Lubango - The Center for Biodiversity and Environmental Education Studies (CEBEA) of the Higher Institute of Educational Sciences (ISCED) of the southern Huíla Province has developed a study in the neighbouring province of Namibe that identified some plants used in ethnoveterinary medicine, especially for the treatment of bovine diseases.
The study that took place from August to November 2023, within the scope of the Integrated Environmental Resilience Project (PIRA), recently had its results released. PIRA is a project with actions aimed at strengthening family farming, pastures and nutrition, implemented with funding from the Association for the Development and Social Framework of Vulnerable Populations (ADESPOV), in partnership with FRESA, with the study costing four million kwanzas.
Ethnoveterinary is the popular practices and knowledge that are used by many breeders, farmers or veterinarians in order to prevent or treat diseases in livestock or pets.
The research was based on the collection of data on plants that are used for medicinal purposes, more specifically linked to diseases that affect cattle on transhumance routes in Southwest Angola. It was carried out by five technicians from CEBEA, who worked on the ethnoveterinary side and the results were processed by the Università degli Studi di Firenze, in Italy and recently published in a scientific article, according to the ISCED researcher, who was part of the action, Manuel Catchissapa.
Speaking to ANGOP, the academic highlighted that the study was carried out in the province of Namibe with a focus on species along the transhumance corridor routes, in the municipalities of Camucuio, Bibala, Moçâmedes, Virei and Tômbwa.
He highlighted that in the four months of study, seven species of plants were identified that livestock farmers use to cure some diseases that affect cattle, which normally occurs during a period of drought.
The result, according to the scholar, aims to produce a practical Ethnoveterinary manual on these species, so that everything is documented.
The seven species identified, he said, are linked to the treatment of diseases such as tuberculosis and nodular dermatitis. He pointed out that Namibe, due to its soil and climate conditions, has “few” plant species, but the researchers found “only” seven species, also taking into account the reduced investigation time.
The use of this popular knowledge and beliefs relating to animal health is called ethnoveterinary, which can be defined as a systematic theoretical investigation and practical application of popular veterinary knowledge. BP/MS/TED/jmc
