Concepts and key issues of ethnoveterinary medicine in Africa: A review of its application in Zimbabwe (original) (raw)
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Ethno-veterinary practices amongst livestock farmers in Ngamiland district, Botswana
African Journal of Traditional, Complementary & Alternative Medicine 10(3), pp. 490-502 , 2013
We carried out a study to determine ethno-veterinary knowledge used to treat and prevent livestock diseases in Toteng Village in Ngamiland District, northwestern Botswana. Primary data were collected through simple random sampling of 45 households in Toteng. Respondents were either livestock owners or cattle herders. Respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire which had both open and closed-ended questions. Cattle ownership or herdership in Toteng is an inter-generational occupation with people ranging from 15 to 94 years old. Cattle were acquired either through inheritance, buying, mafisa (reciprocal exchange) system or government scheme. Women in the study area were more involved in livestock farming activities. Eleven livestock diseases were reported to be prevalent in the study area. The top six diseases were tlhako le molomo -foot and mouth disease (FMD), matlho -eye infections, letshololo-diarrhea, madi -pasteurollosis, mokokomalo -aphosphorisis and pholoso-contagious abortion. At least nine medicinal plant species having ethno-veterinary applications were recorded in the study area. Single plants are mostly used rather than a combination of plants. A number of social strategies were mentioned such as 'go fetola mafudiso' -to change grazing areas, and 'go thaa lesaka' -to ritualistically 'protect a kraal' or livestock against evil spells and predators (lions). Although the intervention of conventional veterinary medicine is pervasive in Toteng, and many livestock owners are resorting to it, there is evidence, however, of generalized ethno-veterinary knowledge used to treat and prevent livestock diseases. Local farmers and their herders in Ngamiland are not only knowledgeable and experienced in treating a range of livestock diseases, but also in performing other veterinary tasks such as assisting in births, treating fractures and range management strategies to mitigate particular threats from their local environment. The efficacy of ethno-veterinary knowledge for preventing and treating livestock diseases and range management strategies identified in this study need to be fully investigated and integrated in veterinary extension services.
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2017
Background: Human and animal health are deeply intertwined in livestock dependent areas. Livestock health contributes to food security and can influence human health through the transmission of zoonotic diseases. In lowincome countries diagnosis and treatment of livestock diseases is often carried out by household members who draw upon both ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) and contemporary veterinary biomedicine (VB). Expertise in these knowledge bases, along with their coexistence, informs treatment and thus ultimately impacts animal and human health. The aim of the current study was to determine how socio-cultural and ecological differences within and between two livestock-keeping populations, the Maasai of northern Tanzania and Koore of southwest Ethiopia, impact expertise in EVM and VB and coexistence of the two knowledge bases. Methods: An ethnoveterinary research project was conducted to examine dimensions of EVM and VB knowledge among the Maasai (N = 142 households) and the Koore (N = 100). Cultural consensus methods were used to quantify expertise and the level of agreement on EVM and VB knowledge. Ordinary least squares regression was used to model patterns of expertise and consensus across groups and to examine associations between knowledge and demographic/sociocultural attributes. Results: Maasai and Koore informants displayed high consensus on EVM but only the Koore displayed consensus on VB knowledge. EVM expertise in the Koore varied across gender, herd size, and level of VB expertise. EVM expertise was highest in the Maasai but was only associated with age. The only factor associated with VB expertise was EVM expertise in the Koore. Conclusions: Variation in consensus and the correlates of expertise across the Maassi and the Koore are likely related to differences in the cultural transmission of EVM and VB knowledge. Transmission dynamics are established by the integration of livestock within the socioecological systems of the Maasai and Koore and culture historical experiences with livestock disease. Consideration of the nature and coexistence of EVM and VB provides insight into the capacity of groups to cope with disease outbreaks, pharmaceutical use patterns, and the development of community health interventions.
