Epidemiological Measures To Protect Public Health In Varna For The Period From The Liberation To The Beginning Of The Balkan War

Abstract

In the critical situation of the global COVID-19 pandemic in which we are currently, it is good to look at his-tory and see how the population of Varna coped with the suppression of epidemics after the Liberation with the means and capabilities of the then-existing medicine and health care. Prior to the Liberation in 1878, the country had often been hit by major epidemics of cholera, plague, and ma-laria. The reasons were: bad hygienic conditions, lack of sanitary control over the infectious diseases, untimely treatment of the diseased. As a port city, major military units would gather and the lack of supervision over the infectious diseases led to mass epidemics which took the lives of thousands. Immediately after the Liberation, the Bulgarian medical community realized the necessity of immediate measures and organization of anti-epidemic initiatives. The objective of this report is to historically research the first measures undertaken for the solution of public problems regarding dealing with epidemics, decrease of mortality rates and determining their significance for the improvement of the population’s health in Varna during the period reviewed. Performed is a review of archived documents and historical analysis of the first anti-epidemic initiatives in Varna. The results are part of a broader research, which indicates that for the period from 1902 to 1910 infectious diseases have decreased 10 times. Taking timely and adequate measures in the fight against infectious diseases leads to the improvement of public health.