Koch vs. Virchow

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Koch believes that most health issues arise because of biological issues, and thus can only be cured with medical advancement. On the other hand, Virchow believed that the main cause of adverse health was because of poverty and biological principles. Both men have fantastic arguments, but to see which makes more sense in our modern world, we will have to delve into some real world examples. First we will take a look at an article on malaria, which is scholarly work by Packard. Secondly we will analyze a video on Guatemala’s new approach to health care. And lastly I will bring up a real world example on the Colorado Haiti Project. While looking at these three very different subjects, I will conclude whether these regions side with Koch or Virchow.

First let us look at Packard’s articles that he wrote on malaria. Packard gave many examples of why and how malaria spread rapidly in some regions. The first examples are as follows, “The drought that damaged the crops and undermined peoples’ resistance to disease, the subsequent flooding that produced breeding conditions for local anopheline mosquitoes, and the mass migration of people in search of food who returned infected with malaria (Packard, 2).” In this example Packard states that the spread of malaria was a result of three specific actions. The first action was the drought, which was followed later by the flooding, and lastly mass migrations. All three of these things had to be in play in order for malaria to spread in the Archangel region. But the argument stands, who is right in this situation? Koch or Virchow. In the following example, I think that Virchow holds the upper hand. These people had a lack of wealth and government development, and because of that they were affec...

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... at the real world example about the Colorado Haiti Project, which also has the same outlook as our other examples, Virchow. In conclusion, I would like to say that biology is very important aspect for health in nations, but without structural integrity of the people and governments disease will always be on the rise.

Works Cited

Butterfoss, F. D., R. M. Goodman, and A. Wandersman. "Community Coalitions for Prevention and Health Promotion: Factors Predicting Satisfaction, Participation, and Planning." Health Education & Behavior 23.1 (1996): 65-79. Print.

No Author. "Mission | Colorado Haiti Project." Colorado Haiti Project Mission Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. .

Packard, Randall M. The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP, 2007. Print.

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