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2021, Volumul XXX REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE E-ISSN: 2537-6152 11
Samuel ADU-GYAMFI,
Lucky TOMDI,
Phinehas ASIAMAH
THE INFLUENZA PANDEMIC IN COLONIAL ASANTE:
LESSON DRAWING FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Rezumat
Pandemia de gripă în Ashanti colonial: învăţarea de
lecţii pentru lupta împotriva COVID-19 în sec. XXI
Această lucrare acordă atenție strategiilor coloniale
care au fost implementate pentru a lupta împotriva
pandemiei de gripă printre Ashanti din Ghana. Se face o
analiză comparativă a focarului și a modului de răspândire
a COVID-19 în Ghana, și Ashanti, în special. În baza teoriei
invăţării lecțiilor, autorii au urmărit să stabilească dacă
strategiile adoptate pentru combaterea pandemiei actuale
COVID-19 rememorează cele anterioare, desfășurate în
timpul pandemiei de gripă din 1918. Reieșind din datele
primare și secundare, autorii au reconstruit o istorie care
oferă câteva perspective asupra luptei împotriva COVID-
19. Autorii au concluzionat că diferitele intervenții în
domeniul sănătății pentru prevenirea și controlul gripei în
Ashanti în perioada colonială au fost distorsionate în
favoarea europenilor și băștinașilor care lucrau în cadrul
serviciului civil colonial. Acest lucru nu a sprijinit
strategiile și eforturile relevante pentru a reduce răspândirea
bolii într-un ritm mai rapid. În pofida mai multor eforturi
depuse pentru a reduce răspândirea bolii, administrația
colonială împreună cu autoritățile tradiționale s-au
confruntat cu provocări de personal sanitar inadecvat,
conflict cultural, constrângeri financiare. Rolul agențiilor
de securitate și colaborarea dintre administrația colonială și
autoritățile locale este o lecție foarte semnificativă pentru
confruntarea cu pandemia COVID-19 în Ghana.
Cuvinte-cheie: gripă, Ashanti, administrație
сolonială, Ghana, COVID-19, învățarea de lecții.
Резюме
Пандемия гриппа в колониальном Ашанти:
извлечение уроков по борьбе с COVID-19 в XXI в.
В статье уделяется внимание колониальным
стратегиям, которые применялись для борьбы с
пандемией гриппа в Ашанти и в Гане, проводится
сравнительный анализ вспышки и способов
распространения COVID-19 в Гане и в Ашанти, в
частности. Основываясь на теории извлечения уроков,
авторы стремились выяснить, напоминают ли
стратегии, принятые для борьбы с COVID-19, те, что
применялись во время пандемии гриппа 1918 года.
Опираясь на первичные и вторичные данные, авторы
воссоздали историю предыдущих эпидемий гриппа,
которая может помочь в борьбе с COVID-19. Авторы
пришли к выводу, что различные меры по
профилактике гриппа и борьбе с ним в Ашанти в
колониальный период были смещены в пользу
европейцев и местных жителей, которые ра-
https://doi.org/10.52603/rec.2021.30.02
ботали на колониальной государственной службе. Это
не поддерживало соответствующие стратегии и усилия
по более быстрому сокращению распространения
болезни. Несмотря на ряд усилий, предпринятых для
сдерживания распространения болезни, колониальная
администрация вместе с местными властями
столкнулась с проблемами нехватки медицинского
персонала, конфликта культур, финансовых
ограничений. Роль органов безопасности и
сотрудничество между колониальной администрацией
и традиционными властями являются очень важным
уроком для борьбы с пандемией COVID-19 в Гане.
Ключевые слова: грипп, Ашанти, колониальная
администрация, Гана, COVID-19, извлечение урока.
Summary
The influenza pandemic in colonial Asante: Lesson
drawing for the fight against COVID-19 in the
twenty-first century
This paper pays attention to colonial strategies that
were deployed to fight against the influenza pandemic
among the Asante of Ghana. It does a comparative analysis
of the outbreak and mode of spread of COVID-19 and
influenza pandemics in Ghana and Asante, in particular.
Based on the theory of lesson-drawing, the authors aimed
to ascertain whether the strategies adopted to fight the
current COVID-19 pandemic reminisce the earlier
strategies deployed during the influenza pandemic of 1918.
