ETHNOVETERINARY PRACTICES: A REVIEW OF PHYTOTHERAPEUTICAL APPROACHES IN THE TREATMENT OF LIVESTOCK IN AFRICA: CASE OF CAMEROON

Livestock health is a vital production factor in all production units. In the developed world, a lot of resources are invested in preventive measures unlike in the developing countries where resources are geared toward curative methods of livestock health care. Smallholder livestock production is an important sector of Cameroon's economy, therefore for a sustainable production there should be a good livestock health care system. In Cameroon, livestock production is entrusted to poor, old and illiterate'sfarmers with their indigenous methods of keeping livestock healthy and productive. For Cameroon to increase production, ethno veterinary medicine, which is adapted and affordable to smallholder breeders, should be developed for a sustainable smallholder production. Over 90% of the materials used in ethno veterinary medicine are from plants, hence there is an urgent need to conserve and propagate the medicinal plants already identified for fear of extinction due to random harvesting. Since ethno veterinary plants will be continuously used by smallholder livestock producers, there is a need to development ethno veterinary gardens for a sustainable use and conservation of these plants' species for future generations. More research is needed to evaluate and validate the ethno veterinary properties of these plants' preparations through collaboration between the ethno veterinary practitioners and researchers