For centuries, cultural imperialism has been practiced by Western colonizing nations seeking to extend their hegemony around the globe. In this insightful study, Hewa sheds new light on the often ignored role that Western medicine has played in this expansionist project. At the center of his analysis, the author cites colonial economic policies both as the facilitator of the spread of epidemic diseases in the tropics and as a vehicle for promoting the superiority of Western medicine that sought their cure. Sri Lanka is the geographical focus of the study, providing the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of European colonial policies on the health and disease of that population. Hewa concentrates primarily on the British and American cultural imperialism and how against this backdrop the intervention of Rockefeller philanthropy in Sri Lanka is examined.

Using case studies of cholera, plague, malaria, and yellow fever, this book analyzes how factors such as public health diplomacy, trade, imperial governance, medical technologies, and cultural norms operated within global and colonial conceptions of political and epidemiological risk to shape infectious disease policies in colonial India.

Studying malaria in modern East Asia in the context of the global history of the disease, this book fills an important gap in our understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political dimensions of the relationship between malaria and human society in a region which has often been neglected by historians of the disease. The authors examine the development and consequences of various anti-malaria strategies in Hong Kong, Okinawa, Taiwan, mainland China, and East Asia as a whole. The British and Japanese colonial models of disease control are explored, as is the later American technological model of DDT residue spraying, promoted by the Rockefeller Foundation which played a significant role in the global anti-malaria campaign and the development of public health in Asia. In the post- World War II period, the use of DDT and international political and economic interests helped to shape anti-malaria policies of the Nationalist government in Taiwan. In mainland China, the Beijing government's mass mobilization and primary health care model of anti-malaria control has given way to new strategies as recent changes in the health care system have affected anti-malaria efforts and public health developments. This book illuminates an important and largely unexplored dimension of the history of malaria: the interplay of the state (colonial or sovereign), international interests, new medical knowledge and technology, changing concepts of health and disease, as well as local society in the formulation and implementation of anti-malaria policies. It will be of interest to historians of colonialism, medicine and public health, Asia, as well as health and social policy planners.

Was Western medicine a positive benefit of colonialism or one of its agents of oppression? This question has prompted a vigorous historical and political debate and is explored here in the context of the 'model' British colony of Ceylon. In this study, Margaret Jones emphasises the need for both a broad perspective and a more complex analysis. Colonial medicine is critiqued not merelyu in the political and economic context of imperialism but also against the background of human needs and rights. Her research is underscored by a detailed analysis of public health measures and services in Ceylon. One of its key findings is the accommodation achieved between Western and indigenous medicine. Throughout this work, Jones provides nuanced readings of the categories of colonised and coloniser, as well as the concept of colonial medicine. Health Policy in Britain's Model Colony provides an understanding of historical trends while simultaneously avoiding generalisations that subsume events and actions. Written in a compelling and lucid style, it is a path-breaking contribution to the history of medicine.

This is the first history of the Rockefeller Foundation's International Health Division (1913-1951), which was one of the most important public health agencies of the 20th century, a precursor of the World Health Organization. Based on extensive primary research, the book is enlivened with character sketches and descriptions of the conflicts among the "medical barons" who ran the division as they attempted to eradicate many serious diseases and to set up schools of public health and nursing around the world.

Contagion and Enclaves studies the social history of medicine within two intersecting enclaves in colonial India; the hill station of Darjeeling which incorporated the sanitarian and racial norms of the British Raj; and in the adjacent tea plantations of North Bengal, which produced tea for the global market.

During the twentieth century, medicine has been radically transformed and powerfully transformative. In 1900, western medicine was important to philanthropy and public health, but it was marginal to the state, the industrial economy and the welfare of most individuals. It is now central to these aspects of life. Our prospects seem increasingly dependent on the progress of bio-medical sciences and genetic technologies which promise to reshape future generations. The editors of Medicine in the Twentieth Century have commissioned over forty authoritative essays, written by historical specialists but intended for general audiences. Some concentrate on the political economy of medicine and health as it changed from period to period and varied between countries, others focus on understandings of the body, and a third set of essays explores transformations in some of the theatres of medicine and the changing experiences of different categories of practitioners and patients.

During the twentieth century, medicine has been radically transformed and powerfully transformative. In 1900, western medicine was important to philanthropy and public health, but it was marginal to the state, the industrial economy and the welfare of most individuals. It is now central to these aspects of life. Our prospects seem increasingly depe

Fully revised and updated, this fourth edition equips students, advocates, and health professionals with building blocks for a critical understanding of global health. It explores societal determinants of health and health inequities within and between countries and an array of actions seeking to address these issues in spheres of health and development aid, solidarity cooperation, global and domestic policymaking, and civil society mobilization

Anthropologists also work as evaluators, examining the activities of public health institutions and the successes and failures of public health programs.