Page 109 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(1) (2024)

Indigenous and European Policies and Strategies for Combatting
Asante Trypanosomiasis during the Colonial Period
Domorodne in evropske politike ter strategije za boj proti asantski tripanosomiazi
v kolonialnem obdobju

Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
Department of History and Political Studies, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology, Kumase-Ghana
mcgyamfi@yahoo.com

Ali Yakubu Nyaaba
Department of History and Political Studies, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology, Kumase-Ghana

Edward Brenya 109
Department of History and Political Studies, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology, Kumase-Ghana
Phinehas Asiamah
Department of History, Eastern Illinois University, USA

Abstract
The presence of trypanosomiasis in Asante was not well known until the 1900s. The people of Asante
believed that the presence of the disease was attributed to a spiritual cause. However, the impact of the
disease on the human population and on economic activities prompted the colonial administration to
take swift actions against its spread. Using information from archival sources, the study provides de-
tailed information on the history of trypanosomiasis in Asante, the nature of its spread, and strategies
employed by both the colonial administration and the indigenous population to combat it.
Keywords: trypanosomiasis, Asante, colonial administration, strategies, policies, Gold Coast
Izvleček
Prisotnost tripanosomiaze v Asanteju ni bila dobro poznana do 20. stoletja. Ljudje v Asanteju so verje-
li, da je bila bolezen posledica duhovnih vzrokov. Vendar je vpliv bolezni na človeško populacijo in go-
spodarske dejavnosti spodbudil kolonialno upravo, da je hitro ukrepala proti njenemu širjenju. Na pod-
lagi podatkov iz arhivskih virov raziskava ponuja podrobne informacije o zgodovini tripanosomiaze v
Asanteju, naravi njenega širjenja ter strategijah, ki sta jih uporabila tako kolonialna uprava kot avtohto-
no prebivalstvo za boj proti bolezni.
Ključne besede: tripanosomiaza, Asante, kolonialna uprava, strategije, politike, Zlata obala

Introduction ago. African trypanosomiasis is an infectious dis-
ease caused by T. congolense that affects humans
he major diseases which have infected and animals of similar aetiology and epidemiolo-
the people of Ghana include trypanoso- gy (Steverding and Huzcynski 2017). Trypanoso-
Tmiasis, cerebrospinal meningitis, influen- miasis involves various trypanosomes. It appears
1
za, smallpox, and onchocerciasis among others. in different forms and is affectively different
Trypanosomiasis has played a very deadly role in 1 African trypanosomes cause human African trypano-
human society since ancient times; research in- somiasis and animal African trypanosomiasis. They are
dicates that the disease existed 100 million years transmitted by tsetse flies in sub-Saharan Africa (Cayala et
al. 2019)
https://doi.org/10.26493/2350-5443.12(1)109-126 © author/authors