Epidemics and public health in early colonial Somaliland

The early colonial period in the Somaliland Protectorate was marked by the intrusion of new 'colonial' epidemics and diseases, such as smallpox, cholera, influenza, venereal diseases, tuberculosis, relapsing fever and the decline of the population. The aetiology of the diseases was social. They were introduced into the country through the movement of imperial armies and displaced people, the improvement in transportation and the integration of the country into the British Empire. The protectorate administration attempted to control the epidemics. However, since the medical staff and medical facilities were thin on the ground, the effect of the medical campaigns were limited. Not all the medical campaigns were a 'mirage', however. Medical campaigns played an important role in the control of venereal diseases, particularly syphilis. Overall, the incidence of epidemics declined from 1937 onwards. The cause was again social and had very little to do with medical campaigns. The ending of the campaigns of conquest, the massive movement of armies and people and the development of relative stability in the country played a key and decisive role in the decline in the incidence of diseases. The aetiology of colonial epidemics and their decline had both socio-political origins and explanations. The article deals with that neglected aspect of the history of Somaliland.