Based on primary and secondary data, the authors have
constructed a history that proffers some insights into the
fight against COVID-19. Authors conclude that the various
health interventions toward the prevention and control of
influenza in Asante during the colonial period were skewed
in favor of Europeans and natives who worked within the
colonial civil service. This did not support relevant
strategies and efforts to reduce the spread of the disease at
a faster pace. Despite several efforts made to curtail the
spread of the disease, the colonial administration together
with traditional authorities encountered challenges of
inadequate health personnel, culture conflict ad financial
challenges. The role of security agencies and the
collaboration between the colonial administration and
traditional authorities offer a very significant lesson for
confronting the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.
Keywords: Influenza, Asante, Colonial
Administration, Ghana, COVID-19, Lesson Drawing.
Introduction
Infectious diseases have had adverse impact on
the human population for decades. Infectious
12 ISSN: 1857-2049 REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE 2021, Volumul XXX
diseases have historically manifested themselves in
various forms and taken different shapes across the
globe. The experience of a population with
infectious diseases, depending on the magnitude
and geographical space of transmission defined
such outbreaks as endemic, epidemic, and
pandemic diseases. In January 2020, the World
Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-
19 disease as a Public Health Emergency of
International Concern and later declared it a
pandemic in March 2020 because of its magnitude
of spread across the globe (World... 2020).
Infectious diseases of a similar outbreak like the
Ebola Viral Disease (EVD), which affected some
West African countries from 2013 to 2016, were
declared as epidemic considering the geographical
space of infection. This notwithstanding, there
appear to be varied meaning of the term pandemic.
Some scholars have argued that pandemics should
be explained based on the level of explosive
transmissibility, while others explain the term based
on the severity of infections (Moreens et al. 2009:
1018). Over the years, people have used the term
‘pandemic’ to describe widespread epidemics of
influenza, cholera, and other diseases (Altman
2009). In a like manner, the spread of the new H1N1
swine flu influenza virus from continent to
continent brought a different meaning to the term.
This is because the H1N1 swine flu influenza raised
few questions on the meaning of pandemics;
whether pandemics must be new, explosive, or
severe, and whether they must be infectious at all.
Moreens, Folkers, and Fauci questioned the rapid
spread of infectious diseases globally without
causing high rates of attack (Moreens et al. 2009:
1018).
The Black Death (also known as the plague),
which killed an estimated population of 75–200
million people in the 14th century, has been
regarded as the most fatal pandemic recorded in
history (Wade 2020). The disease was caused by
bacillus bacteria and carried by fleas on rodents; it
originated in central Asia and was taken from there
to the Crimea by Mongol warriors and traders
(Wade 2020). Another pandemic that ravaged the
world was the influenza pandemic. Gust, Hampson,
and Lavanchy have argued that the first documented
influenza pandemic occurred in 1580, and there
have been six known episodes during the last two
centuries (Gust et al. 2001: 59-60). The influenza
and COVID-19 pandemics have been the major
pandemics that have ravaged the territories of
Ghana. According to Patterson, the influenza
pandemic caused great loss to the people of Ghana
as the pandemic was estimated to have caused more
than 100,000 deaths. Unlike COVID-19, the
influenza was brought to Ghana by sea (Patterson
1981: 485). The disease was brought to Gold Coast
by an American Vessel called “SS Shonga” on the
31st of August 1918. It was reported that the spread
of the disease was rapid in the territories of Gold
Coast. The COVID-19 is the most current pandemic
globally. The first recorded case of Covid-19 in
Ghana was on the 12th of March 2020 (Ministry...
2020). Two foreigners from Turkey and Norway
were the importers of the disease in Ghana.
Notwithstanding, there has been limited
research on pandemics in Ghana particularly in the
Asante Region. The few works on pandemics have
focused on Ghana as a whole. For instance,
Sambala and Manderson studied the policy
perspectives on post-pandemic influenza
vaccination in Ghana and Malawi (Sambala et al.
2017). Patterson did a general study on the
influenza pandemic in Ghana; and Cudjoe,
Abdullah, and Manful also did a study on the
kinship care support for older people during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana (Patterson 1983;
Gudjoe et al. 2020). Afriyie, Asare, Amponsah, and
Godman did a general study on the COVID-19
pandemic in Ghana (Afriyie et al. 2020).
Furthermore, few historical works on pandemics in
Ghana like that of Patterson studied only the
widespread nature and responses of the influenza
pandemic in the Gold Coast (Patterson 1983).
