Final answer:
Disease played a significant role in European efforts to colonize Africa by both impeding European conquest initially and later devastating the African populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of disease in European efforts to colonize Africa was significant. Endemic tropical diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa posed a major challenge for the European colonizers. These diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever, killed many Europeans and delayed their conquest of the region. However, once the Europeans introduced their own diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, to Sub-Saharan Africa, the impact was devastating for the African populations and facilitated European colonization.
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