Graduation Term

2022

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of History

Committee Chair

Agbenyega Adedze

Abstract

This thesis seeks to examine the strategies and policies that were employed by the British colonial administration to control the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 in Ashanti. I argue that the varying philosophies of both the colonial administration and the Native population in Ashanti on health and medicine influenced the response trajectory to the disease. It also explores the aspects of Indigenous medical practices which are largely concerned with the religion or beliefs of the people. Before the outbreak of influenza, the colonial administration started a campaign to promote Western medicine while antagonizing Indigenous medicine. To an extent, this made the activities of Indigenous healers unattractive. However, the failure of colonial health interventions to control the spread of the disease paved way for indigenous medical practices to thrive. In this thesis, the activities of Indigenous healers during the outbreak of influenza in Ashanti will be examined.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2022.20220606094358773569.999997

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