Organization of the fight against the cholera epidemic in the city of Astrakhan and the Astrakhan region in 1970

The article is the first attempt to consider the efforts of the CPSU committees and state institutions of Astrakhan region to organize the fight against cholera epidemic in July – September 1970. It is based on previously unknown documents from the State archives of Astrakhan region. The authors focus on the activities of emergency counter-epidemic commissions as provisional administrative bodies with emergency powers and on the implementation of quarantine measures. The quickly established system of emergency counter-epidemic commissions starting from the regional level to the village council was an efficient mechanism to successfully tackle all financial, logistic, administrative, medical and other issues concerning the fight against the cholera epidemic and the implementation of quarantine procedures. The progress and results of the fight against the epidemic revealed a high level of Soviet medicine and free healthcare system as well as the ability of government and party authorities to quickly mobilize, set up provisional emergency bodies and facilitate the implementation of their resolutions. The involvement of practically all the staff of regional institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and units of the USSR Internal Troops and the resolute combat against quarantine violations resulted in the localization of the cholera outbreak and its fast elimination. A special role in overcoming the cholera epidemic was played by explanatory work among the population, which was carried out by the well-established in Soviet times the party and state apparatus of propaganda and agitation.

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