Epidemic diseases that occur in several African societies have caused multifaceted devastation. They have had enormous social and economic consequences. In order to limit their spread and reduce the damage, both the communities and the administrative authorities of the countries where these diseases occur adopt measures and define strategies. However, the inclusion of these diseases in popular nosology leads some societies to refuse the provisions of modern health officials. Misunderstandings then arise, leading some African societies to deduce the development of an international plot aimed at exterminating part of their population. However, health authorities do not necessarily take into account social logics in the definition of strategies, whereas any disease takes on antithetical aspects based on the relationships that societies have with their environments. This article intends to present the knowledge and know-how of Togolese communities on epidemics, taking the particular case of the Ewes. Using the methodology based on documentary research, field observations, and surveys of collective knowledge repositories, the research shows that the Ewe populations in southern Togo have knowledge of epidemics of which they have specific and precise representations. Against which they have developed local knowledge and practices.
Keywords: Local knowledge, practices, epidemics, Ewe, Togo.
