Financial and economic aspects of environmental management for vector control

Short term economic benefits of resource development generally carry more weight in political decision-making than the adverse health effects such projects may have in the medium and long term. This problem is particularly acute in the case of water resource development projects which can often promote the prevalence and incidence of certain vector-borne diseases such as schistosomiasis and malaria. And while the agricultural sector is usually strengthened by production increase resulting from water resource development, the health sector may ultimately have to pick up the bill for disease control programmes which become necessary as a consequence. At its sixth meeting in Geneva, the WHO/FAO/UNEP Panel of Experts on Environmental Management for Vector Control (PEEM) discussed the financial and economic aspects of environmental management, and its cost effectiveness as a vector control measure. Their report is now available and in this article, Robert Bos and Anne Mills discuss some of the key findings.