According to UN statistics cited in Michael Crichton's book "State of Fear," prior to the ban on DDT, malaria was largely considered a manageable disease, resulting in about fifty thousand fatalities annually. This situation reflected the effectiveness of DDT in controlling the malaria-carrying mosquito populations, leading to significant reductions in disease prevalence.

However, after the ban on DDT, malaria resurged dramatically, transforming into a severe global health crisis once again. The statistics are staggering, indicating that since the ban, approximately fifty million people have died from malaria, underscoring the dire consequences of discontinuing a successful tool in combating this illness.