Ethno-Veterinary Knowledge and Practices of Issa-Somali Pastoralists around Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia

A study was conducted to survey the ethno-veterinary knowledge and practices Issa-Somali pastoralists have and apply inmanaging their goats around Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia. The Issa-Somali community is known for its long history oftraditional goat keeping. Pastoral livestock production is the dominant livelihood system in the area where-in disease wasprioritized as the major production constraint. Poor accessibility of conventional veterinary services, amid the flock and familymobility characterizing the production system, has left the Issa pastoralists with no choice but uphold the traditional livestocktreatment systems passed down through generations. The community employs unique ethno-semantics and ethno-taxonomyapproaches to understand, diagnose and treat various goat diseases. Traditional healers within the community practiced rathercomplex ethno-veterinary practices to treat sick animals. Indigenous knowledge inherited from ancestors and traditionalbelief/rituals in the community were the main factors shaping the range of ethno-veterinary practices. However, “localexperimentations” have enabled the system’s dynamism to respond to emerging diseases. Range of ethno-veterinary practiceswas uncovered in this study. These findings of knowledge, practices and actors in traditional animal health care could beorganized as an input towards implementing feasible and sustainable community-based animal health care scheme to benefitthe pastoralist community