[The history of Chagas' disease in Argentina: conceptual, institutional, and political evolution].
In the one hundred years since the identification of Chagas disease, major changes have occurred in its scientific conception, institutional recognition, and political weight. From a medical perspective, it was seen as the cause of goiter, next its acute effects were emphasized, and then its effects on cardiac health received greater attention. In similar fashion, sanitary policy first downplayed the disease's importance, then elevated it to the role of a national cause, and gradually relegated it to the bottom of the agenda. The article briefly presents the key points of this historical trajectory in Argentina, exploring the cognitive, political, and institutional underpinnings of the disease as both a social and biological fact.
Zabala
Juan Pablo
JP
CONICET-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnica; Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina. jpzeta@hotmail.com
D001118:Argentina; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000266:history*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000266:history