Kwarteng and Osei-Owusu focus on the influenza
pandemic in the Gold Coast and Asante (Kwarteng
et al. 2018). This work is the closest that can be
found on Asante. However, the same research
leaves a significant historical gap to fill. In
particular, it does not draw lessons for COVID-19
contingent upon the theory of lesson drawing. That
is, no recent study has focused on the influenza
pandemic and drawn lessons for the fight against
COVID-19 in Ghana and particularly on Asante
within the twenty-first century. This is the first
historical study to attempt to do same.
Method and Theoretical Consideration
Information from both primary and secondary
sources were used for this study. The primary
sources comprised the Public Records from the
Archive Administration Department both of the
2021, Volumul XXX REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE E-ISSN: 2537-6152 13
Regional (Kumase) and National Archives (Accra)
as well as the Manhyia Palace archives in Kumase.
The data gathered supported the discussions on
pandemics in Ghana, in general, and the Asante, in
particular, and its associated policies in combating
the spread of COVID-19 within the periods under
review. Additionally, data were gleaned from
internet sources, books, and articles that provided
useful information for the study. The data from both
the primary and secondary sources have been
analyzed and presented thematically to reflect the
objective of the study.
Richard Rose’s Lesson Drawing approach has
been found to be a useful theoretical construct.
According to Rose, to understand lesson drawing,
one must understand first the meaning of the lesson
(Rose 1991: 5). A lesson can be defined as an
action-oriented conclusion about a programme or
programmes in operation elsewhere, in which the
setting may include cities, organizations, or
countries (Rose 1991: 8). Rose further argued that
the transfer of lessons from one place to another
across time and space is what is termed lesson
drawing. In view of this, lesson drawing can be
defined as the extent to which an effective
programme or policy is transferred from one place
to another. It is as a result of problem-solving that
gives room for lesson drawing as operative
machinery. Rose also argued that each country has
its own specific and unique challenges and
problems. When a country is confronted with a
problem, policymakers in cities and at the national
level can learn from their counterparts elsewhere to
enable them to respond to their problems or
challenges (Rose 1991: 14). To understand lesson
drawing, Rose further argued that one must have the
bearing of time and space; this is because lesson
drawing is contingent upon exigencies of a
particular time, epoch, or space (Rose 1991).
Indeed, successive policies in the past can be
transferred to the present time. Space in this context
justifies the transfer of a successive policy from a
particular place to another. Lessons are not just
drawn or borrowed from a successive programme
or policy, but rather it requires singling out
examples of present success of programmes and
policies elsewhere. Concerning this study, we draw
lessons from the strategies and outcomes that were
derived during the fight against the influenza
Pandemic in Asante to address and discuss the
COVID-19 quandary in the region in contemporary
times.
The Spread of the Influenza Pandemic and
the COVID-19 in Different Epochs
Ghana, then the Gold Coast, was affected by
influenza prior to 1918. The earliest recorded
incidence of influenza was in the 1890s as a result
of the influenza pandemic of 1889–1893 (Patterson
1983: 487). This suggests that influenza was not
new in the Gold Coast. Similarly, Kwarteng and
Osei-Owusu have argued that, between 1889 and
1892, the Gold Coast recorded its first cases of
influenza (Kwarteng et al. 2018: 148). The 1918
influenza pandemic was brought to the Gold Coast
by Sea via a vessel known as “SS Shonga”. Records
suggest that the vessel was infected in Sierra Leone.
On the 31st of September 1918, the Vessel “SS
Shonga” arrived in Secondi where most of the crew
members were infected (Patterson 1983: 488). The
Vessel further moved to Accra and there was a
reported incidence of influenza cases. Kwarteng
and Osei-Owusu have also made an important
assertion that the influenza pandemic of 1918 was
brought to the Gold Coast not only by sea but also
by the Gold Coast returnee troops from East Africa
(Kwarteng et al. 2018: 148). This is because it was
possible for them to be infected, since the disease
was on the rise worldwide in September, the month
in which they returned to the Gold Coast (Kwarteng
et al 2018: 150). On 23rd September 1918, Kumase,
the capital of Asante, recorded its first case of
influenza. Shortly after the first recorded incidence
in Kumase, the next vulnerable spots were the
native hospitals where nurses and hospital
attendants were brutally infected causing crisis in
patient care. The disease was believed to have been
brought to Kumase by road (Patterson 1983: 488).
