Historical perspectives on malaria: the Rockefeller antimalaria strategy in the 20th century.

Malaria, a serious disease for all of human history, was not effectively handled until methods for control of its insect vector, the Anopheles mosquito, were developed at the beginning of the 20th century. The Rockefeller Foundation's antimalaria program spread vector-control strategies throughout the world, and its adoption of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane during World War II created an especially powerful and effective malaria control strategy. However, insect resistance to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and restrictions on dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane use due to its long-term environmental effects are factors in the persistence of malaria as a serious health problem. Mt Sinai J Med 76:468-473, 2009. (c) 2009 Mount Sinai School of Medicine.