CONSERVATION and SUSTAINABLE USE of

MEDICINAL PLANTS (CSMPP)

Medhin Zewdu
Project Coordinator
CSMPP@telecom.net.et
 Project objectives
 The major objectives of the project are
capacity building (IPR & field genebank)
 validation of traditional medicine (safety
and efficacy) for treatment of both
human and animal disease and;
 in-situ conservation in and around the
Bale Mountains National Park Area.
 Detailed activities
 Establishing medicinal plants field genebank
 Developing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and
policy guidelines.
 Conduct ethnomedical survey to explore
utilization of medicinal plants and traditional
health practices for the prevention of HIV and
mitigation of adverse impacts of AIDS.
 Conduct research on the propagation and
cultivation methods of selected indigenous
medicinal plants for human and livestock
diseases.
 ...activities
 Phytochemical studies including,
extraction, standardization, safety and
efficacy testing, dosage determination
and formulation.
 Development of a National Medicinal
Plants Database (NMDP).
 An in-depth socio-economic survey
 …activities
- identify villagers/users having greatest
impact on wild populations of medicinal
plants through harvesting and other
activities and
- identify villagers/farmers for on-farm
pilot propagation & cultivation trials of
medicinal plants to reduce pressure
from wild populations.
 …activities
 An in-depth biological survey and
assessment of in-situ and ex-situ
conservation, zoning of key areas within
the Park
Development and implementation of
appropriate management options and
guidelines for sustainable harvesting of
medicinal plants.
 ...activities
Marketing and utilization of medicinal plants by THPs
in and around the Bale Mountains National Park
(BMNP).
 Piloting of farmer based cultivation trials for a
selected number of threatened and indigenous
medicinal plant species on the boundaries, in home
gardens and in buffer zones of the National Park.
Training of (a) relevant personnel in the conservation
and management of medicinal plants (b) farmers for
pilot propagation and cultivation and management.
 Expected outputs
 Field gene bank established serving
research and conservation efforts.
 Guideline for sustainable harvest of
medicinal plants.
 Cultivation practices of medicinal plants
and develop sense of ownership of
communities over the resources.
 …outputs
 Three phytomedicine for human diseases
dosage formulated (tapeworm infections,
broncho pneumonia and hypertension)
 Three phytomedicine for animal diseases
(tapeworm infections, mastitis and
dermatophilosis) developed.
 IPR policy guideline for sharing IK
 Constraints
 Project components were described in the
absence of clarity as to the detailed
activities to be undertaken under each
component. Involvement of communities
was not designed properly.
 Communication among the various
stakeholders including communities was not
strong; both vertical and horizontal
 Learning Exchange
1. SOP experts in China, India and South
Korea
2. ESTC team in China
3. IBCR, ESTC, THA, EHNRI & CSMPP in
India & Sri Lanka.
 Lessons learnt from the
exchange
Sri Lankan Medicinal Plants project:
 The approach in communities’ involvement
 Designing income generating activities as
incentive
 Creating market opportunities (Export and local)
 Formalizing Traditional Medicine; institutional
setups.
 …lessons learnt

Indian experience: various

 Institutional set up of traditional medicine
 Role of Self Help Groups
 Role of Women in cultivation and
production of herbal medicine
 Role of ITC in PHC
 ..lessons learnt
 TBGRI linkage with communities
 Award for the model for benefit sharing
 Ethnomedical documentation
 Etc.
 Follow-up of study tour
1. Documentation of IK
v Dynamic farmer based crop genetic
resources in-situ conservation project;
supported by GEF
v CSMPP in traditional medicine; FVM
ethnoveterinary survey in two regions; DDR
traditional medicine for human use: book is
under publishing
 progresses
 1. Validation of traditional medicine
 Safety and efficacy studies by CSMPP
 Ethnomedical survey by DDR; follow up of the
survey being proposed
 2. Training to Traditional Health Practitioners
including TBAs
 Initiative of Women Association of Tigray; 1400
TBAs trained and provided delivery kits
 progresses
 1. Institutionalizing Traditional medicine
 v DDR/EHNRI
 v Ethnobiology department within IBCR
 v Tigray Health Bureau initiative to integrate
the practice…
 2. Certification of THPs
 v Initiative of the project (CSMPP) with the
MoH
 v Incorporating the program in the Annual plan
of the MoH for certification and provision of
training
 progresses
 1. Policy issues
 v IPR guideline being developed by the ESTC
 v Access to genetic resources and community
benefit sharing.
 2. In-situ and ex-situ conservation techniques
 IBCR’s experience, community collaborative
works, study tours in different countries, etc.
 progresses
 1. Dissemination of experience learnt in South
Asian countries
 v The Report shared with the MoH
 v Introductory workshop conducted in four
weredas of Bale zone to farmers and officials of
the weredas
 v Briefly reported on the Annual Review
Workshop of the project
 v Study tour organized for a group of ten
people to TBGRI, first week of May.
1. Use of IT at community level?
v Satellite distance learning facilities are
being setup in the rural areas
v ESTC has started establishing IT
centers in small towns.
 Next steps
 1. Community based home garden
establishment
 2. Designing income generating activities for
communities (Technical assistance from IUCN)
 3. Seeking consultancy on involvement of
CBOs
 4. Registering THPs in the different regions
and develop guideline for certification