with film of the life cycle of the anopheles mosquito and a summary of the history of malaria research, treatment and prevention. DDT, first used in the Second World War, eradicated malaria from Europe, North America and Russia and reduced its incidence in India and South America. But the mosquito became resistant to DDT and in some areas it returned in greater force than before. No drug or insecticide was effective. In 1969 the World Health Organisation admitted defeat of its worldwide malaria eradication project. China, however, appeared to be successful in its search for an effective anti-malaria drug. Chinese scientists, studying traditional remedies, found that a derivative of the artemisia plant was effective in treating malaria. Western scientists were denied samples but artemisia was found growing in the U.S.A. Investigation bore out the claim of Chinese scientists that the plant has a unique molecular structure, giving rise to the hope that the parasite will be unable to develop resistance to it. Now, China is co-operating with western scientists in research into an anti-malarial based on artemisia.