The disappearance of Dutch malaria and the Rockefeller Foundation

Abstract

Sixty years ago Professor Nico Swellengrebel wrote his famous book 'Malaria in the Netherlands' (Swellengrebel and de Buck, 1938). At that time tertian malaria was still endemic, with its epidemic ups and downs. Malaria disappeared as recently as 1960 and the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) contributed substantially to this effect. The Rockefeller Archives proved a valuable source of anecdotal information, which puts the scientific publications of the Dutch malariologists in a more vivid perspective. Following the course of history, first the already existing links with the RF are explained along with some peculiarities of tertian malaria in the Dutch temperate climate. The emergence of a new epidemic during the war years and the implication of new tools and principles for control as advocated by the RF are described. The subsequent shriveling of the vector population and the disappearance of malaria are presented, along with some details about the reluctance of WHO to declare the Netherlands malaria-free. Finally, recent unrest about possible return of malaria is put into perspective.