Abstract:
In this essay, we attempted to catalogue and describe African indigenous knowledge, in contributing to sustainable
health development in Sub Saharan Africa. In the face of poverty and threats of diseases such as ebola.We also describe how
biotechnology can enhance cultural mechanism for improved health care. A snap shot of certain cultural habits that promote
disease dissemination that would have to be modified is described. This report is basically a descriptive essay and partly based
on a survey and collection of indigenous practices in Cameroon, and some cultures across countries in SSA. Some of the
traditional knowledge relevant to disease transmission and control may form basis for experimentation, validation,
development and application of appropriate medical biotechnologies for cheap, low tech disease control strategies and healthy
living through a number of ethnobotanicals medicines, such as Occimum basilicum popularly called holy basil and in Kom
language known as afuaih toh by many ethnicities of the Tikar in Ghana, Uganda, Gabon, parts of Kenya and Tanzania,
Equitorial Guinea, Ethiopia, and Madagascar, who believe that the aromatic smell it emits dispels not only evil spirits but
certain diseases such as HIV, Ebola and disease vectors. Such indigenous knowledge and science, with simple skills and
familiarity, applied as an innovative approach to hygiene, medical challenges and disease control. Understand the practices,
and see how to introduce interventions (incremental interventions), with existing indigenous knowledge enhanced with present
science and technology, which you see can be applied to resolving present and possible outbreaks like Ebola. Generally called
Macepo, tribes in Bukuru in northern Nigeria often used it to preserve dead bodies in remote villages where neither hospital
nor morgue exist for days pending burial. Could scientific attention validate the use of African indigenous knowledge in Ebola
prevention or future emerging diseases so that Africans can carry out safe burials within the context of their culture without
risk of disease spread? We noted the believe amongst most ethnic groups regarding the use of Occimum basilicum, and leaf
powder of some indigenous plants as a preservative for corpse or crops and insect repellent.This could serve as excellent
platforms for mitigation and control of outbreaks such as Ebola.