The development of transport services in the
Gold Coast facilitated the spread of the disease in
Asante. Ntewusu has hinted that by the beginning
of the 1900s there was a rapid development of
transportation systems in the sense that, by the
beginning of the 1920s road networks from the
south to the north were constructed (Ntewusu
2014). The geographical location of Asante coupled
with the development of transport services were the
first two factors that led to the spread of influenza
in Asante. In the southern province of Asante, the
disease was first recorded on the 29th of September
1918. By the middle of October 1918, almost two-
thirds of the population were infected especially in
14 ISSN: 1857-2049 REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE 2021, Volumul XXX
Obuasi1 and its environs (Public... 1918e). The
disease lasted for a period of one month in Obuasi.
Statistics from the Weekly Epidemiological
Reports show that over 60–70 percent of the
population were infected and almost 5 percent of
the population died from influenza. Within the
Southern Province of Asante, especially in the
villages, the disease was reported to have affected
the population very late.
The occurrence of the disease was reported in
November and December. The location of these
villages was a factor that led to the slow spread of
the disease. This is in line with the geospatial
determinants of health which states that “the
location of people affects the quality of health and
influences our experience with disease and well-
being (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry 2020)”. Since these villages were located
far from the various towns and suburbs surrounding
Obuasi, the pace of the spread was slow in the
various villages in the Southern Province (Public...
1918e).
In Obuasi, it was reported that top European
officials were among the first to have contracted the
disease. The report from the Southern province to
the provincial commissioner of Asante stated that
“Mr. Holmes, Senior inspector of mines, was one of
the first to be affected, and both his wife (Mrs.
Holmes) and himself were taken to the hospital”
(Public... 1918e). Notably, figures reaching the
provincial commissioner to Asante show that most
of these figures were estimated. The October 1918
report from the provincial commissioner to the
governor of the Gold Coast stated that “…these
figures were only approximated as many of the
villages were so affected that they were unable to
send message to the Amanhene”2 (Public... 1918d).
Similarly, Patterson has argued that official
morbidity and mortality were conservative. Most
cases were untreated and there was a failure on the
part of the African (traditional authorities) to report
cases to the colonial administration (Patterson
1983: 488). We infer that the reasons for the
provision of estimated figures were due to the poor
technical and technological development at the time
coupled with the medium through which the
information was broadcasted.
During the early twentieth century, the Gold
Coast had few sophisticated communication and
transport media through which information was
broadcasted. Therefore, the clerks that were sent to
the various Amanhene (Paramount Chiefs) could
not access most local areas every week for their
report. The Amanhene were challenged with same
in getting the reports from the various Odikuro
(Village heads) (Public... 1918e). It can be argued
from the perspective of Patterson that, the colonial
administration was reluctant towards the combat of
the disease in the Gold Coast, in general, and in
Asante, in particular. Reports on influenza, which
were very critical for the control of the pandemic,
were controlled by the colonial administration
directly. Furthermore, drawing inferences from
Patterson, most cases were untreated and there were
failures on the part of African traditional authorities
to perform their designated roles effectively
(Patterson 1983). From this, it can be argued that
the colonial administration did not provide
insurance coverage for the native population during
the pandemic. In support of this, Adu-Gyamfi,
Dramani, Amakye-Boateng, and Akomeah have
argued that “the provision of health care services
was initially limited to colonial administrators,
officials of mining companies, merchants and other
Europeans” (Adu-Gyamfi et al. 2017: 23). The
1900s to 1957 marked a strong colonial period in
Ghana’s history. It can be stated that, during the era
of the influenza, the administration made little or no
provision for healthcare coverage for the native
population.
Clearly, the above discussions show that the
colonial administration was a bit reluctant in the
combat of the influenza pandemic for the native
population in the Gold Coast and Asante, in
particular. However, aside from the first two factors
stated above, other factors contributed to the spread
of the disease in Asante. Native customs including
the culture of visiting, the culture of storytelling,
especially during the night, the funeral rites, and
marriage ceremonies played significant roles in the
spread of the influenza. These customs were
regulated by the concept of collectivism which was
at the heart of Asante culture. Parker, Haytko, and
Hermans have argued that the concept of
collectivism is a sub-set of cultural measures
devoted to creating a society in which individuals
are raised in a very strong cohesive group that
protects them from outside pressure (Parker et al.
