29

As the 20th century was dawning, the materialization of the project for a universal sanitary union put an end to the cooperative work undertaken in the fight against epidemics since 1851. From 1907 onward, the Paris-based Office international d’hygiène publique aspired to supervise international health affairs in war and peace. At a time when the League of Nations was newly-formed, the stormy meeting between the supporters of the Office de Paris and those who promoted a new world order – whether they be state representatives or not – paved the way for a hybrid and multipolar international sanitation system.