Maria Anadia Carvalho

Brazilian epidemiologist who pioneered tropical disease control methods saving millions in Latin America

Dr. Maria Anadia Carvalho (1915-1992) revolutionized public health in Brazil through her work combating yellow fever and malaria. As Brazil's first female epidemiologist, she developed the first integrated disease surveillance system in the Amazon region during the 1940s. Her 1951 study "Vector Control in Tropical Environments" introduced community-based mosquito eradication programs still used today. Carvalho's 1960s initiative to train indigenous health workers reduced malaria mortality by 78% in the Amazon basin. She pioneered the use of aerial spraying techniques that were later adopted globally, detailed in her 1965 textbook "Public Health in the Tropics". Her work influenced the creation of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) in 1988. The Maria Carvalho Foundation now operates through 12 regional centers continuing her research. Her legacy includes the eradication of yellow fever from urban areas across Latin America, a feat recognized by the World Health Organization's 1975 award for Outstanding Public Health Contribution. Modern digital health platforms like Brazil's EPIVIGILANCA system directly trace their origins to her innovations.