2009: 127). Within this period, the Asante were
immersed in collective social, economic, and
political activities based on shared collective
responsibility. This culture or behaviour of the
2021, Volumul XXX REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE E-ISSN: 2537-6152 15
people of Asante could have played a key role in the
spread of the disease within the Asante territory.
Table 1. Weekly Report on the Death Rate
in the Southern Province of Asante
Date
Town
No. of
deaths
2-9/11/1918
Akrokere
68
2-9/11/1918
Kokofu
60
2-9/11/1918
Bekwai
24
2-9/11/1918
Dangiasi
63
Source: (Public... 1918e)
The above clearly shows that the rate of
infection was on the increase in the southern
province of Asante as reference can be made from
the death rate in these towns as shown in Table 1.
Notwithstanding the above, the Northern Province
of Asante had a similar situation. The Weekly
Epidemiological Reports show that the Northern
Province of Asante had a considerable number of
cases and deaths in December.
Table 2. Report on the Death Rate in the
Northern Province of Asante on December 2,
1918
Date
Town
No. of
deaths
2nd December,1918
Kintampo
41
2nd December,1918
Nkoranza
13
2nd December,1918
Banka
30
2nd December,1918
Mo district
30
Table 2 clearly shows that the condition in the
Northern Province was similar to the Southern
Province of Asante. The report further stated that
the above-listed figures were estimated by the
medical department. This was because the medical
department was challenged with access to data, as
most of the villages failed to report cases to the
various Amanhene (Public... 1918e). The Report
from the Medical Director of Health in Asante
shows that the spread of the disease was intensified
in October and November. On 5th December 1918,
Bompata (a town in the Northern Province in
Asante) alone recorded 236 deaths, while Juare also
recorded 83 deaths (Public... 1918a).
In Kintampo, it was recorded that by the 20th
of November 1918, the territory was declared as
influenza-free jurisdiction (Public... 1918g). The
reason for this achievement was stated in the report
from the office of the provincial commissioner at
Kintampo to the chief commissioner of the Asante
Province, “all possible precautions have been taken
to prevent the spread of this scourge” (Public...
1918g). At Edweso, reported cases were horrible
although there were limited numbers of reported
deaths. The disease affected the entire population
almost two-thirds were under treatment while the
remaining one-third were reported to have been
moving around exhibiting symptoms of the disease
like coughing and sneezing (Public... 1918b).
However, despite the widespread nature of the
disease in Asante, the colonial administration took
practical steps to combat the disease.
Concerning COVID 19 in the twenty-first
century, the Asante Region follows Greater Accra
with increased number of COVID-19 infections
since its outbreak in Ghana (Sarpong et al. 2020).
Similarly, Kenu, Frimpong, and Koram have argued
that the majority of the cases were in the two
populated cities of Ghana, which are Accra and
Kumase (Kenu et al. 2020: 72). On the 28th of
March 2020, partial lockdown measures were
placed on some densely populated regions of Ghana
(Sarpomg et al. 2020). By the 28th of March 2020,
Greater Accra, Asante, and the Upper Regions
reported cases of the virus, and 141 cases were
confirmed nationwide within the period under
review (Afriyie et al. 2020: 839). After two weeks
of partial lockdown, reported cases of the COVID
19 rose from 141 to 641 out of 50,000 sample tests.
Out of the 641 cases, Asante recorded 53 cases
while Greater Accra Region recorded 541 cases
(World... 2020). On 2nd May 2020, there was an
increase in the spread of the disease nationwide. Out
of 2,169 cases, Asante recorded 117 cases showing
an increase of 37.64 per cent from March to May
2020 (BBC... 2020). In the months of March –
November 2020, there was a total of 11,131 cases
in the Asante, in which 43 were active cases
(National... 2020: 1). By the end of 2020, out of
91,928 confirmed cases nationwide, the Asante
region ranked the 2nd highest recorded region of
COVID 19 with 15,474 cases in the region (World...
2020).
