Ryemo Gemo (Chasing Away Bad Spirit)

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates how the Acholi people of Northern Uganda respond to health emergencies in a culturally specific way. It emphasizes their cultural construction of health, healthcare, and disease, including how they get along with/react to new challenges as in the case of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It emphasizes Acholi notion of gemo as a disease management strategy/community alert system, which is about collective concern to identify and deal with any threat such as epidemic or pandemic in a culturally specific manner. Thus, cultural borders and boundaries may be created by the Acholi as a protective measure against visitors, foreigners, or those who travel/stay away for from Acholi land for long period of time to separate new comers who could be ‘contaminated'.