Gold Coast Influenza Epidemic

The Gold Coast Influenza Epidemic was an influenza epidemic in Gold Coast (modern day Ghana) in 1918–1919, which killed more than 100,000 people in six months.[1] Globally, 20 million people died from the outbreak in 1918.[2][3] In the local parlance it was called "mfruensa" by the unschooled members of the society.[4]

Influenza

Influenza is a respiratory disease that primarily affects the lungs, nose, and mouth. In 1918-1919 epidemic killed approximately 2% of Africa's total population.[5] The Gold Coast Influenza strain was a genetic mutation of a virus in the region known as swine influenza. The people living in the Gold Coast area had never come in contact with the new strain of influenza, so nobody was considered immune.[1] Being completely unprepared for a full-scale epidemic due to war preparations, the Gold Coast was left understaffed and financially burdened.[1]

Influenza Hits the Gold Coast

There was a previous pandemic of 1889-1893 which reached the Gold Coast in 1891.[6] However, it did not prepare the Coast for the epidemic that spread through the region in the 1910s.

The governor of Sierra Leone sent a message to the governor of Ghana on 28 August 1918 of an influenza outbreak and measures are to be taken because vessels coming from Accra or Sierra Leone are infected. The message arrived late. The American vessel S.S Shonga arrived in Cape Coast on August 31, 1918. The spread of the influenza virus caused schools, Mosques and Churches[4] to close down. It is recorded that an estimated 100,00 people died of symptoms related to influenza out of the 1,504,000 recorded in 1911 census. Because the Gold Coast was experiencing a dry season in the Northern area, residents were at a greater risk for infection, hence the higher mortality rate. The only reported attempts to slow the spread of disease on behalf of the government involved quarantines, but it was not strictly enforced enough to put a quick end to the epidemic. It wasn't until 1950 that doctors found a vaccine that fought the strain, more than 30 years after the spread.[1]

The whole colony by 1919 had 43 government physicians; 5 of them were administrators and 5 were vacant position.[7] The government boys' school was now the hospital with a Principal Medical officer who was given 500 pounds to care for the sick.[8] After recording several fatalities they were buried in a single grave regardless of the strong African criticisms at the height of the epidemic.

Dates of Recorded Cases

The table indicates the city and date they recorded their first case of the virus [2][1]

Gold Coast Infection Dates
City Date recorded case
Accra 3 September 1918
Koforidua 9 September 1918
Sekondi 18 September 1918
Saltpond 21 September 1918
Kumasi 23 September 1918
Winneba 24 September 1918
Tarkwa 25 September 1918
Axim 25 September 1918
Obuasi 1 October 1918
Yeji 8 October 1918
Keta 12 October 1918
Bole 26 October 1918
Wenchi, Sunyani and Kintampo 26 October 1918
Salaga 5 November 1918
Wa 7 November 1918
Lawra 15 November 1918
Tamale 12 November 1918
Tumu 16 November 1918

References
  1. Patterson, K. David (October 1983). "The Influenza Epidemic of 1918–19 in the Gold Coast1". The Journal of African History. 24 (4): 485–502. doi:10.1017/S0021853700028012. ISSN 1469-5138. PMID 11675764. S2CID 43840147.
  2. ghana, Michael Eli Dokosi-www blakkpepper com- (2016-11-24). "The Gold Coast Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919 which killed 100,000 people". BlakkPepper.com. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
  3. PATTERSON, K. DAVID (1995). "The Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919 in the Gold Coast". Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana. 24 (1 (Vol. 16, no. 2)): 205–225. doi:10.1017/s0021853700028012. ISSN 0855-3246. JSTOR 41406618. PMID 11675764. S2CID 43840147.
  4. Botchway, De-Valera NYM; Kwarteng, Kwame Osei (2018-10-26). Africa and the First World War: Remembrance, Memories and Representations after 100 Years. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-2042-4.
  5. "Influenza Pandemic (Africa) | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1)". encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  6. David Scott,Epidemic Disease in Ghana 1901 - 1960 (London,1965),p.187.In 1918 the Principal Medical Officer suggested that the 1891 outbreak might have been pneumonia plague (M.S.R.,1918,p.14),but this seems highly unlikey (Scott,Epidemic Disease,p.188).
  7. Gold Coast Medical and sanitary Report for 1919 (henceforth M.S.R),P.6.
  8. Prin.M.O to Colonial Secretary,Accra, 17 September 1918,ibid
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