A History of Epidemic Diseases And Vaccination in Colonial Igala Land, Northern Nigeria.

Abstract

The saying that health is wealth is an incontrovertible fact. This aphorism underscores the paramount significance attached to human health since the preliterate era. Igala land and other parts of Northern Nigeria, particularly during the colonial epoch, witnessed many epidemics. The sudden outbreak of epidemic diseases, which spread like wildfire across Nigeria in the early 1920s, threatened the lives of both Europeans and natives and adversely affected the economy and social lives of the people. Thus, vaccination was conceived as a viable control measure and made compulsory in Igala land. However, its success was limited. Therefore, this study examines the prevalence of epidemic diseases and vaccination in twentieth-century Igala land. This paper reveals that the acute shortage of medical and health personnel, Islamic influence, the difficult geographical terrain of the area, coupled with high rates of illiteracy, and the prevalence of traditional medicines militated against the effective and efficient control of epidemic diseases and vaccinations in Igala land. The functionalist theory is utilized while a multidisciplinary approach to historical analysis is adopted. Data for this study were obtained from the Nigerian National Archive, Kaduna, and oral interviews with residents of Igala land and literature.