16 ISSN: 1857-2049 REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE 2021, Volumul XXX
Strategies Adopted by the Colonial
Administration towards the Combat of the
Influenza in Asante
Suspension of Public Activities
One of the earliest strategies employed by the
colonial administration toward the combat of the
influenza pandemic was the temporal ban on public
activities. This strategy has been critical in
contemporary times as a strategy in combating
several epidemics and pandemics in the world by
various governments. On 24th October 1918, the
Chief Commissioner issued a communiqué to all
heads of departments within the colonial
administration. The report stated “owing to the
serious epidemic of influenza at present, it has been
found necessary to close down all schools and to
discourage as much as possible public and private
reunions and assemblies which might prove strong
as factors for the spread of the disease” (Public...
1918c). In Asante, schools were closed by the 25th
of September until further notice. Social gatherings
and activities, which include funerals and marriage
ceremonies, church activities among other special
events like Kumase Red cross week, were put to a
halt until further notice. Reference to this can be
seen in the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in
Ghana, where there was the imposition of the
Restriction Act (2020), Act 1012. This act granted
the government the power to impose lockdown
measures in cities like Accra, Kumase, and Kasoa.
These were arguably high-risk areas that could
easily cause an increased rate of infection due to
their eclectic nature.
Significantly, during the colonial period, there
were instances where some District Commissioners
and heads of departments were reluctant towards
the advice given to them by the Chief
Commissioner of Asante (Public... 1918c). On 2nd
November 1918, there were reported cases of
influenza throughout Dwaso and its environs.
Though the Chief Commissioner of Asante, resident
in Kumase, had issued a communiqué concerning
the outbreak of the influenza pandemic in Asante,
including territories around the Dwaso area, the
Dwaso District Commissioner waited almost
unconcerned until there were some reported cases
in Dwaso. Indeed, the communiqué was issued on
2nd October 1918 to all district heads in the Asante
province but it fell on deaf ears. This escalated the
rate of infections among the local population. With
no equivocation, we argue that the British colonial
administration erred in several instances while
performing their duties to safeguard the health and
social well-being of the people of Asante within the
period under review (Public... 1918b).
Furthermore, the administration also
concentrated on the railway, which at the time was
the major transport system in the Gold Coast.
Commercial trains and land borders were
temporarily closed until further notice; this was
because the administration saw the operation of the
railway industry and the land borders as a potential
threat to the spread of the influenza pandemic
(Public... 1918c). Significantly, this effort did not
reflect in the government’s action towards the fight
against the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana in the
twenty-first century. Although the government of
Ghana focused on spots that could catalyse the
spread of the disease including the airport, seaports,
and social gatherings among others, limited
attention was placed on land borders. It was only
after the first two cases when the land borders were
given the necessary attention.
Protection of Frontline Workers
Another important strategy that is
consequential in contemporary times was the
government's attempt in protecting frontline
workers, whose services were consequential
towards the combat of the disease. The laws were
implemented to prevent the unnecessary contact of
civilians with frontline workers. Though this was a
fine policy to protect the frontline workers, the law
was skewed to favour the colonial administration,
since it allowed the passage of non-native civilians.
This is in line with the argument raised by Arhinful,
who argued that health care during the colonial
period was European-biased to protect their
subjects from falling sick (Arhinful 2003: 8).
Nurses and medical doctors were protected from the
native population since their services were vital to
the European population (Public... 1918f).
Public Education as a Preventive Strategy
Public education has been the major tool in
ensuring good health care among a given
population. Research from the Rural Health
Information Hub shows that public education is
designed to raise awareness on subjects that are not
frequently discussed or are largely unknown to the
general public. This argument reflects the social
condition in Asante during the colonial period.
During the period, Asante had a handful of elites in
the society, who could read and write. This high
2021, Volumul XXX REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE E-ISSN: 2537-6152 17
illiteracy rate in Asante during the colonial period
indicates that general awareness of cerebral spinal
meningitis (CSM) was limited. This prompted the
colonial administration to organize mass
educational campaign programmes that were
simplified to the understanding of the masses.
Chiefs, elders, and the inhabitants of Asante, and for
that matter Kumase, were advised by the Medical
Officer of Health on the need to isolate a person
suspected of coughing. Again, the Chiefs together
with the people were advised to report any
suspected case to the health authorities within the
area. Furthermore, the Chiefs were advised to build
Isolation Camps northeast in all towns and villages
in other to isolate the infected persons. The natives
were advised not to communicate with an infected
person and isolate him or her upon seeing any signs
or symptoms related to influenza. Evidence of this
can be traced currently to the COVID-19 pandemic
when mass public health educational programmes
have been broadcasted through the media (Tele
broadcast, Radio, Newspapers, and Magazines) to
help educate the public on the COVID-19
pandemic.
