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Adapting Practice: African Traditional Religions and COVID-19

Across many religious and spiritual traditions, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted changes, some responding to the restrictions imposed for public health, others driven by a desire to address the crisis. Traditional religious practices and understandings are too often neglected.

In Ghana, traditionalists were upset that their president invited Christian pastors to a national prayer breakfast and declared a National Prayer Day for spiritual intervention as cases grew, but did not consult with traditionalist priests. One priest commented, “Don’t we have three main religions in Ghana? So why were Traditionalists who have direct access to Onyankopon (God) through smaller gods ignored for only Christians and Muslims?” After mounting pressure, the government invited priests from the Volta region, Greater Accra, and other places to Independence Square.

Priests and priestesses of African traditional religions have performed various rites to drive the novel coronavirus from their communities. Performed in traditional garb, often in black, red, or white colors, each holds special symbolic significance; the traditional smock fugu or batakari, is also worn during war. The Alaga cult in the Volta Region of Ghana wear leaves made from plants, signifying the need to make a pledge and facilitate pardon from the deities. Ancient traditions involve libations poured out on the ground or sacrifice of a chicken, sheep, or goat. 

Debates have emerged about local treatments, including herbal medicines and plants, some of which are tied to traditional religious beliefs and practices. Madagascar’s president has championed a herbal tonic called “COVID-Organics,” which contains the Artemisia annua (Sweet wormwood) plant often used to treat malaria. WHO Africa has said it “supports scientifically-proven traditional medicine.” Many of these traditional medicines, such as Artemisia annua or the essential oils that an archbishop in Cameroon claims to be a herbal cure for COVID-19, are being studied by scientists, but with no conclusive results yet. 

Most African countries have very small health budgets, and only a tiny share of that is dedicated to supporting local research and development. Up to 80 percent of Africans use medicinal plants for healing at some point in their lives. Rigorous research can better establish which are most useful for specific symptoms.  

(Based on: May 6, 2020, Quartz Africa and Post News Group articles; and May 13, 2020, Religious Matters blog)