Ministry of Science and Technology Awarded EPHI
The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) is awarded on the 6th Ministry of Science and Technology’s National Award for the Herbal Based Ectoparasiticidal Products: Anti-Sarcoptic Mange Mite, Anti-Sheep Ked and Anti-Sucking Lice of Ruminants research which is conducted in collaboration with other institutes.
This research has found out a herbal medicine that cures diseases that occur on sheep and goat hides known as sarcoptes scabiei var. caprae, damalina ovis and melophagus ovinus. Prior to this research’s findings a medicine called diazinon was imported to cure these diseases. According to the research’s experiment and the conducted tests it has been proven that the herbal medicine completely replaces diazinon.
The research has taken more than 10 years and at first it was conducted on juices from 14 plants. Later, based on the laboratory results, the plants were reduced to two; cymbopogon citrates and eucalypturs globulus.
According to the researchers this herbal medicine has many advantages. First of all it saves the foreign currency spent on importing the medicine and in addition the plants can be grown and easily used by farmers.
The research project was first designed and implemented by EPHI. While implementation it was found necessary to collaborate with other institutions. Therefore the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture of Addis Ababa University and Adamitulu Pesticide Processing Share Company joined the research.