Malaria struggle activities in Turkey (1925-1950)

With the proclamation of the Republic, some activities were prioritised in the State of the Republic of Turkey. An especially important one among these was the activities about health. In addition to the losses incurred during the War of Independence, thousands of people died due to epidemics. Since this situation resulted in a decrease in the population of the country, necessary laws and regulations were established by the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) in order to place the struggle against epidemics on a legal basis at the first stage. Malaria was the leading among the epidemics. This disease that was more widespread in swampy regions led to deaths and reduced the population of the country. In order to find a solution to this problem, experts gathered, carried out studies on how to prevent the disease and started to take precautions accordingly. The quinine needed for the treatment of malaria was brought from abroad and distributed to poor people free of charge; drying operations were carried out for swamps and marshes, which caused the disease. As the state was newly established, the fight against malaria was very important for the producing society that needed population and for its life quality; therefore, the new government took great steps in the field of health and improved the health situation of the country. This study consists of two parts. The first part examines the fight against malaria and other epidemics, health policies and their legal infrastructure, and the Republic of Turkey's activities in this field. The second part addresses the precautions taken and the struggles made by the Republic of Turkey against malaria in light of the information obtained from archival documents. KEYWORDS Turkey, malaria, quinine, swamp, epidemic