Journal of Religion and Theology Volume 3, Issue 2, 2019, PP 57-65 ISSN 2637-5907 Fight against Disease of the Body to Safe Guard the Spirit: An Evaluation of the Joint Anti-Leprosy Campaign of Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) and Governments in Sokoto Area of Northern Nigeria, 1919-1975 Mukhtar Umar Bunza1* and LabboAbdullahi2 1Professor of Social History, Department of History, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria 2Holds a PhD in Medical History, Department of History, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. *Corresponding Author: Mukhtar Umar Bunza, Professor of Social History, Department of History, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, Email: [email protected]. ABSTRACT Leprosy is one of the dreadful diseases that are contagious and ghastly as well as stubborn and difficult to control. The disease has been prevalent in Nigeria for hundreds of years ago managed under traditional systems. However, modern control and prevention methods of leprosy disease began in the eastern part of Nigeria during British colonial administration of the area. Perhaps, the reason was that the region was believed to be the most endemic area of leprosy. The campaign was later extended to northern Nigeria in which the central Colonial Government, the Sudan Interior Mission (one of the strongest evangelical movement during colonial administration), and the Native Authorities made a joint effort to control and prevent the disease in the defunct Sokoto Province. This paper aims to examine the activities of the three bodies in the anti-leprosy campaign. As against somewhat general assumption, the paper shows the extent to which missionary anti-leprosy services was provided and appreciated in a predominantly Muslim community. It is discovered that Sudan Interior Mission in conjunction with the colonial and local authorities contributed significantly to the prevention and control of leprosy disease. This is with a view to create healthy bodies among the patients whose souls will be won for the Christ. While the Colonial government and the Native Authorities fought against the disease principally to safeguard the labor which their administrations needed most. This became the basis for the assumption that, common disease aimed to be eradicated for different goals but in harmony among the opposing actors. Keywords: Sudan Interior Mission, Native Authorities, Leprosy Disease, Anti-leprosy Campaign and Sokoto Area. INTRODUCTION disease while the Hausa people of northern Nigeria showed far less fear for the disease. Leprosy disease is a chronic bacterial infection However, they still isolated the infected people that primarily affects the skin mucous membranes from the larger society, though with little (nose, eyes and testes). It is known as Hansen’s attention to the prevention of the disease. The disease and is one of the oldest diseases of conventional methods of leprosy control and mankind. Leprosy has different types depending prevention in Nigeria started during the colonial on the stage of the disease. The two major types period. Precisely, the methods began to be of leprosy are Lepromatous and Tuberculoid. The applied to anti-leprosy activities in Sokoto Area former is highly communicable and from the in the late 1910s. Although the activities public health view point, the latter is less commenced before the arrival of the Sudan communicable. Interior Mission (SIM) in Sokoto, the SIM later According to Schram (1971), leprosy disease may dominated anti-leprosy campaign until when the have been introduced to the Nigerian area since Native Authorities (NAs) joined the campaign. 2000 BC, and it became most prevalent in the By the end of the 1940s, the central Colonial eastern and northern part of the country. In the Government joined the NA-SIM effort to pre-colonial period, the Yoruba and Igbo usually control and prevent leprosy disease in the area. ostracized leprosy patients away and killed their This chapter examines the role Government- victims’ children to control and prevent the NA-SIM anti-leprosy activities in Sokoto Area. Journal of Religion and Theology V3 ● I2 ● 2019 57 Fight against Disease of the Body to Safe guard the spirit: An Evaluation of the joint Anti-Leprosy Campaign of Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) and Governments in Sokoto Area of Northern Nigeria, 1919- 1975 Study Area the 1930s and 1940s. The NAs and SIM made a joint effort in anti-leprosy work and established Sokoto area under study refers to all the three Provincial Leprosy Settlements (PLSs), territories of the defunct Sokoto, Gwandu, each in the provinces of Kano, Katsina and Argungu and Yauri Native Authorities that were Sokoto. In the case of Sokoto, Amanawa PLS centrally administered by the British under was established in 1940. Henceforth several Sokoto Province. The territories made up the segregation villages (SVs) and out-patient present-day three states of Sokoto, Kebbi and clinics (OPCs) were established. The SIM and Zamfara in north-western Nigeria. the NAs agreed in principle on how to manage The Origins of Anti-Leprosy Campaign in the activities of the established leprosy treat Sokoto Area ment centers. The following section is on the SIM-NAs' Agreement. A survey in 1910 indicated that leprosy disease was one of the most prevalent diseases in Native Authorities and the SIM Agreement in northern Nigeria, especially in Sokoto Area. The Anti-Leprosy Campaign survey indicated that the disease was so There was an agreement drafted in 1942 prevalent in Sokoto Area in which there were between the NAs of Kano, Katsina and Sokoto 5,381 lepers equal to 5 per thousand of the Provinces on the one hand and the SIM on the population of Sokoto Native Authority alone. other in anti-leprosy services. The agreement However, serious attention was not given to the was a guiding principle on how the services control of the disease. Campaigns against the should be run and it provided that the NAs had disease began in Sokoto during the second to contribute to the maintenance of the PLSs. decade of the colonial period and even then, The contributions were: of a certain amount little emphasis was given to the exercise up to weekly for the maintenance of each person 1950s. Generally, it was during the First World living with leprosy in the PLSs, a contribution to War period that a foundation to control leprosy the cost of drugs, NAs should bear the cost of disease was made in Nigeria. Leonard Rogers in erecting and maintaining any school building in India and Dr. Helser in the Philippines investigated the settlements. They should also bear the cost the use of Chaulmoogra Oil in the treatment of of erecting and maintaining huts for the the disease from 1914 to 1918. After the accommodation of leprosy patients among other investigations, the substance was tested in Yaba responsibilities. The SIM on the other hand was (Lagos, Nigeria) and it proved effective. responsible for the cost of diets, beddings, Consequently, some provinces in northern clothing, disinfectants and any drugs required in Nigeria began to use the oil in the treatment of addition to those provided by the NAs; provided leprosy. In Sokoto, leprosy treatment using the that could not preclude the grant by the NAs to oil commenced in January, 1919. The first two the Mission. Similarly, the SIM had always to treated patients were declared better and since maintain an adequate staff including a licensed then, nearly 35 lepers voluntarily submitted medical practitioner, a certified nursing sister, a themselves for treatment twice every week camp superintendent and such general and throughout the year. sanitation laborers as may be necessary to Moreover, another development in the anti- maintain the settlements in a satisfactory state. leprosy campaign came about shortly after Central Colonial Government and the Policies of World War I when the Reud “Tubby” Clayton, Anti-Leprosy Campaign the founder of the TOC H Movement visited Nigeria. Thereafter the visit, TOC H. Volunteers This section deals with general policies of the arrived in northern Nigeria and started a leprosy campaign against leprosy disease since 1945 settlement in Kano. Initially, it was thought that when the Colonial Government began to give its there were few cases of leprosy in the whole attention to the control of the disease. It began northern Nigeria, but as soon as the news of the with the first Government Scheme on Leprosy hope of cure spread, thousands of patients were Control when the head quarters of the referred to the centre. Consequently, SIM led by Government leprosy services was created in Oji- Dr. C.W.J. Morris and J.A. Driestbach took the River, Enugu Province in eastern Nigeria. The responsibilities. Henceforth, missions and NAs scheme provided that, there had to be in each embarked on shared anti-leprosy services in province a PLS of not more than 1,000 patients. segregation villages and settlements throughout Capital Grants were provided to PLSs from the 58 Journal of Religion and Theology V3 ● I2 ● 2019 Fight against Disease of the Body to Safe guard the spirit: An Evaluation of the joint Anti-Leprosy Campaign of Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) and Governments in Sokoto Area of Northern Nigeria, 1919- 1975 Colonial Development and Welfare Fund For the implementation of the policy on leprosy (CDWF) for the construction of a hospital, control in Sokoto Area, there was a distribution water supply and patients' quarters in each of duties between the Government and the NAs PLSs. The PLSs was officially made the centers in which the latter became responsible for rural of the organization in anti-leprosy services to services. In this regard, the NAs had to provide which infective cases were also referred. SVs and staff several SVs and OPCs. Concerning and OPCs were on the other hand designated for urban services, Government in conjunction with the treatment of less infective.