A malária encenada no grande teatro social

Abstract

This paper deals with the conflicts that permeated the history of malaria from the 17th century on. It shows that in many instances - due to the enormous importance of malaria as a major enemy of mankind - problems purely of medical nature extrapolated the frontiers of medicine and involved large social segments As a consequence, medical differences of opinion were transferred to the public in a distorted and amplified fashion. This generated passionate and partisan disputes of religious, political, social and even racial nature. Thus, throughout the history of malaria, we assist to a self-serving manipulation of facts by antagonistic groups interested in the preservation of their beliefs and dogmas rather than in the solving of the real medical problems posed by malaria.