ETHNOVETERINARY MEDICINE IN AFGHANISTAN - AN OVERVIEW OF INDIGENOUS ANIMAL HEALTH-CARE AMONG PASHTUN-KOOCHI NOMADS

Ethnoveterinary medicine is the study of indigenous knowledge systems of animal health care, the practical aspects of which are relevant to applied development work. The Afghan Pashtun Koochi of southern Afghan istan possess a sophisticated body of ethnoveterinary knowledge about animal diseases, treatments for animal diseases, and animal management practices. Although the Koochi live and migrate in fragile, arid and often sparsely vegetated environments, they know the regional plants a nd minerals well and utilize many of them in the care of their disease d livestock. The Koochi also use indigenous vaccination and surgical t reatments to promote herd health. This study demonstrates the breadth of the Koochi's knowledge in these areas and describes many of the ind igenous methods and medicines they use to care for and to treat diseas e among their livestock. (C)1995 Academic Press Limited