This is Arkansas’s public health story, celebrating 100 years of service. I’m Dr. Paul Halverson.
On February 2nd, 1914, Miss Henrietta Clark, a 70-year-old African-American farmer, died of Malaria. Her death had the sad distinction of being the first one recorded by the newly formed Arkansas Bureau of Vital Statistics.
In 1915, the State Board of Health participated in a bold experiment to control malaria. It was suspected that mosquitoes were related to malaria so bodies of stagnant water around Crossett were drained or treated to reduce mosquito breeding.
The results were astonishing. Between 1915 and 1917, reported cases of malaria dropped by 92 percent. The Crossett Experiment became a model for malaria prevention and control across the world.
Public health efforts over the last century have added an average of 25 years to the life of each American.
This chapter in Arkansas’s public health story is brought to you by KUAR and your Health Department.