Government has welcomed the World Health Organisation's (WHO) endorsement of the use of Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) insecticide by South Africa to control malaria.

DDT is sprayed in small quantities on houses, inside walls and under eaves to kill the female Anopheles mosquito that transmits malaria. The chemical has been used in South Africa since 1946, despite strong lobbying in some quarters against this decision.

The country is one of the few that have continued to use DDT in least three of the nine provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

According to the WHO, programmatic evidence showed that correct and timely use of indoor residual spraying could reduce malaria transmission by up to 90 percent.

"South Africa has again re-introduced DDT for indoor residual spraying to keep malaria cases and fatality numbers at all-time low levels and move towards malaria elimination," the WHO said on Monday.

According to the Health Ministry, malaria cases have been reduced from 64 868 in the year 2000 to 7754 in 2005.

"The incidence of malaria has decreased from 15 per 10 000 population in 2000 to 2 per 10 000 in 2005 in malaria affected areas," said spokesperson Sibani Mngadi.

In addition, indoor residual spraying has also been the main element of the cross-border malaria control collaboration involving South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.

Mr Mngadi said the three countries had worked together through the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative, leading to a dramatic decrease in malaria cases in the Lubombo region.

He said South Africa had been playing a leading role internationally, in advocating for the use of DDT as a critical element to eliminate malaria particularly in the African continent, which carries more than 80 percent of the world's malaria cases.

"The Ministry of Health expresses its appreciation for the new position adopted by the WHO on this matter," Mr Mngadi said.