Eradicate Malaria by Spraying Eradicate Malaria by Spraying

Contributor(s): Indian Malaria Eradication Programme The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection Publication: Indian Malaria Eradication Programme, [ca. 1960] Language(s): English Format: Still image Subject(s): Malaria Public Health Genre(s): Archival Materials Posters Slides (photographs) Abstract: From the 1950s to the 1980s, malaria eradication campaigns dominated the international health agenda. Particularly active programs in Latin America, South Asia, and Africa consumed a substantial proportion of national health expenditures as well as major inputs from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Optimists argued that given enough insecticide, medicine, and money, the disease-causing mosquito could be eliminated from the planet. It gradually became apparent that the strength of the parasite to survive and continue causing disease in human hosts had been grossly underestimated and the program ultimately failed. Lack of community involvement in campaigns, cultural and organizational inflexibility, and inadequate research support were all contributing factors in the program's demise. This poster from India reflects the overconfidence in eradication. The embellished image of a man spraying insecticide on a larger-than-life mosquito suggests that wiping out the insects, by using insecticides such as DDT, would lead to the elimination of the disease. It did not.. NOTE: Slide of original poster image is slightly blurry. Copyright: This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use. Extent: 1 pages NLM Unique ID: 101584655X35 (See in Profiles in Science) Profiles in Science ID: VCBBCS Permanent Link: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584655X35 Archival Collection: Visual Culture and Health Posters (Profiles in Science)