On the 8th of April, Heritage Malta will be streaming a feature on Facebook on past pandemics and mitigation measures titled ‘Plagues, Pandemics, Prevention and Mitigation – A Recurring History’.
The 20-minute documentary will take viewers on a swift journey throughout the ages, seeing local life during past pandemics, epidemics, and contagious diseases whilst providing some insight into how our health authorities have tackled them across the centuries.
The film will also give a brief history of pandemics and epidemics in Malta, like the plague and the Spanish Flu, and how such diseases triggered the Knights of St John to develop a better healthcare system.
That said, the documentary will look into the setting up of a lazaretto on Manoel Island. It will then move onto The Second World War, narrating how the rumours preceding led to the fear of another outbreak and how health authorities prepared for it.
Viewers also get a glimpse into our forefathers’ reactions to the vaccines offered back then, as documented in archived letters.
Altogether, this documentary aims at highlighting the relevance of archival documents and research, and how they have influenced current mitigation measures against coronavirus.