The present study entitled "Ethno-veterinary knowledge and practices amongst indigenous pastoralists in the Menoua division, West region of Cameroon" was conducted from January to June 2019. It was aimed at assessing and analyzing more specifically; pastoralists' perceptions regarding ethno-veterinary practices, major ethno-veterinary practices in the study area, major challenges faced by pastoralists in the field of ethno-veterinary, and pastoralists' conservation measures for proper management of these knowledge/practices. A descriptive method of statistics was employed where survey questionnaires, FGDs, and field observations were used for data collection. A sample size of 200 respondents was targeted through both purposive and stratified sampling methods. The major findings indicate that, there is disease prevalence in the study area with over 93.0% of responses. A large majority of respondents (62.0%) use both ethno-veterinary and modern means of treatments while over 26.5% depends only on ethno-veterinary medicines. Pastoralists in the study area proved to have positive attitude and concern for ethno-veterinary medicines and over 58.0% of them judged it to be 'very effective and fruitful'. Documentation of major ethno-veterinary practices was realized for the following cattle diseases plaguing the study area; Brucellosis, FMD, Cowdriosis, Streptothricosis, Babesiosis, Diarrhoea, Ringworm, Infertility, Epheral fever, Bloat, Wound, Poisoning, Fracture, Lumpy skin, Lice, Ticks, and Flies. The major challenges encountered by pastoralists in ethno-veterinary practices were; difficulties in obtaining medicinal plants due to recent physico-demographic challenges, difficulties in preparation and/or usage of dosage, and challenges in storage/preservation, accounting for 93.0%, 89.5% and 82.5% of responses respectively. Despite these challenges, pastoralists in the study area pass down ethno-veterinary knowledge/practices to the younger generation and some of them still conserve medicinal plants in home gardens as effective means to preserve and promote this very important resource pool necessary for man and his society. Nevertheless, according to the respondents, the most important workable solution for the preservation and promotion of ethno-veterinary practices include; documentation of the knowledge/practices, full integration of this system of medicine into the educational milieu, protection of areas containing ethno-medicinal plants, and the promotion of home gardening of medicinal plants.
Ethiopian Veterinary Journal
This survey was conducted from December 2016 to March 2017 in Wolmera district of Oromia Region, Ethiopia to document indigenous knowledge of the community on plants used in ethno-veterinary medicine. From a total 80 respondents from eight peasant associations, 48 respondents were selected purposely by the researcher alone while the rest 32 were selected purposely by the help of local elders in the study area. Majority of respondents 63(87.27%) were male and the remained 17 (12.72%) were females. Most of the respondents 55(68.75%) were used plants to treat livestock ailment, and 50 (91%) acquired the knowledge from their parents and elders of blood relationship. Twenty-five medicinal plant species of veterinary importance classified into 22 families were documented. From identified plant families, asteraceae, euphorbiacea, solonaceae and polygonaceae were represented by 2 species each. The remaining (17 families) were represented by single plant species. Leaves were the most frequently utilized plant part (68%) and oral route (80%) was the most common route of administration, whereas concoction (60%) accounted the major form of preparation of herbal remedies. Determination of the dose is done by using different household utensils and also by using their own hand. Anthrax, black leg, ecto and endo parasites, rabies, foot and mouth disease, bloat, and colic were among the fifteen different livestock diseases or syndromes treated by traditional practitioners. Fifty-five out of 80 respondents who participated in this survey have an awareness on ethnoveterinary practice but plant parts used, dose and routes of administration were varies among the traditional practitioners. Therefore, we strongly recommended for detail scientific and pharmacological evaluations (efficacy, safety, mode of delivery and dosage) of the identified plant species in future use.
Assessment of Ethno-veterinary Practices among Cattle Herders in Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria
A.M. Sakaba, 2019
This paper evaluated some ethno-veterinary practices among cattle herders in Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria. One hundred and ten (110) questionnaires were used purposively to generate data on demographic information, cattle ownership, knowledge of ethno-veterinary practices, ethno-botanical plants of veterinary importance and their uses in treating various cattle diseases. The study covers only four villages in the study area because of the high density of cattle herders. The results revealed that cattle herding is a sole activity of males with majority (41.82%) fallen between the age group of 41-50 years old, and 79.09% having informal education while 74.55% of them have more than 11 households. Among the respondents, (47.27%), have 21-30 heads of cattle, majority (92.73%) of them are aware of ethno-veterinary practices and 89.09% adopt the of various ethno-Original Research Article Sakaba et al.; AJRAVS, 3(1): 1-7, 2019; Article no.AJRAVS.47840 2 botanical practices in treating cattle diseases. The knowledge of ethno-veterinary practice and the use of available ethno-botanical plants help the respondents to treat 20.11% cases of dermatophylosis, 18.99% parasitic infections 16.95% Contagious Bovine Pleuro-pneumonia, 15.83% trypanasomiasis and 16.76% diarrhea respectively in the study area. The existence of ethno-veterinary knowledge and practices contributes immensely to the development of livestock sub sector in the study area. This necessitates proper identification and conservation of ethno-botanical plants of veterinary importance for improved animal health care system in the study area.
