Effectiveness of planned teaching intervention on knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among first year midwifery students.

IntroductionThe prevalence of cancer is growing rapidly in all parts of the word and Ethiopia is no exception. Secondary prevention, as simple as monthly breast self-examination, is the best option to tackle the rising of this epidemic. Health awareness programs on screening and early detection are the corner stones to reduce the morbidity and mortality resulting from breast cancer.ObjectiveThe aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of planned teaching program on knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among first year female midwifery students in Hawassa health Sciences College.Methods and materialsA pre-experimental one group pre-posttest design was used among 61 students who were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and adapted and approved checklist. Data was entered using Epi-Info and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Pre-and post-intervention results were calculated using paired t-test.ResultsThe mean age of the study participants was 20.13(±2.27) and 77% of the study participants were single. Before the intervention 14(23%) of respondents had information and practiced breast self-examination, only 8(13.1%) performed breast self -examination on a regular monthly basis. The number and percentage of the knowledgeable respondents pre-post intervention is 23(37.7%) and 35(57.4%), respectively. The mean knowledge difference for the pre-post intervention is 0.18±0.695 (P Conclusion and recommendationsPlanned teaching intervention on knowledge and Breast self-examination of students has resulted in an increment of both knowledge and the practice of breast self-examination. Teaching breast self-examination with demonstration to all at risk groups as a secondary prevention for breast cancer and large scale studies on heterogeneous groups is important

Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring in Ethiopia: Analysis of case reports, 2002-2007

Background: Ensuring the health and safety of the public from adverse reaction of drugs is paramount. Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring (ADRM) is a system that is put in place to ensure the health and safety of the public from adverse reactions of drugs. It heavily relies on health professionals (HPs) reporting of adverse events of drugs to drug regulators, in Ethiopia to the Drug Administration and Control Authority (DACA). The processed information, based on reported cases, is used to improve evidence based practice and underpins decisions to mitigate drug safety issues by drug regulators. However, the effectiveness of the ongoing ADRM system in Ethiopia in terms of its detection has never been evaluated.Objective: To explore the magnitude of ADRM and suggest some practical improvement in Ethiopia.Methods: The study analyzed the number of adverse drug reaction case reports received by DACA in a period of six years (2002 – 2007GC). All cases reported over the study period were included for analysis. Descriptive analysis was carried out to estimate the prevalence of adverse drug reactions and to assess their trend over the study period. To assess the strengths and weakness of the ongoing national ADRM, cases were analyzed by their location, time of occurrence, type of the health professional who made the case reports, drugs implicated, clinical manifestations and age of subjects affected.Results: A total of 249 ADR cases were reported between 2002 and 2007. An average of 0.5 ADR cases per million populations were reported annually. The majority (36%) of all the cases were for 31 to 40 years of age. Cases were reported mainly (63%) from health facilities in the capital city. Physicians made 76% of all cases reported. Antiretroviral drugs were implicated in 70% of the cases reported. The most widely adverse events reported were dermatological disorders.Conclusions: The level of ADR case reporting is very low showing the need to address major constraints of ongoing ADR monitoring. Thus, comprehensive measures aimed at improving under-reporting and effectiveness of ADRM should be instituted. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2011;25(2):168-173

Evaluation of the performance of bias-corrected CORDEX regional climate models in reproducing Baro–Akobo basin climate

The applicability of the regional climate model (RCMs) for catchment hydroclimate is obscured due to their systematic bias. As a result, bias correction has become an essential precondition for the study of climate change. This study aimed to evaluate the skill of seven rainfall and five maximum and minimum temperature RCM outputs against observed data in simulating the characteristics of climate at several locations over the Baro–Akobo basin in Ethiopia. The evaluation was performed based on raw and bias-corrected RCMs against observed for a long-term basis. Several statistical metrics were used to compare RCMs against observed using a pixel-to-point approach. In this finding, raw RCMs showed pronounced biases such as lower correlation and higher PBIAS in estimating rainfall and minimum temperature than maximum temperature. However, most RCMs after bias correction showed better performance in reproducing the magnitude and distribution of the mean monthly rainfall and temperature and improve all the statistical metrics. The Mann–Kendall trend test for observed and bias-corrected RCMs indicated a decreasing annual rainfall trend while the maximum and minimum temperature showed an increasing trend in most stations. In most statistical metrics, the ensemble mean resulted in better agreement with observation than individual models in most stations. In general, after bias correction, the ensemble adequately simulates the Baro–Akobo basin climate and can be used for evaluation of future climate projections in the region

