ANKOBER HERBAL MEDICINE RESEARCH CENTER
The Ankober Herbal Medicine Preparation and Biodiversity Conservation Project was established in 2010 by a trilateral agreement signed among Debre Berhan University (DBU), Ankober Woreda Development Association (AWDA) and an Italian based NGO named Increasing People’s Opportunity (IPO). The project has three major research teams, namely,
- Plant Biodiversity Conservation team
- Plant extraction and characterization team
- Health team
Debre Berhan University has been working hard to change the project into research center of herbal medicine.The Research Center for Ankober Herbal Medicine at Debre Berhan University will be established with the goal to engage in scientific and innovative herbal medicine research. The center also focuses on herbal pharmaceutical drug development. Debre Berhan University aim is to become the leader in the herbal medical research in the near future in Ethiopia by integrating the indigenous knowledge with modern science to enhance the health condition of the society.
The prior activities of the Ankober Herbal Medicine Research Center are to conserve the indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants because Alterations to the environment whether natural or manmade can directly impact the biodiversity. It is well documented that biodiversity is necessary for human wellbeing. Plants provide medicinal and nutritional properties for indigenous societies, and furnish over of the compounds required to produce commercially available drugs in the modern world. Losses in this biodiversity limit the availability of these vital raw materials, potentially threatening the manufacture and development of medications to prevent the spread of human diseases around the world so herbal medicine considered as a major healthcare provider around the globe particularly in rural and remote areas. A large section of people depends on such medicine for their primary healthcare mainly in developing countries.
Mission:
To conserve the indigenous knowledge in herbal medicine preparation, use and the endangered medicinal plants and to excel its standard using modern technology and scientific background to prepare herbal drugs which is essential to improve the health of the society
“From the Community to the Community through Farm to Pharma”
Vision:
To be centre of excellence in Herbal Medicine Preparation and Biodiversity conservation among similar institutes in Ethiopia
Objectives of the Research Center
- To conserve the indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants
- To conduct research on the medicinal plants
- To integrate herbal medicine with modern medicine
- To use herbal medicine as alternative or complementary medicine to improve the health condition
- To create link and conducive situation for the national and international researchers to promote the center as icon of herbal medicine research center in Ethiopia
The question which we ask is: what is the socio-economic impact of the current regulation system of access to and use of biodiversity on local communities?
The current system of access to and use of biodiversity and traditional knowledge:
- Do they favour a fair access to and use of natural resources and biodiversity to local communities and their development?
- Do they favour the preservation and the respect of indigenous knowledge, innovations
and practices?
- What are the main risks of the misuse and misappropriation of traditional knowledge?
“Indigenous knowledge is an integral part of the culture and history of a local community. We need to learn from local communities to enrich the development process”. James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank
Contact Address:
Director: Amare Ayalew (Ph.D)
Directorate: Ankober Herbal Medicine Preparation and Biodiversity Conservation Project
P.O.Box:445, Phone:+251118900345, Mob.:+251911931941