Review on Ethnoveterinary Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa
Veterinary Sciences, 2021
Background: Livestock represents an important sector for the livelihood of sub-Saharan African countries’ inhabitants. In these countries, farmers raise livestock to meet household food demands and as additional sources of incomes, but its production is hampered by rampant animal diseases. The impact of animal diseases is particularly severe for poor communities that, although relying heavily on livestock, have limited access to modern veterinary services and therefore rely on indigenous medicines for the treatment of livestock ailments. Methods: The current review focuses on the ethnoveterinary health management practices found amongst livestock producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Documents were sourced from Google databases. Results: A total of 56 documents were reviewed, most of which were published recently (after 2000). The documents revealed the wide use of ethnoveterinary medicines among livestock producers in sub-Saharan African countries because of their cost and accessibility...
ETHNOVETERINARY PRACTICES IN GOAT PRODUCTION IN BORIPE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OSUN STATE
A study was carried out to analyse the ethnoveterinary practices in goat production in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State. Fifty randomly selected questionnaires administered to the farmers and village livestock producers revealed that the ingredients used in these indigenous practices include: plant extracts, seeds, leaves, barks of trees, tubers and roots of various plants. These are processed in various ways and administered to animals for a variety of disease conditions. More recently used ingredients include: kerosene and already used engine oil. Considering the combination of ingredients used by the traditional animal-health practitioners, it is likely that additive, synergistic and nutritional effects might be involved in alleviating the problem of ill-health in animal. Livestock owners readily identify signs of diseases (although some common infectious diseases have several signs and may affect various parts of the animal body). Aspects of indigenous health care practices are contrasted with modern veterinary healthcare. INTRODUCTION Ethnoveterinary research and development is defined as the holistic inter – disciplinary study of local knowledge and its associated skills, practices, believes practitioners and social structures pertaining to the healthcare and husbandry of income producing animals, has emerged as a fertile field for the generation and transfer of appropriate and sustainable veterinary alternatives to people everywhere but especially to third world stock raisers [1, 2]. The era of treating ethnoveterinary medicine and any other ethnoknowledge system with suspicion and labeling it as myth, superstition and witchcraft, is long gone. The role of ethnoveterinary medicine in livestock development is beyond dispute [3]. A great number of professionals from varied fields have over the past 26 years recognized, valued, documented and ethnocentrically studied the potential effectiveness of the traditional animal healthcare practices embodied in native and local communities.
Ethno-veterinary practices amongst small-holder farmers in Ekiti state, Nigeria
African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM / African Networks on Ethnomedicines, 2007
This paper aimed at identifying factors influencing the use of ethno-veterinary practices amongst goat and poultry farmers in Ekiti state, Nigeria. It specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers; identified some diseases of goats and poultry with their corresponding indigenous cures; presented the procedures used in developing some of the ethno-veterinary medicine amongst farmers; identified the reasons for using ethnoveterinary practices; analysed the ecological factors influencing ethno-veterinary practices; identified the roles played by institutions in the utilisation of ethno-veterinary practices; and examined the benefits and problems associated with ethno-veterinary practices in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 100 respondents from ten communities, namely: Otun-Ekiti, Igogo-Ekiti, Osin-Ekiti, Omuo-Ekiti, Ilasa-Ekiti, Araromi-Ekiti, Efon-Alaaye, Oba-Ayetoro, Ise-Ekiti, and Orun-Ekiti. Pre-tested structured a...
This study aimed at identifying factors influencing the use of ethno-veterinary practices amongst farmers in Ogbomoso north and south areas of Oyo state, Nigeria. It specifically described the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers; identified some diseases of goats and poultry with their corresponding indigenous cures. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 100 respondents from ten communities using pre-tested structured and unstructured interview schedules to collect quantitative data, while Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to elicit qualitative data from the respondents and analysed with a descriptive statistical tools. In ogbomoso north and south it has been found that male of between 41-50 year of age are mostly engaged in the practice. Most of the respondents were educated while few are not educated and most of the animals are commonly affected by coccidiosis. Some of the problems (associated with the use of indigenous knowledge) identified by the farmers were lack of institutional support and the seasonal nature of some medicinal plants. It is, thus, suggested that all identified constraints need be removed by government to enhance the use of low-external inputs for sustainable agricultural development.