Strategies Adopted by the Government of
Ghana to Fight COVID-19 in the twenty-first
century
At the initial stages of the pandemic, the
government of Ghana placed a temporary ban on
travellers from countries that have recorded 200 or
more cases of COVID-19. This was to safeguard the
health of its citizens. However, the ban did not
apply to Ghanaian citizens or foreigners with valid
Ghanaian permits. On 17th March 2020, there was
a mandatory two-week quarantine for people
entering Ghanaian territory (National... 2020: 2).
Significantly, these efforts did not prove effective
in the fight against the spread of the virus in Ghana
due to the late response from the government of
Ghana. This is because the World Health
Organization declared a Public Health Emergency
of International Concerns regarding COVID-19 on
30th January 2020, and on the 11th of March 2020,
it was declared as a global pandemic (World...
2020). The above efforts could have been employed
as early as possible by the government of Ghana
after the emergency response from the World
Health Organization.
Significantly, the lack of spot-on and
immediate response strategies compelled the
government to impose more intense restrictions
(Afriyie et al. 2020: 840). On 22nd March 2020, the
government of Ghana closed borders in the country
for two weeks to limit the spread of the disease.
Furthermore, on 30th March 2020, the government
imposed lockdown measures in Accra, Kumase,
and Kasoa. All public activities and gatherings were
temporarily banned until further notice. These
restrictions were put in place by the government to
reduce the spread of the COVID pandemic in
Ghana.
Lesson Drawing from the Influenza
pandemic for the Fight against COVID-19 in
Ghana and Asante in Particular
Lessons can be drawn from the colonial
administration’s efforts toward the fight against the
Influenza pandemic in the Gold Coast. Lessons can
be drawn from the efforts to protect frontline
workers. The services from the frontline workers
were vital and necessary to stabilize the health
situation within the Gold Coast. In the recent
pandemic, there were efforts to protect frontline
workers including nurses, medical doctors, and
public health officials among others who have the
requisite expertise in health from contracting the
disease. It can be argued that having these workers
in numbers is consequential in combating the
disease.
Lessons can also be drawn from the seemingly
strict enforcement measures of the colonial
administration. Temporal banns were placed on
public spaces and activities like schools, funeral
gatherings, and railway stations among others.
These areas were seen as potential spots for the
spread of the disease in the Gold Coast.
Significantly, these restrictions were strictly
enforced to ensure that the necessary protocols were
observed. Similarly, COVID-19 protocols should
be strictly enforced in commercial centers, public
spaces, among others through the use of the law
enforcement agencies such as the police. These
spaces have been the vulnerable spots for the spread
of the COVID-19. Employing the security agencies
in these areas, the police in particular, but not the
army, could compel the local population to strictly
observe the protocols as proper attention was not
paid to these areas during the surge of the COVID.
Despite this recommendation, the question
surrounding lockdowns have been problematic
within the current scheme of things as a result of
social challenges and economic fragility of African
18 ISSN: 1857-2049 REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE 2021, Volumul XXX
states including Ghana, in general, and Asante, in
particular.
Again, lessons can be drawn from the colonial
public education strategy that was implemented in
the colonial Gold Coast. The language used in
educating the people during the colonial era was
simplified to the understanding of the masses
especially in the rural areas. It is therefore prudent
to state that public education must be strengthened
especially in the various rural areas concerning the
need to enforce and observe COVID-19 protocols.
Though an outlier to this discussion, the malaria
epidemic in Asante in particular, was curbed due to
the education in local dialects especially concerning
the use of quinine as a major antidote against the
disease. Concerning the COVID-19 and other future
epidemics or pandemics, the government of Ghana
and the local government under a proper
decentralized regime should ensure that such
publications pertaining to how to avoid the spread
of epidemics and the use of medication among other
things are communicated in local dialects to the
understanding of the masses especially those in the
rural areas. In a long run, this will help reduce the
spread of the disease and safeguard the health and
well-being of the local population in Ghana and
Asante, in particular.
