A Chinyanja, Ciyao and Chitumbuka Conception of Malaria

Abstract

This paper explores an African conception and understanding of malungo, the Chinyanja name for malaria. Regarding the cause, symptoms, treatment and prevention of malaria, the dominant Western paradigm is at variance with the Malawian experience of malungo. Malawian indigenous ways of knowing and doing, including treatment and prevention of malungo, derive from centuries of experience that produced an independent epistemology that Western science rejects as myths and misconceptions. For the past four decades, researchers have reported low knowledge of malaria in Malawi while using the term malungo during data collection. Anchored in anti-colonial theory and hermeneutics, this paper reviews the 2017 Malawi Malaria Indicator Survey and discusses malungo from the African epistemology perspective. The paper further suggests that malaria and malungo be studied through Western and African lenses to understand whether or not the two are one or different conditions. A clear understanding of malungo and malaria as one or two conditions would lead to developing competent interventions.