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by Robin Sharma
Ridding the World of Diseases Forever
'Eradication' by Nancy Leys Stepan is a historical account of public health campaigns targeting diseases like smallpox and yellow fever. It highlights the socio-political implications of such campaigns and raises important ethical questions.
It would be a good thing if we eradicated all diseases, right? Thanks to scientific advancements, we’re getting closer to being able to do that every day.
The eradication of disease has been a possibility since the nineteenth century, when scientists first realized what causes them. Robert Koch, for instance, discovered in 1882 that tuberculosis was caused by bacteria called tubercle bacillus. Scientists came to understand that tiny organisms like bacteria, viruses and parasites were responsible for disease.
The scientific community also realized that disease-causing organisms were often spread by insects, such as mosquitoes. At the end of the nineteenth century, Ronald Ross and Giovanni Batista Grassi found that malaria was carried by female mosquitoes of the anopheline genus.
Once they uncovered a disease’s origin, scientists were able to work on preventing it by developing new technologies like vaccines. Eradication was suddenly a possibility!
And if scientists were able to eradicate a disease, they should have, right?
After WWII, when scientists undertook eradication campaigns against smallpox and malaria, we learned the answer was more complicated than we thought. Few would argue against the elimination of those diseases, but some questioned the integrity of eradication as a philosophical concept.
Eradication raises a number of questions such as: How do we choose which diseases to eradicate? How do we allocate eradication funding? These questions are biological, political and logistical all at once, so there are plenty of places where mistakes could be made.
Consider malaria. We’ve undertaken huge eradication campaigns against malaria but, according to the World Health Organization, it still affects 250 million people per year. Has this been a waste of resources? Would funds be better spent elsewhere?
Eradication (2011) is about the health community’s attempts to eradicate certain diseases from the face of the planet. These blinks trace the history of disease eradication, its successes and failures, and the complicated political issues it raises.
Eradication (2010) by Nancy Leys Stepan is a thought-provoking exploration of disease eradication efforts throughout history. Here's why this book is worth reading:
The word eradication derives from Latin and means to tear out by the roots.
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Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trialBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
What is the main message of Eradication?
The main message of Eradication is the historical and contemporary significance of global attempts to eradicate diseases.
How long does it take to read Eradication?
The reading time for Eradication varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Eradication a good book? Is it worth reading?
Eradication is worth reading for its insightful exploration of disease eradication efforts, providing a fresh perspective on global health challenges.
Who is the author of Eradication?
The author of Eradication is Nancy Leys Stepan.