Research
World Malaria Day: take part in the round table "Malaria: does it concern us all?" and at the same time explore a collection of old postcards entitled "Mosquitoes, the enemy!"
To mark World Malaria Day, held every year on April 25, the Institut Pasteur is hosting a round table for the general public to help improve understanding of the disease. It is also taking the opportunity to showcase a collection of old postcards held by the Pasteur Museum and CeRIS, entitled “Mosquitoes, the enemy!”
Round table "Malaria: does it concern us all?" on April 24
In collaboration with Inserm, the Institut Pasteur is organizing a round table open to the general public entitled “Malaria: does it affect us all?”, on Friday 24 April, from 5pm to 7pm, in the Émile Duclaux lecture hall.
Every year, malaria affects millions of people worldwide. But beyond the numbers, what do we really know about this disease, and how does it affect us?
During this event, various researchers, clinicians and an artist will come together to highlight the many facets of malaria: the symptoms, advances in diagnosis and treatment, the global situation, as well as the human and societal challenges.
The round table, moderated by health journalist Danielle Messager, will be held in French and will feature:
David Fidock, researcher and scientific advisor within the Scientific Affairs Division at the Institut Pasteur,
Liliana Mancio, head of the Biology of Plasmodium Infection and Transmission five-year Unit at the Institut Pasteur,
Benoit Gamain, head of the Severe Malaria Pathogenesis Unit at the Centre of Immunology and Microbial Infections,
Valentin Joste, postdoctoral researcher in the Spleen, Parasites & Infections Unit at the Institut Pasteur,
Fleur Mounier, photographic artist.
Don't hesitate to take part in this unique event to better understand a major disease and engage directly with those who fight it on a daily basis.
Registration is free but mandatory
"Mosquitoes, the enemy!" – postcards to tackle malaria
The Pasteur Museum and CeRIS are pleased to present a collection of postcards entitled "Mosquitoes, the enemy!".
Malaria: from the discovery of the parasite to treatment
Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. In 1880, Alphonse Laveran (1845-1922) identified the parasite, a discovery that earned him the Nobel Prize in 1907. The role of the vector, Anopheles mosquitoes, was only demonstrated later, between 1897 and 1900, by Ronald Ross (1857-1932) and Patrick Manson (1844-1922). The remedy, quinine, was isolated in 1820 by Joseph Pelletier (1788-1842) and Joseph Caventou (1795-1877) from the bark of the cinchona tree.
photo by Eugène Pirou, Alphonse Laveran (1845-1922),
a physician in the French Military Medical Service
1916: Eastern Army “immobilized in hospitals”
n autumn 1916, a year after fighting began on the Balkan Front, General Maurice Sarrail (1856-1929) raised the alarm from the camp in Salonika – his army had been paralyzed, not by the enemy but by disease!
Between June and December 1916, there were around 60,000 cases of malaria among French troops, more than half of the entire force. This health crisis was endangering the outcome of the conflict. Given the urgency of the situation, Under-Secretary of State Justin Godart (1871-1956) tasked two Institut Pasteur scientists, the brothers Edmond (1876-1969) and Étienne Sergent (1878-1948), with running a modern anti-malaria campaign.
at the Institut Pasteur d'Alger in 1933
"Mosquitoes, the enemy!" – improving understanding through images
The Sergent brothers were convinced that victory would require raising awareness among soldiers. They launched a large-scale anti-malaria information campaign including lectures, leaflets, and famously a series of ten postcards commissioned by the Under-Secretary of State for Health.
These cards illustrate the "Institut Pasteur's Ten Commandments for Soldiers in the Eastern Army," written in the form of short two-line verses that could be easily memorized:
Guard against mosquitoes / If you want to live longer
Rub yourself with ointment / To provide useful protection
Don't go near water / Either to fish or... for any other reason
Sleep under a mosquito net / And tuck yourself in carefully
Take care of your net / See it as a precious weapon
Avoid even the slightest tear / Or mend it immediately
Stay healthy / By taking quinine
Swallow some every day / Deliberately, for your own good
Show the doctor / That you have been prudent and taken it
Do it for your country / And for your own health as well
The talented artist behind these illustrations was Albert Guillaume (1873-1942), one of the most famous cartoonists and poster designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The son of architect Edmond Guillaume, he was influenced by master poster designer Jules Chéret and was known for his humorous paintings portraying Parisian society and his satirical drawings published in magazines like Le Rire and L'Assiette au Beurre. As an infantry reservist during the First World War, he drew on his military experience to create these striking public health images. His light-hearted yet precise style turned strict medical orders into an effective visual campaign focused on patriotism.
An immediate scientific impact – and a precious legacy
The public awareness campaign was valuable in two ways. In immediate scientific and military terms, the strict application of the Sergent brothers' plan, which included compulsory quinine administration, verified by Tanret's solution, as well as mapping high-risk areas and destroying larvae, was a resounding success. In 1917, the number of malaria cases fell dramatically, and the French forces were able to spearhead the victorious offensive in 1918.
And for us today, the postcards, now kept at the Institut Pasteur, are an important example of early attempts at large-scale health education. They remind us that the fight against malaria, which today still claims hundreds of thousands of lives every year, requires not just medical progress but also prevention and public engagement.
Sources:
"Malaria" article on the Institut Pasteur website
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