Abstract:
In
digenous Knowledge is an integral part of human culture which is transmitted orally
throughout generations; in that, it plays an important role in the life of its developers by
integrating the spiritual, social, economic and political aspects within a culture for a complete
livelihood. Over the years, healthcare practitioners predominantly in developing countries
have considered healthcare activities and achieved healthy by using their IK. Despite its
potential for healthcare, IK is rapidly disappearing due to factors such as poor knowledge
sharing habit, orally transfer of IK from one to the other; thus, the solution is managing by
using KM approach. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which KM approaches can be
used to manage IK of traditional healthcare practices in local communities of Horro Guduru
Wo
llega zone. This study used descriptive research design through qualitative research method
to collect reliable data about perception of disease and its main cause, the types of IK of
traditional healthcare practices, the status of sharing and acquiring IK, indigenous selfmedication and required from traditional healthcare practitioners and the barriers to effective
management of IK of traditional healthcare practices. The respondents were taken from local
communities (traditional healthcare practitioners and community members) and stakeholders
(He
alth Bureau, Agricultural Bureau and NGO). Accordingly, 84 key respondents were chosen
through purposive sampling. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content
analysis. The analysis results have shown that, peoples in the local community conceptualize
disease as the disequilibrium between body and spirit; whereas God, ancestral spirit and
witches and sorcerers are the main cause of disease. The above cause’s related diseases can
be treated by using traditional healthcare IK such as by traditional medicine, physiotherapy
treatment and spiritually treatment by self-medication and traditional healthcare practitioners.
Th
e acquisition and transmission of IK traditional healthcare was carried out in biophysical
setting and socio-cultural setting. However, due to the infrastructural development such as
health facilities, road, transportation and the emergence of new religion and the development
of schools, the acquisition and transmission and the use of IK of traditional healthcare is at a
de
creasing rate. So, local community, community leader and elders, young generations,
governments, higher education institutions, stakeholders and researchers should capture and
manage IK of traditional healthcare practices to save it from ever loss.
