'God Bless General Parón': DDT and the endgame of malaria eradication in Argentina in the 1940s

ABSTRACT

This article explores the politics of malaria eradication in Argentina during the first government of Juan D. Perón. The article developments the theme of historical convergence to understand the rapid mobilization and success of the climatic battle against malaria in Northwest Argentina. The nealy complete eradication of malaria in Argentina resulted from a combination of three factors. First, Carlos Alvarado, the director of Argentina's Malaria Service, had alredy developed a solid but flexible organizational base that allowed a dramatic change in control strategy. Second, an infusion of new technologies, especially DDT but also motor vehicles, was instrumental. Lastly, a radical reorintation of national public health policy in the 1940s, under the direction of Perón and his health minister, Ramón Carrillo, encouraged eradication. These figures embraced and refashioned long-standing organicist ideologies that hitched the strength of the nation-state to the health and vigor of its ordinary citizens. This ideological orientation was reflected in bold, populist political strategies that showcased swift, massive, and expensive public health campaigns, including malaria eradication. In the conclusion, the article explores the ambiguous connections between malaria eradication and an ecological perspective on the disease. [AU]