Utilization of medicinal plants in treating livestock diseases around Queen Elizabeth national park, western Uganda

Abstract

The study focused on the use of medicinal plants in treating livestock diseases by the communities around queen Elizabeth National Park, specifically in Nyakatonzi and Kichwamba sub-counties in western Uganda. The study identified the available medicinal plant species and their application in treatment of livestock diseases. Plants of families Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae and Lamiaceae were the mostly used in treating livestock diseases and most of these plants are harvested from the National Park. A total of nineteen different plant species was found to be used. Diseases treated by herbal plants included; anaemia, bloat, cough, East Coat Fever (ECF) and external parasites with East Coast Fever treated by large number (10) of plant species. There is a need to pay attention on how these plants are being exploited to avoid their extinction as some have become endangered species. Programmes that aim at sustainable use and conservation of the most important plant species in treating these diseases can be thought of, for example the plant domestication projects as some of the species can be found in the National Park only. The distribution, the methods of use and the efficiency of these implicated plant species should be areas of further investigation to give more light on the subject.