Fred Lowe Soper Quotes

Eradication represents a complete change of philosophy and a recognition of the equal rights of all citizens to protection from infection, no matter where they live. Eradication, by its very nature, is public health with a conscience. The public health control officer can sleep tranquilly, salving his conscience with the thought that most of his responsibility has been discharged – that he did not have enough money to do any more. The eradicator knows that his success is not measured by what has been accomplished but, rather, is the extent of his failure indicated by what remains to be done. He must stamp out the last embers of infection in his jurisdiction. His slogan must be: ANY IS TOO MANY.

~ Fred Lowe Soper

It was not feasible to lose time in making careful surveys or extensive preliminary studies of possible control methods, learn how to get rid of Anopheles gambiae by actually getting rid of Anopheles gambiae.

~ Fred Lowe Soper

Preferring steady progress, slow and imperfect, is a good philosophy for the defeated.

~ Fred Lowe Soper

It is much easier to evaluate perfect rather than partial results.

~ Fred Lowe Soper

Will Brazilian antigambiae measures succeed in Africa? As time goes by it will almost certainly be found that an increasing number of areas can be cleaned of gambiae and be freed of gambiae-transmitted malaria. In Africa, where the species is already widely disseminated, it would seem logical to attempt eradication by beginning in the center of the area to be cleaned and working always outward. It has been demonstrated in Brazil that species eradication of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae is feasible.

~ Fred Lowe Soper