Page 122 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(1) (2024)

Table 1.0 Human Trypanosomiasis Cases Treated at the years (PRAAD, Accra, ADM 11/1/156, Human
Various Hospitals Set Up by the Colonial Administra- Trypanosomiasis Committee and best means of
tion in Asante, 1928-1934 combating, 1935).This notwithstanding, it was
noted that in Asante, several cases were report-
Date In-Patient Outpatient ed from Sunyani and Kintampo areas but only
1928–1929 15 13 very few were reported from Bekwai and Obuasi
1929–1930 40 28 (PRAAD, Accra, ADM 11/1/156, Human Tryp-
anosomiasis Committee and best means of com-
1930–1931 35 1
bating, 1935).This is because the infection rates
1931–1932 76 46
in Sunyani and Kintampo towns were high. As
1932–1933 167 113
found in the above records, a majority of the cas-
1934 206 164 es appeared to be among the labourers from the
122 Source: Report of Meeting of Local Committee on An- north. However, from the available information,
ti-Trypanosomiasis Measures held at Kumase in June, it was certain that a considerable number of the
1935. people in Asante were treated. Indeed, for sev-
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 12 (2024), številka 1 / volume 12 (2024), number 1
increase of the disease. It was discovered by the eral years the disease was well known among
Colonial Administration that the indigenous the indigenous population of Asante. This con-
people looked upon the disease as a curse and trasts with the earlier assertions or arguments
consequently refrained from reporting it or ob- that the local population had no knowledge of
taining treatment from modern health care fa- trypanosomiasis.
cilities. Rather, they patronized the services of The Role Played By the Traditional Medical
indigenous practitioners. However, it was con- Practitioners in Eliminating Trypanosomiasis
cluded that trypanosomiasis was certainly on in Asante
the increase (PRAAD, Accra, ADM 11/1/156, The period from the 1900s marked a change in
Human Trypanosomiasis Committee and best the activities and practices of the traditional
means of combating, 1935). In the northern ter- medical practitioners in Asante. Twumasi, refer-
ritories where chiefs refrained from reporting ring to Parson, the sick role theorist, argued that
deaths to the Colonial Authorities, the indige- disease should not be only examined from the
nous people considered such deaths as abomina- biological point of view but also from the social
ble, and those who died by the disease were not angle. Thus, to him, illness was seen as a deviant
given befitting burial (PRAAD, Accra, ADM behaviour. Here it is argued that the individual
11/1/156, Human Trypanosomiasis Committee could not perform certain social functions that
and best means of combating, 1935). In 1934, four are performed by normal persons in the socie-
(4) Europeans and two hundred and fifty-two ty. He states that if every man within the socie-
(252) indigenous people were treated in Kumase ty falls sick then it will have a dysfunctional im-
(PRAAD, Accra, ADM 11/1/156, Human Tryp- pact on the society, therefore, the sick role theory
anosomiasis Committee and best means of com- requires some control mechanisms and the ones
bating, 1935). responsible were the health professionals; in tra-
The archival sources, among other records, ditional society this includes elders of the family
have shown that majority of the cases appeared and the traditional medical practitioner (Twu-
to be amongst the labourers from the north. masi 1975). Significantly, traditional health care
However, it was certain that a considerable in Asante in the 1900s also operated on the sick
number of the infected people in Asante were role theory. Within this period, when one fell
treated and further, the disease was well known sick, it was the duty of the family head or anyone
among the indigenous population of Asante for of high authority within the society to confirm