In this chapter, we cover the main infectious diseases that have plagued Afro-Caribbean populations since the first African slaves were brought to the region. Unfortunately, our discussion will be centered on the Caribbean islands and will not include the Atlantic coast of Central America except on rare occasions. Epidemiological data for the Afro-Caribbean groups of the latter region are very difficult to find and are not included in the data reported by the Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC; Le Franc, 1990).

Our theoretical framework is a biocultural, evolutionary one. That is, we will be looking at disease by considering the biology of the human host and of the pathogen, but we will also consider the cultural context of disease. For example, we will discuss the human-induced environmental changes which have led to the creation of propitious environments for the spread of disease (Krumeich et al., 2001; Manderson, 1998). The evolutionary approach will be of importance when we look at human–pathogen coevolution, as well as to the origin of new diseases. Besides the evolutionary and biocultural approaches, we will be relying on the epidemiological approach to disease. Therefore, in the first section we define a few epidemiological terms, and in the rest of the chapter, we review the major infectious diseases that have affected Afro-Caribbean groups. The only sexually transmitted disease reviewed in this Chapter is AIDS. All other venereal diseases are discussed in Chapter 5, under the section on fecundity.