Korle and the mosquito: histories and memories of the anti-malaria campaign in Accra, 1942-5

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Periodical article

Title:	Korle and the mosquito: histories and memories of the anti-malaria campaign in Accra, 1942-5
Author:	Roberts, Jonathan
Year:	2010
Periodical:	The Journal of African History (ISSN 0021-8537)
Volume:	51
Issue:	3
Pages:	343-365
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Ghana
Subjects:	malaria pest control memory military history oral history medical research 1940-1949
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/23017722
Abstract:	From 1942 to 1945, British and American armed forces attempted to eradicate malaria in Accra (Ghana) by dredging the sacred Korle Lagoon and spraying the city with pesticides. They also conducted experiments on the biting patterns of mosquitoes by using human subjects as bait. But, despite the extent of the anti-malaria campaign, it is largely forgotten by the inhabitants of Accra, and those who do remember it regard it as a nominal event in the history of the city. This article contrasts the official military history of the anti-malaria campaign with oral evidence to determine why the event fails to resonate in the collective memory of the residents of Accra. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]