“Primary data were collected from purposively selected elders’ pastoralists in Ethiopia, whose livelihoods depend
predominantly on livestock and their products. Most of the treatments in the study areas are plant based. 78.2% of the healers depend on plant extracts. 75.6% of the healers prepared two or more plants with water for single treatment of an animal disease. The majority of the local healers used to collect medicinal plants alone with great secrecy and no one was allowed to see this activity except some family members. The study confirmed that 79.5% acquired the knowledge from their father or uncle; and in line with this, 84.6 % of the respondent didn’t improve the acquired knowledge. The survey result
revealed that 92.3% of the respondent confirmed that their knowledge was well
known to some individuals in their community. This study concludes that the traditional healer’s knowledge, protected through appropriate sui generis intellectual property right protection scheme with highly consideration of customary law and international agreements has to be in place.”
