Religion in Igbo Culture, Hygiene and Disease Control

Nwanne Alfred I do not know why every or many aspect[s] of our culture have 'religion' in it. But my observation is that it is so. I had a talk about typhoid and other disease control, water supply in Igbo culture, and the Ogwui River in Amakwa, Ozubulu, 'ikwu nne m'; with nwanne Moore Black Chi Mmadike recently. Moore suggested that typhoid was not very common when we were growing up in Igboland. It occurred to me, and I mentioned that probably our ancestors, who received and handed over Omenana to us knew about disease control better than we do-I then recalled that in my locality, that folks were barred from fishing in many of the rivers, and streams that the people got their drinking water from. Till today people do not fish in Ogwui uno-I presume to keep the stream/river clean, and free from diseases. And how did our culture ensure that the stricture should be obeyed? Religion came in. Our ancestors said that the Mmuo that own the river would be angry with anyone who fished in Ogwui. You can see how religion came into something as secular as ensuring that the water supply of the community is clean.