Integrated ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal study of Afar pastoralists, Northeastern Ethiopia: A mixed-methods analysis of medicinal plant knowledge, healing rituals, and healthcare practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/bjs.v5i11.914Keywords:
ethnobotany, Afar pastoralists, medicinal plants, healing rituals, quantitative analysisAbstract
The Afar region of Northeastern Ethiopia harbors a unique arid-adapted medicinal flora and a rich pastoralist healing tradition, yet comprehensive studies integrating quantitative ethnobotany and qualitative ethnomedicine remain limited. This mixed-methods study documented medicinal plant diversity, evaluated cultural importance, examined healing rituals and healthcare practices, validated antimalarial activity, and prioritized species for conservation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 168 informants, including 52 traditional healers, across seven districts. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices (UV, RFC, FL, ICF, and Jaccard similarity) were calculated, while qualitative data from healers were analyzed thematically. Selected medicinal plants were evaluated for antimalarial activity using a Plasmodium berghei mouse model, and a multi-criteria framework was applied to prioritize conservation. A total of 158 medicinal plant species belonging to 52 families and 128 genera were recorded. Fabaceae was the most represented family, while shrubs and leaves were the predominant growth form and plant part used, respectively. Water was the principal extraction solvent. Informant consensus was highest for livestock diseases (ICF = 0.89), and eight species showed fidelity levels above 85%, with Cissus quadrangularis presenting the highest value (94.7%) for blackleg treatment. Cyphostemma adenocaule exhibited significant antimalarial activity, suppressing parasitemia by 53.73% at 900 mg kg⁻¹ without detectable toxicity, and ranked as the highest conservation priority. Qualitative findings identified a tripartite disease classification comprising God-given, human-caused, and spirit-caused illnesses, supported by three principal healing rituals. Traditional medicine remained widely used because of its affordability and effectiveness for spiritual disorders, whereas biomedical services were preferred for emergencies. The Afar ethnomedicinal system represents a distinctive arid-land pharmacopoeia characterized by high cultural consensus, validated therapeutic potential, and complex healing traditions. However, dependence on wild harvesting and oral knowledge transmission threatens its long-term sustainability. Community-based cultivation of priority species, formal recognition of traditional healers, and integration of evidence-based medicinal plants into local healthcare policies are recommended to strengthen conservation and preserve indigenous knowledge.
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