Comparative analysis of maize-livestock innovation systems in Awassa, Bako and Ambo areas of Ethiopia

A study was undertaken with the objectives of (i) assessing farmers’ practices in the use of maize byproducts for livestock feeding and analyze influence of variety on yield and quality of the stover; (ii) analyzing constraints and linkages between maize and livestock subsystems; (iii) assessing factors influencing farmers’ preferences to improved maize varieties, and (iv) describing and understanding the maize-livestock innovation systems at a national level and in selected areas. The study included three levels of analysis, namely the macro, meso and micro levels. The macro level analysis focused on evaluating the national maize – livestock innovation system where key actors, their roles and competencies, their habits and practices, and linkages and interactions were analyzed through review of secondary sources and key informant interviews. The meso level emphasized on the analysis of the innovation systems in Awassa, Bako and Ambo areas, and the assessment of feeding practices and farmers’ rankings of maize varieties through key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Stover samples that were collected at green/eshet and mature/dry stages from on-farm demonstration plots were analyzed for their chemical composition (ash, nitrogen, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, in vitro organic matter digestibility and metabolizable energy). Besides, at micro level, household level data were collected from a total sample size of 350 farmers randomly selected from Awassa, Bako Tibe and Ambo districts. Analysis of factors that affect farmers’ choice of varieties was done using the multinomial logit model. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were also employed as analytical tools. From the studied maize varieties, significant varietal differences were observed in NDF and ADL contents of stovers. However, varietal difference in grain yield was not significant. Results of the current study gave indications about the possibility of manipulating feed related traits in the effort to breed and/or select for maize varieties that combine food and feed traits The linkage between the maize and livestock subsystems towards an integrated maize-livestock production system has been constrained by several problems. These constraints affect resource flows between the two subsystems by constraining both or either. These included socio economic, biophysical and institutional constraints. The ever intensifying population pressure which influences the availability of land for maize production and grazing and large family size of households motivating farmers to cultivate more land dictated by the demand for enough grain are affecting the linkage. Feed shortage coupled with disease problems causes continuous decline of livestock number and productivity constraining the contribution of livestock to the maize subsystem. Unbalanced research and extension focus between the maize and the livestock subsystems, difficulties in the process of technology popularization and inefficient and ineffective input, credit and veterinary services are the important institutional bottlenecks for integrating the maize and livestock subsystems to the level they could. Analysis of the factors that affect farmers’ choice of maize varieties gave results with a possible implication that livestock owning farmers make a preference to a variety with better stover quality in addition to grain yield. There were no functional and meaningful mechanisms of interaction between the actors in the maize livestock innovation system and the different actors have capacity limitations to execute their roles up to the level and quality that the system requires for being effective, efficient and sustainable. The overall picture of the maize-livestock innovation system is tied with the conventional top-down approach which is not participatory and learning based. The system suffers from shortages and high prices of inputs added to lack of timely supply. Lack of proper input demand assessment is also contributing to the scope of the problem. There is a high government control over the input system. Continued capacity building efforts for all of the actors and promotion of trust worthy interactive learning processes for better technological uptake and responsiveness to the demands of end users are necessary. An institutional innovation and building the culture of working together to bring about technological change is required

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among urban dwellers in southwest Ethiopia

No Abstract. The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 21 (1) 2007: pp. 12-1

The hydrological characterisation and water budget of a South African rehabilitated headwater wetland system

This paper presents a synopsis of the findings of a valley bottom wetland monitoring study in which dominant hydrological processes maintaining the system are quantitatively defined. The Craigieburn-Manalana is a wetland subjected to technical rehabilitation, at the headwaters of the Sand River in the lowveld savanna region of South Africa.Findings include the identification of a rapid water delivery mechanism from the surrounding hillslopes to the wetland following a threshold-exceeding precipitation event, when hillslope-toe soil matric potential is close to 0, leading to a raising of the wetland water table by >0.7 m within 3 h. A summary of quantified fluxes and associated water budget of the wetland and its contributing catchment is developed. It is revealed that this wetland does not necessarily conform to the typical assumptions that wetlands augment low flows. Surface layer scintillometry shows actual wetland evapotranspiration to dominate the water budget during the dry season (2.3–3.5 mm/d) compared to its contributing catchment (0.9–2.2 mm/d), whilst stream discharge had ceased. Hydrograph separation, based on stable isotopes (18O), revealed that the wetland does not attenuate peak flows during the summer rains when the wetlands soil moisture deficit is close to 0, since more than 66% of stream discharge comprised event water. These results are discussed within the context of current hydrological understanding of southern African headwater wetlands, such as dambos.Keywords: hillslope processes, hydro-geomorphology, water budget, dambos, rehabilitation, wetland

