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Validating ethnoveterinary medicineEvelyn Mathias, October 2001
Validation methodsEthnoveterinary practices need to be validated before they can be widely promoted. Several levels of validation are possible:
The exact method or combination of methods will depend on the intended use of the practice to be tested and the purpose of the validation. Back to top Validation to prove or disprove local claimsThe methodology for this should be scientifically valid, while at the same time accounting for the fact that traditional remedies might work differently from modern medicines. For example, they may not be as powerful as modern drugs, but they do not wipe out all disease-causing organisms and thus allow the patient’s defence system to get into contact with the organisms and build up immunity. This might be a long-term process and more difficult to determine than (say) counting parasite eggs in the faeces. Therefore studying the efficacy of traditional remedies likely requires a different combination of methods and a longer time horizon than testing modern drugs. For example, the examination of blood samples might be needed in addition to faecal counts. Besides, ethnoveterinary practices are parts of a complex system, and isolating only one aspect for study precludes insights into the whole system. If a farmer controls worms in her animals through a combination of grazing management and herbal drenches, the drench alone may not produce a distinct effect in clinical trials. Also, the genetic makeup of the local breed may play an additional role in worm control. For such complex practices, systems research is needed to capture synergistic effects of the different aspects. Back to top Validation for drug developmentIf a plant remedy is to be studied for its suitability for drug development, tests have to meet scientific standards. And if a preparation is to be commercialised, it has to be tested according to a country’s laws. Back to top Validation for technology transferWhile some ethnoveterinary practices are location-specific, others are suited for use in other communities and regions. Examples are the widespread use of papaya as a dewormer and tobacco as an insecticide. Not all aspects of ethnoveterinary medicine are as easily transferable as plant medicines – a plant may not grow in the target area, a practice may be culturally inappropriate to other regions, or it may be too complicated to be easily learned. Example: branding. Pastoralists around the world treat their animals by burning them with a hot iron. Although its use is controversial among outsiders, it may be beneficial in some conditions. Branding requires special skills but these are difficult to transfer. When transferring peoples’ practices from one location to another, criteria similar to those for other technologies should apply:
Back to top Validation for field use in extreme conditionsIn situations ‘where there is no vet’ nor drugs, or where people cannot afford expensive, imported medicines, healthcare providers may consider practices
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