A history of malaria in the south eastern lowveld of Colonial Zimbabwe, 1890 to 1979

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Date
2016-07
Authors
Manamere, Kundai
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: This thesis is a historical examination of the relationship between malaria and colonialism in the south eastern lowveld of Southern Rhodesia, present day Zimbabwe, from 1890 to 1979. It contributes to scholarly debates on the nature of colonial science and argues for the retention of the term and its analogue, colonial medicine, as categories of analysis in the writing of the history of medicine and colonialism. By corroborating the political economy of health approach and an analysis of views of medical men and scientists involved in malaria work in Southern Rhodesia, the thesis demonstrates that malaria was a problem in the establishment of the settler colony and malaria intervention was targeted at enhancing white settlement and creating a 'healthy’ African labour force for the benefit of the colonial economy. Malaria control in the south east lowveld of Southern Rhodesia was closely linked to post Second World War government investment into commercial irrigated agriculture and sugar production. An examination of the views of medical men who implemented anti-malaria campaigns shows that they struggled to simultaneously serve the state, science and humanity. Although some medical men held differentiated views on the implementation of the campaigns, their agency was checked by political authority. Political and economic priorities prevailed over the scientific and the humane. The thesis further argues that the results derived from the entomological experiments carried out in the south east lowveld as part of the World Health Organisation pre-eradication campaign in South East Africa in the late 1950s entrenched the use of insecticides residual spraying as the primary method of malaria control especially in African areas surrounding the sugar estates. This led to a reduction in the use of other methods that had been previously employed and failure in interrupting malaria transmission. On the other hand, the use of a multi-pronged malaria control policy at the privately owned Triangle Sugar Estates led to the reduction of malaria to negligible cases. By the end of colonial rule the south east lowveld was characterised by a skewed spatial epidemiology of malaria.
Afrikaans: Hierdie tesis is 'n historiese ondersoek van die verhouding tussen malaria en kolonialisme in die suidoostelike laeveld van Suid-Rhodesië, hedendaagse Zimbabwe, vanaf 1890 tot 1979. Dit dra by tot akademiese debatte oor die aard van koloniale wetenskap en pleit vir die behoud van hierdie term en sy analoog, koloniale medisyne, as kategorieë van analise vir die skryf van die geskiedenis van medisyne en kolonialisme. Deur die gebruik van die politieke ekonomie van gesondheid benadering en 'n ontleding van die standpunte van medici en wetenskaplikes wat betrokke was by malaria werk in Suid-Rhodesië, wys die tesis dat malaria 'n uitdaging was in die stigting van die setlaar kolonie en malaria bekamping was gemik op die verbetering van blanke nedersetting en die skep van 'n ‘gesonde’ Afrikaan arbeidsmag tot die voordeel van die koloniale ekonomie. Malaria beheer in die suidoostelike laeveld van Suid-Rhodesië was nouliks verband aan die Tweede Wêreldoorlog regerings beleggings in kommersiële besproeide landbou en suiker produksie. 'n Ondersoek van die standpunte van medici wat anti-malaria veldtogte geïmplementeer het toon dat hulle gesukkel het om gelyktydig die staat, die wetenskap en menslikheid te dien. Alhoewel sommige medici uiteenlopende standpunte gehad het aangaande die implementering van die veldtogte, was hulle wil vir hierdie verandering bekamp deur politieke bestuur. Politieke en ekonomiese prioriteite het die oorhand gekry oor wetenskap en menslikheid. Die tesis beweer verder dat die resultate wat verkry is vanuit die entomologiese eksperimente wat uitgevoer was in die suidoostelike laeveld as deel van die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie se pre-uitwissingsveldtog in Suid-Oos-Afrika in die laat 1950's, die gebruik van residuele besproeiing van insekdoders as die primêre metode van malaria beheer gevestig het, veral in Afrika gebiede rondom die suiker landgoedere. Dit het gelei tot 'n afname in die gebruik van ander metodes wat voorheen gebruik was en die mislukking in die onderbreking van malaria verspreiding. Aan die ander kant het die gebruik van 'n meerdoelige malaria beheer beleid op die private Triangle suiker landgoedere gelei tot die vermindering van malaria in geringe gevalle. Teen die einde van koloniale heerskappy was die suidoostelike laeveld gekenmerk deur 'n ongebalanseerde ruimtelike epidemiologie van malaria.
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Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Centre for Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2016, Malaria control, Settlerism, Zimbabwe, Colonisation, Cross border movements, Colonial science, Colonial medicine, World Health Organisation, South East Africa
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