Malaria: Poverty, Race, and Public Health in the United States

by Margaret Humphreys

This is the story of a war against a disease that we can never win but must continue to fight. In Poverty, Race, and Public Health in the United States , Margaret Humphreys presents the first book-length account of the parasitic, insect-borne disease that has infected millions and influenced settlement patterns, economic development, and the quality of life at every level of American society, especially in the south. Humphreys approaches malaria from three the parasite's biological history, the medical response to it, and the patient's experience of the disease. It addresses numerous questions including how the parasite thrives and eventually becomes vulnerable, how professionals came to know about the parasite and learned how to fight them, and how people view the disease and came to the point where they could understand and support the struggle against it. In addition Poverty, Race, and Public Health in the United States argues that malaria control was central to the evolution of local and federal intervention in public health, and demonstrates the complex interaction between poverty, race, and geography in determining the fate of malaria.

Genres: History, Science

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2001

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive at times but full of good information on malaria in the South.

[Doreen EVHS Ngo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I used for my research project for a school assignment. Of course this informative piece is used for the purpose, for informative reasons. Nonetheless it was filled with enough information for my essay and if I can find a novel that has most of the information I need for a perfect essay, well, it's a five stars for me!

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book discussing the intersection between race, socioeconomic status, and public health in the earlier part of the twentieth century.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Global Crisis of Malaria seminar
Of particular interest were the ramifications for southern culture