Moreover, the security agencies and especially
the military must be schooled concerning how to
handle people who blatantly refuse to comply with
government policies. This is necessary so that the
security agencies do not end up committing a lot of
infractions and disregard the individual rights of
citizens, whom they are supposed to protect during
such health emergencies emanating from the
COVID-19 pandemic among others. Furthermore,
there is the need to take swift and measured actions,
as early as possible, when there is an outbreak of a
disease in the country. Significantly, both influenza
and the COVID-19 pandemics spread as a result of
late responses from the various colonial and current
governments. The influenza pandemic, for instance,
was first reported in Ghana in August, however,
intense actions were exhibited in late September.
Similarly, the current government was reluctant in
the fight against COVID-19 at the initial stages of
the pandemic in Ghana. The World Health
Organization declared the outbreak of the COVID-
19 a public health emergency in January and on the
11th of March 2020 it was officially declared as a
global pandemic. During this period, the
government of Ghana was reluctant to employ the
necessary public health strategies to prevent the
influx and the spread of the disease in the country,
especially in vulnerable spots like air and seaports,
and land borders. It is against this backdrop that we
can draw lessons to respond as early as possible
when there is a new disease that has the potential to
spread across international borders.
Also, lessons can be drawn from the indirect
rule system implemented by the colonial admi-
nistration. This system of government made use of
the traditional institutions (chiefs, the absurdities
notwithstanding), which was the emblem of
political sovereignty in the Gold Coast. Since the
people had respect for the chieftaincy institution at
the time, particularly the centralized Asante
Kingdom, the use of chiefs during epidemics to
encourage and sometimes compel people to report
at the hospitals for treatment impacted positively
towards the combat of the diseases. The fight
against the COVID-19 ought not to have been too
different. The use of the traditional institution in the
fight against COVID-19 has been blatantly and
sometimes cunningly ignored by the government of
Ghana. The new governance system and the patent
law of the land, the constitution, have centralized
power. The chiefs have been left almost at the
periphery with the National and Regional Houses of
chiefs serving as institutions that are trying to fan
the flame of their lost glory with little or less
meaningful impact. Several of them are accustomed
to ceremonial roles in their traditional society.
However, irrespective of their role in recent times,
the institution is accorded maximum respect. To
ensure proper decentralization, the various
traditional authorities must be given dedicated roles
or functions to play in the fight against the COVID-
19 pandemic and any future epidemics especially in
areas where the chieftaincy institution is highly
rooted and respected by the local population. This
will prove effective since the chieftaincy institution
represents the symbol of authority of the people.
Therefore, any by-laws or protocols concerning the
COVID-19 could be reinforced through traditional
leadership or chiefs as seen in earlier periods during
the fight against the Influenza pandemic.
Furthermore, human and animal contacts must
be limited especially in rural areas, where people
have close proximity with animals. Over the years,
animals have been transmitters of viruses and
diseases to humans. Again, lessons can be drawn
2021, Volumul XXX REVISTA DE ETNOLOGIE ȘI CULTUROLOGIE E-ISSN: 2537-6152 19
from the state of healthcare in the Gold Coast at the
time of the influenza pandemic. The Gold Coast
was not prepared for influenza due to its limited
health infrastructure. To fight the current pandemic
(COVID-19) and future epidemics among others,
there is the need for respective governments and
stakeholders to provide adequate health or medical
infrastructure and place much emphasis on training
medical personnel and the extension of public
health care and their activities among the rural and
urban populations in Ghana and Asante in
particular.
Conclusion
The influenza pandemic in Asante had negative
effects on the lives of the people. However, the
presence of various health interventions within the
colonial period to reduce the spread of the disease
in Asante in a way was skewed in favour of the
Europeans, including those who worked within the
European civil service. This did not support
relevant strategies and efforts to reduce the spread
of the disease at a faster pace. Despite several
efforts made to curtail the spread of the disease, the
colonial administration together, with the
traditional institutions within the period under
review, encountered several challenges. Among
these were inadequate personnel, culture conflict,
and financial constraints among others. Despite
these challenges, lessons can be drawn from these
past policies and further integrated into Ghana’s
current health system. The role played by the
security agencies towards the combat of the disease
is very useful in contemporary times, as seen during
the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. The
collaboration between the traditional authorities and
the colonial administration as a result of the indirect
rule system cannot be gainsaid. Lessons can be
drawn from this policy by strengthening
decentralization in Ghana. The role of the
traditional institution in promoting health care and,
for that matter local health, has to be strengthened
to promote health care from the grassroots.
Notes 1The
capital of the southern province.
2Amanhene means Paramount Chief.
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