comparing this to another historical attempt to eliminate LF, on Ukara Island in Western Tanzania. There, the Filariasis Research Unit engaged in field surveys and drug trials sporadically between 1951 and 1961.
16 Their activities also failed to eliminate LF, but they did “succeed” at not being kicked off the island right after arriving. Ukara Islanders flocked to participate in the mass administration of anti-helminthic drugs and tolerated the regular presence of entomologists, parasitologists, and other scientists coming and going and asking for their participation in a variety of projects. There were two major differences between the campaigns that go a long way toward explaining the disparate outcomes on Ukara Island and Pate Island: first, the behaviors of researchers when they arrived and how well they integrated with the community; second, the history of past government interactions in the area. Although public opinion could always change, in many cases the initial relationships and interactions foretold either smooth or rocky relations in the future.
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