William C. Gorgas

William C. Gorgas was a pioneering American doctor and public health expert known for his work in controlling mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever and malaria. His efforts significantly improved the health conditions for workers constructing the Panama Canal in the early 1900s by implementing extensive sanitation measures and mosquito control programs. Gorgas’s work helped to prevent epidemics, saving thousands of lives and facilitating the Canal’s completion. His approach demonstrated the importance of disease prevention and environmental management in public health, making him a key figure in modern sanitation and tropical medicine.