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Communication dans un congrès Année : 2023

Increasing the visibility of a disease: The case of poliomyelitis in France (1950s-1960s)

Résumé

During the 1950s-1960s, incidence and frequency of poliomyelitis became critical in many developed countries. In several European countries and USA, the polio epidemics rapidly became a major public health problem. In France, polio was a worrying issue but considered less pressing than infant mortality from diphtheria, tuberculosis, etc. The worst epidemic occurred in 1957 with 4109 declared cases, and 290-304 dead. With these figures which could be considered low, the visibility of poliomyelitis in France was not comparable to the USA with several tens of thousands of cases and deaths per year in the 1950s. However, to lead to health mobilisation, a disease must become visible to scientists, caregivers, public authorities, and society. This communication will focus on the means put in place to raise awareness of the public health issue that the disease represented in France at that time. In particular, we will focus on the actors who sought to mobilise the French government and society against polio, and what strategies were put in place to achieve this. Among the actors involved, the Institut Pasteur and the Institut Mérieux had decisive implications in the health mobilisation against the disease in France in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Dates et versions

halshs-04192419, version 1 (31-08-2023)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : halshs-04192419 , version 1

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Baptiste Baylac-Paouly. Increasing the visibility of a disease: The case of poliomyelitis in France (1950s-1960s). EAHMH 2023 conference, Aug 2023, Oslo, Norway. ⟨halshs-04192419⟩
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