A Neglected Historio-Therapeutic Response to Covid-19 Pandemic: African Ebers Papyrus Revisited

Authors

  • Godwin Onuh ODEH, PhD Department of History,

Keywords:

Ebers Papyrus, Therapeutic, ,Covid-19, Corona virus and Pandemic

Abstract

Colonialism has grave consequence on Africa given the western values it installed and the dislodging of African values; if not, how could one explain decades of importation of vaccines for treatment of the bulk of African population without looking inward to home-grown remedies. This is what fires the attempt to explore the relevance of Ebers Papyrus that appeared to have been undermined in Africa’s response to Covid-19 pandemic. The paper finds that Ebers Papyrus is one of the oldest medical documents developed by the Egyptians dating to about 1500 BCE. It has over seven hundred prescriptions and remedies for various ailments. Most of the known symptoms of Covid-19 pandemic are sufficiently captured in the Ebers Papyrus. The therapeutic significance of the Papyrus appears to have been undermined since the outbreak of the pandemic probably because of colonial disorientation and disarticulation. Against this background, it makes case for indigenous medicines in times of epidemics breakouts since foreign drugs and vaccines are not better than African products. It further finds that no single discipline has answers to societal challenge that appears cumulus and multi-dimensional in nature. Thus, scholars and scientists across disciplinary backgrounds should step forward in the curious search for solution to Covid-19 within the context of African medicines. The paper concludes that African governments, businessmen and well wishers should join hands and support researches for further investigation of prescriptions of the famous Ebers papyrus. This might be what the Madagascar did that was to lead to its claim discovery of Covid-19 pandemic therapy.

Author Biography

Godwin Onuh ODEH, PhD, Department of History,

Sokoto State University, Sokoto

Published

2020-08-10

How to Cite

ODEH, G. O. . (2020). A Neglected Historio-Therapeutic Response to Covid-19 Pandemic: African Ebers Papyrus Revisited . International Scholar Journal of Arts and Social Science Research, 3(3), 33–43. Retrieved from https://www.theinterscholar.org/journals/index.php/isjassr/article/view/79

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Section

Articles
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