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Eliminating malaria in the American South: An analysis of the decline of malaria in 1930s Alabama

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  • Sledge, D.
  • Mohler, G.

Abstract

Until the 1930s, malaria was endemic throughout large swaths of the American South. We used a Poisson mixture model to analyze the decline of malaria at the county level in Alabama (an archetypical Deep South cotton state) during the 1930s. Employing a novel data set, we argue that, contrary to a leading theory, the decline of malaria in the American South was not caused by population movement away from malarial areas or the decline of Southern tenant farming. We elaborate and provide evidence for an alternate explanation that emphasizes the role of targeted New Deal-era public health interventions and the development of local-level public health infrastructure. We show that, rather than disappearing as a consequence of social change or economic improvements, malaria was eliminated in the Southern United States in the face of economic dislocation and widespread and deep-seated poverty. © 2013 American Journal of Public Health.

Suggested Citation

  • Sledge, D. & Mohler, G., 2013. "Eliminating malaria in the American South: An analysis of the decline of malaria in 1930s Alabama," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(8), pages 1381-1392.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.301065_6
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301065
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    Cited by:

    1. Bo Feng & Mark Partridge & Mark Rembert, 2018. "The Perils of Modelling How Migration Responds to Climate Change," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Roger R. Stough & Karima Kourtit & Peter Nijkamp & Uwe Blien (ed.), Modelling Aging and Migration Effects on Spatial Labor Markets, chapter 0, pages 53-75, Springer.

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