The Rockefeller Foundation's Antimalarial Program in Latin America: Donating or Dominating?

It is concluded that the Rockefeller Foundation's attention to the malaria problem reflected more than mere philanthropic concern and was able to use its participation to penetrate the public health field and consolidate the hegemony of scientific medicine.

Abstract

This paper analyzes the origins, methods, and hidden objectives of the antimalarial campaigns carried out by the Rockefeller Foundation in Latin America. These campaigns are examined in the context of the imperialist domination of Latin America over the course of this century. The close relationship between prevailing economic, political, and military priorities and the thrust of the Foundation's work in the field of malaria is detailed. In spite of its relatively small financial investment in malaria research and eradication, the Rockefeller Foundation was able to reap enormous benefits from its work in this area. Not only was the Foundation able to increase the profit margins of the Rockefeller empire by ameliorating some of the dire economic consequences of malaria, but also it was able to use its participation to penetrate the public health field and consolidate the hegemony of scientific medicine. It is concluded that the Rockefeller Foundation's attention to the malaria problem reflected more than mere philanthropic concern.