In the world history of medicine and public health, East Asian countries including Japan, Taiwan, China, and South Korea show us very successful cases of how to control malaria, schistosomiasis, and filariasis. Disease control was not only a scientific issue but also reveals the social history of medicine. In this session, five speakers will examine the history of disease control and the historical backgrounds in the context of post-WW2 history.
Bay Alexander will discuss the case of schistosomiasis in post-WW2 Japan. He will argue the role of both the environment and culture in disease causation. These are also equally important roles to stress in disease prevention.
In-Sok Yeo will discuss the case of malaria in South Korea after the WW2. He will examine the joint project of the government of Korea and the UN/WHO Western Pacific Regional Office launched.
Wataru Iijima will discuss the medical aids to Taiwan and Korea after WW2 based on the colonial connections in tropical medical networks especially malaria experts in Taiwan and filariasis specialists in Korea. He also examines the Japan-US medical cooperation program.
Shi-yung Liu will examine the intertwined connection between American Cold War policy to Asia and the peculiar foundation of building WHO-WPRO in the region. The study will explore the function of public health and medical aids to consolidate American allies along with case-studies to illuminate how American medical models replaced/merged former British/Japanese colonial medicine in the region.
Kohei Wakimura will compare the anti-malaria campaign after the WW2 between Southeast Asia and Africa. He will examine not only bio-medical and environmental factors but also socio-political factors, also discuss the politic of medicine and public health.
Based on the five papers, we will make a further discussion on the medical knowledge, technology, research networks of tropical medicine and the political history of East Asia and Southeast Asia after WW2.