Poverty Reduction and Effective treatment for Malerial disease in Ethiopia
Significance of vernonia to poverty reduction in Ethiopia:
Recent decades have witnessed an increase in the rate of desertification of agricultural lands. More than one third of our planet’s land is now arid. Water for crops and increasing human population is rapidly becoming a critical short commodity. This reality is observed more so in Ethiopia where the arid zone is expanding at the fastest rate causing a great loss of cattle population, cycle of famine and migration of rural population to urban areas. Unlike vernonia, non of the major crops of the world is well adopted to arid lands. Vernonia is essentially less competitive with existing crops and possibly provide a new and unique product for reduction of global warming, industrial applications , economic empowerment for the rural population, which combines all the positive merits for the millennium poverty reduction and for all who reside in our polluted global village. Another valuable by product of vernolic acid is its seed flake that contains 45% protein. In a country like Ethiopia where live stock play a crucial role in a small holder farming and large scale cattle fattening for commercial export. Ethiopia’s cattle population is one of the largest in Africa equivalent to its population density. Despite of its economic significance to poverty reduction, the migrant nature of the cattle herders in search of grass feed and over grazing has accelerated the expansion of the arid zone. This trend has continued over many years causing cascades of environmental changes leading to barren lands, rainfall shortages and cycles of famine. There is more significance to vernonia seed flake than just a cattle feed, reversing the course of environmental degradation is the pivotal aspect of the vernonia venture.
Effective treatment for Malerial disease in Ethiopia:
Plants form the genus Vernonia produce a variety of flavonoids and a bitter sesquiterpene lactones important for agriculture and human health (chemistry of natural product research done at Virginia State University/International Journal of Plant Science, 169(5): 605-614.
Sesquiterpene lactones is the compound used in the treatment of multi drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria. Currently, this compound is isolated from Artemisis annua for combination therapy against malaria. This compound is also being studied as a treatment for cancer. Vernonia has a mega significance in multi-sect oral needs of this nation.