Health during the Cardenismo (1934-1940)

Abstract

The present symposium, Health during the Cardenismo (1934-1940), consist of four studies: Medical sanitary aspects in Mexico by Martha Eugenia Rodríguez; Campaigns against diseases by Carlos Viesca Treviño; Hospitals during Cardenism by Guillermo Fajardo Ortiz; and Military medicine in Mexico by Antonio Moreno Guzmán. Through them is given an integral vision of the state of health and illness during the administration of General Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, the first sexennial presidential government of the twentieth century. Several aspects are discussed, among them, the President’s nationalist policy which led to an important distribution of land to the peasants. His education policy originated, among other things, the creation of the National Polytechnic Institute that framed two medical schools, the National Homeopathic Medicine and the Superior of Rural Medicine. The social service for medical interns of the UNAM was created. On the other hand, General Cárdenas placed special emphasis on preventive and care medicine. In addition to organizing campaigns against multiple diseases, including pox, typhus, tuberculosis, malaria, and sexually transmitted diseases, special attention was given to maternal and child care. An urgent problem was that of malnutrition, so special care was taken in the child and peasant population. Likewise, in order to attend to morbidity, in the period 1934-1940, general and specialty hospitals were set up under government, private, military, and private charitable institutions. The last study that is presented refers to the military health modernization initiatives initiated by General Cárdenas, that had repercussions on the health of the military and its successors.