Epidemics: The Story of South Africa's Five Most Lethal Human Diseases

by Howard Phillips

This is the first history of epidemics in South Africa, lethal episodes that significantly shaped this society over three centuries. Focusing on five devastating diseases between 1713 and today—smallpox, bubonic plague, “Spanish influenza,” polio, and HIV/AIDS—the book probes their origins, their catastrophic courses, and their consequences in both the short and long terms. The impacts of these epidemics ranged from the demographic—the “Spanish flu,” for instance, claimed the lives of 6 percent of the country’s population in six weeks—to the political, the social, the economic, the spiritual, the psychological, and the cultural. Moreover, as each of these epidemics occurred at crucial moments in the country’s history—such as during the South African War and World War I—the book also examines how these processes affected and were affected by the five epidemics. To those who read this book, history will not look the same again.

Genres: Africa

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2012

Reviews

[Edina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being taught by Prof Howard Philips during my Public Health training and to say he is a brilliant historian is probably an understatement. To understand the evolution of the South African public health system is to be cognizant of its political history and the epidemics that have shaped its society over time. It's a wonder what "colorful" layers the COVID-19 pandemic will be adding to this complex system. A worthwhile read for public health practitioners and researchers, and any who are interested in South African history in general.