What do we learn from epidemics? Memory and public health

Collective memory plays a key role in public health, influencing how societies respond to health crises and preserve knowledge about health across generations. This memory encompasses communities’ experiences of disease, past epidemics, remedies and preventive practices. It is transmitted through stories, cultural practices, public health policies and healthcare systems.

Societies that retain a strong collective memory of public health issues, through education and the transmission of knowledge, are better prepared to build resilience to and confront new health threats, as they can draw on proven strategies, medical practices and effective social and health interventions.