Wabah, kolonisasi dan kebijakan pemerintah kolonial menanggulangi malaria di Soekadana 1935-1941

Abstract

The opening of the Soekadana Colonization Area in 1935 brought various challenges, particularly in the field of public health. Malaria outbreaks emerged as a dominant health issue that proved difficult for the colonial Dutch East Indies government to control. This study aims to analyze the healthcare policies implemented to address the malaria epidemic in the Soekadana Colonization Area during the period 1935–1941. The research employs a historical method comprising the stages of heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources and analyzed qualitatively using historical analysis techniques. The findings reveal that healthcare policies were implemented systematically through the construction of medical facilities, the provision of healthcare services, and the deployment of professional medical personnel in the colonized area. Despite significant geographical constraints and limited resources, these policies reflected the colonial government’s efforts to maintain socio-political stability and to control the malaria epidemic as part of its broader territorial governance strategy. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the history of colonial healthcare services and the dynamics of medical policy as an instrument of imperial control in the Soekadana Colonization Area.