Cold War, Deadly Fevers - Malaria Eradication in Mexico, 1955-1975 Malaria Eradication in Mexico, 1955–1975

Following the story through the dwindling campaign in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cueto raises questions relevant to today's international health campaigns against malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis.

In the mid-1950s, with planning and funding from the United States, Mexico embarked on an ambitious campaign to eradicate malaria, which was widespread and persistent. Marcos Cueto describes the international basis of the program, its national organization in Mexico, its local implementation by health practitioners and workers, and its reception among the population. Following the story through the dwindling campaign in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cueto raises questions relevant to today’s international health campaigns against malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis.

"Cueto, a distinguished and highly respected historian of medicine and public health, frames his concise, yet detailed, history of malaria eradication programmes in Mexico within a larger argument about the overall goals of, and approaches to, public health in the developing world, both past and present."—Global Public Health

"An excellent case study of the mid-twentieth-century multilateral campaign in Mexico to eradicate malaria. It skillfully places the Mexican effort in the context of international political history and health policy. It is essential reading for public health professionals and anyone interested in Mexican history, the history of medicine, or U.S. foreign policy."—Bulletin of the History of Medicine

"A well-crafted and complex study that offers important lessons on the history of international health and foreign aid. One of the greatest strengths of this impressive work, however, is Cueto's insight into the motivations and attitudes of the people who created the program, those who implemented it, and those who were deemed its beneficiaries."—Hispanic American Historical Review

"Anyone with an interest in international development, especially in Latin America, and a belief that history holds important lessons for building sustainable efforts in international development, should read it. Cueto excels in analyzing historical processes at multiple scales, from the global, to the national, to the local."—Geographical Review

In the mid-1950s, with planning and funding from the United States, Mexico embarked on an ambitious campaign to eradicate malaria, which was widespread and persistent. This new history explores the politics of that campaign. Marcos Cueto describes the international basis of the program, its national organization in Mexico, its local implementation by health practitioners and workers, and its reception among the population. Drawing on archives in the United States, Mexico, and Switzerland, he highlights the militant Cold War rhetoric of the founders and analyzes the mixed motives of participants at all levels. Following the story through the dwindling campaign in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cueto raises questions relevant to today's international health campaigns against malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis.