The spread and eradication of epidemic diseases in the Pekalongan Residency, Dutch East Indies (1901–1942)

This article aims to explain how government policies addressed the spread of disease outbreaks in the Pekalongan Residency in the early twentieth century and how local communities responded to these policies. This research emplyoed the historical methods and an epidemiological triad approach to analyze the problem, focusing on the interactions between the agent, host, and environment, thus allowing for in-depth analysis. The findings indicate that agent, host, and environmental factors had a significant influence on the spread of disease outbreaks in the Pekalongan Residency. The government introduced public health policies to address the outbreaks through preventive measures and medical treatment. Nevertheless, these efforts did not produce positive results due to limitations in medical personnel, shortages of medicines and vaccines, environmental conditions, and the population’s limited knowledge of modern medicine. In addition, the dualistic responses of the local population toward outbreak eradication further affected the effectiveness of government interventions. These problems contributed to the Pekalongan Residency being one of the areas most affected by disease outbreaks, and modernization efforts failed to significantly suppress the spread of disease.