Liberian Traditional Healer: Ebola Is a Curse from God
With Christmas celebrations nearly here, debates have intensified among Liberians over whether Ebola is a punishment sent by God on Africans or a man-made virus intended to destroy lives.
One of Liberia’s witch doctors Joko Moses Kuyon, who is licensed by the government of Liberia, is of the conviction that the virus is supernatural.
The licensed traditional healer has claimed that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a “curse” sent to punish ungodly Africans and sinners. Kuyon, a high priest of the African Traditional Religion, told The Media Project that the Ebola virus is a curse that only traditional healers can lift.
“This is a plague and it has a spiritual connection. We have sinned against God, and he has brought his wrath on us. So we have asked the ancestors to appeal to God on Africans' behalf,” said Kuyon.
The witch doctor also claimed to have a mobile phone number he could use to reach ancestors who can rid the world of the Ebola.
According to Kuyon, only prayer, herbs and tobacco can save the millions of people at risk of the deadly virus raging in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Despite Kuyon's claims, witch doctors are increasingly being blamed for hindering ordinary Africans from following crucial hygiene methods.
The Government of Liberia has issued a strong warning to Liberian witch doctors to stop hosting suspected Ebola patients in their homes in the name of finding remedies for their illness.
Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah the Ebola disease is not a pandemic that required spiritual healing. He said the statement made by spiritual healer Joko Moses Kuyon is far from the truth, and urged Liberians not to heed to such pronouncements.
According to the latest statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of deaths recorded in the Ebola outbreak has increased to 5,160, with the number of infections standing at over 14,000.
Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can be also spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.
The media hype over Ebola comes at a time when thousands of people in Africa and other parts of the world die every day from hunger and preventable diseases.
A Catholic sister based in Liberia, Florence Johnson Idu, is also very critical of the witch doctor's statement.
She has accused such community leaders of being extremely irresponsible, saying claims that they can make a direct "cell phone call" to ancestors to drive away Ebola are making the outbreak worse.
She told The Media Project tha the incurable Ebola virus that has shown its ugly face in West Africa "is not supernatural,’’ but instead it is a man made virus. Madam Idu points out that people are simply putting their own tactics together as a means of undermining the fight against Ebola.
Sister Idu said that human beings, and especially Liberians, are stubborn. If they don’t see anything fearful, they won't turn back to God.
Assistant Health Minister for preventive services says migration is a major factor contributing to the spread of Ebola in the rural areas, which now bear the heaviest burden of infections in the country.
The Health Minister noted that rural counties like Grand Cape mount and Grand Kru, Gbarpolu, among others, now experience infections as a result of somebody who migrated from Monrovia to those areas.
Ebola remains a public health emergency in Liberia despite the encouraging reduction in cases, says Minister Nyenswah. He explains the government of Liberia is reporting an average just over 10 new cases daily across the country.
Minister Tolbert Nyenswah is meanwhile, is urging Liberians to continue the preventive work and community engagement should be the hallmark, adding that now is not time to revert to normal traditional practices.
