The 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic in Colombia: A Perception of Impact of a Worldwide Phenomenon in a Neutral Country during the Great War

The article focuses on the 1918 flu pandemic and its impact in Colombia. It considers the spread and its effect on the population, especially in Bogota, during the government of President Marco Fidel Suarez (1918-1921) and the context of the First World War. The author shows the low efficiency of the state to face the problem of public health, in contrast to humanitarian initiatives such as that of the Relief Board, in a scenario where hygiene conditions in marginalized and poor areas of the capital made possible the spread of the virus. Finally, consequently, it shows the government measures and how the pandemic influenced the beginning of the construction of hygienic houses and more modern housing for workers, in addition to the improvement of hospital infrastructure.