¡Hay bilharzia!, by Klock, Ildefonso, and Mateo-Serrano: Medical Images of Poverty and Development in Puerto Rico in the 1950's

Abstract

From 1940 to 1970 Puerto Rico underwent a dramatic change in its economic, social, political, and medical characteristics. Schistosomiasis (known locally as bilharzia) persisted throughout this period as a nearly intractable problem. In 1954, staff from the Puerto Rico Department of Health, and the Puerto Rico Field Station of the U.S. Communicable Disease Center (now San Juan Laboratories, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) created a set of black and white 35 mm slides as a tool for community education. The presentation, titled "Hay Bilharzia!" ("There is schistosomiasis here!") is organized in four major sections (Introduction, Disease Cycle, Disease Prevention, Treatment). Each section consists of two to four sub-themes, with three to eight slides each. The slides were used extensively in public schools and community lectures. This set of slides is worthy of preservation as evidence of the bilharzia control efforts and the dismal living conditions widely prevalent in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. It is also an example of the educational programs that were produced at the time to stimulate community development and health.