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Faculty Sponsor(s)
Marie Noussi
Subject Area
Global Languages and Cultural Studies
Description
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has cost roughly 35 million individuals their lives. While HIV is responsible for the global AIDS pandemic, its emergence can be traced back to colonial Africa. Inspired by Alfred Crosby’s concept of “ecological imperialism,” this work explores the idea of pathogenic imperialism. Ecological imperialism identifies the introduction of disease as one of the reasons colonization was successful. Pathogenic imperialism is the idea that disease was a continuing after-effect of colonization. As European powers expanded their colonial rule over Africa, they created an environment that facilitated the transmission of HIV. HIV evolved from the simian immunodeficiency virus, which is found in chimpanzees in the southeastern region of Cameroon. Following the cut-hunter hypothesis, a Cameroonian hunter slaughtered an infected chimpanzee providing the blood-to-blood contact necessary for transmission. While local populations had previously interacted with these animals, the colonial trade industry pushed villagers further into the wilderness and increased their reliance on bushmeat. During the partition of Africa, King Leopold of Belgian gained the Congo (today’s Democratic Republic of Congo) and created Leopoldville. This urban environment fostered prostitution. Additionally, colonial forces launched vaccination campaigns against tropical diseases, using unsafe medical practices. Colonialism generated the large populations that facilitated disease epidemics and promoted two means of transmission: unsafe sexual practices and unsterile vaccination.
Recommended Citation
Akots, Anna, "The Colonization of Africa and the Propagation of HIV" (2021). Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement. Event (Linfield access). Submission 14.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/symposium/2021/all/14
The Colonization of Africa and the Propagation of HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has cost roughly 35 million individuals their lives. While HIV is responsible for the global AIDS pandemic, its emergence can be traced back to colonial Africa. Inspired by Alfred Crosby’s concept of “ecological imperialism,” this work explores the idea of pathogenic imperialism. Ecological imperialism identifies the introduction of disease as one of the reasons colonization was successful. Pathogenic imperialism is the idea that disease was a continuing after-effect of colonization. As European powers expanded their colonial rule over Africa, they created an environment that facilitated the transmission of HIV. HIV evolved from the simian immunodeficiency virus, which is found in chimpanzees in the southeastern region of Cameroon. Following the cut-hunter hypothesis, a Cameroonian hunter slaughtered an infected chimpanzee providing the blood-to-blood contact necessary for transmission. While local populations had previously interacted with these animals, the colonial trade industry pushed villagers further into the wilderness and increased their reliance on bushmeat. During the partition of Africa, King Leopold of Belgian gained the Congo (today’s Democratic Republic of Congo) and created Leopoldville. This urban environment fostered prostitution. Additionally, colonial forces launched vaccination campaigns against tropical diseases, using unsafe medical practices. Colonialism generated the large populations that facilitated disease epidemics and promoted two means of transmission: unsafe sexual practices and unsterile vaccination.