Schistosomiasis mansoni and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Bushulo village, southern Ethiopia

Background: Schistosomiasis mansoni and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STHs) are considerable medical and public health problems in Ethiopia. However, information is limited on the epidemiology of these infections in different localities even though it is needed to plan effective prevention and control measures. Objective: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni and soil-transmitted helminth infections in school children and residents in Bushulo village near Lake Awassa (Hawassa), southern Ethiopia. Methods: Cross-sectional epidemiological and parasitological studies were conducted on schistosomiasis mansoni and STHs in Bushulo village in May and June 2007. A total of 419 participants (353 school children and 66 other residents) were included in the study. The principal investigator interviewed the study subjects about demographic status using structured questionnaires. Moreover, experienced nurse took history and conducted physical examination to assess symptoms and signs related to chronic S. mansoni infection. A single stool sample was collected from each participant and processed using the Kato-Katz technique. Experienced laboratory technician read all slides at Bushulo Health Center. Results: The overall infection rates of schistosomiasis mansoni, trichuriasis, ascariasis and hookworm infection were 73.7%, 41.5%, 37.2% and 28.4%, respectively. Other parasitic infections observed were caused by Hymenolepis nana (1.7%), Taenia species (1.4%), and Enterobius vermicularis (1.4%). Children in the age range 10-14 years and those attending at St. Paul’s School had higher rates of T. trichiura and S. mansoni, respectively. Intensity of infection was higher for A. lumbricoides in the age range 5-9 years. The overall prevalence of any STHs was 67.3%. The rates of single, dual, triple and quadruple infections were 29.6%, 32%, 20.3% and 7.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The high prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis mansoni and soil-transmitted helminthiasis makes periodic deworming programme urgent to reduce morbidity and transmission of helminthiasis in the area. Provisions of sanitary facilities and clean water supply as well as health education are also critically needed to sustain the impact of chemotherapy

Assessment of Feed Resource Availability and Quality in Kedida Gamela District, Southern Ethiopia

Availability of major livestock feed resources, their chemical composition and balance between available feed resources and requirements of existing tropical livestock units (TLU) in Kedida Gamela district (Southern Ethiopia) were assessed. A survey was conducted on 100 sample households (HH) and data collected using group discussions, structured questionnaire and personal observations. Furthermore, chemical composition and in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility (IVDMD) of major feed resources identified (natural pasture and crop residues) were also determined. A total of 28,675 tonnes of DM were produced annually for a total of 40,080 TLU which satisfies only 31.4% of their maintenance requirement. Maize stover and wheat straw contain lowest ash and from agro-industrial by-products noug cake and wheat bran the highest ash content. The highest (p0.05) between the agro-industrial by-products. The highest acid detergent lignin content for roughage feed was recorded from maize stover to natural pasture and the highest from agro-industrial by-products was recorded from wheat bran to noug cake. Differences in IVDMD for major feed resources were not significant (P>0.05). The differences in nutrient composition and IVDMD of the feed resources in midland and highland followed similar trend, although there were slight differences in nutrient content and IVDMD of similar feedstuffs from the two altitudinal zones. In conclusion, the main feed resource is crop residues which are of low quality with high fiber content, low digestibility which may result in reduced livestock productivity and disease resistance. Chopping followed by soaking or ammonaition or urea treatment could be suggested to improve quality of the roughages

Global Diffusion of the Internet X: The Diffusion of Telemedicine in Ethiopia: Potential Benefits, Present Challenges, and Potential Factors

Delivery of healthcare services presents many challenges for governments in most developing countries. Some of these challenges include financial and human resources issues that might affect governments\u27 ability to manage and transform scarce resources to meet healthcare needs. Telemedicine, a healthcare delivery technology where physicians examine patients from distant locations using information technologies, is reported to be increasingly helpful in meeting the needs of the healthcare sector in developing nations such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. This conceptual study reports on the sectoral adoption of telemedicine in Ethiopia, a sub-Saharan African country. We examine the potential benefits of telemedicine diffusion in Ethiopia, addressing the country\u27s healthcare needs, and discussing the obstacles and challenges. Based on previous literature, as well as experiences drawn from other developing nations, we address three potential factors that could influence the diffusion of telemedicine in Ethiopia: active participation of institutions of higher education, Ethiopian foreign alliances, and government involvement. Although the initial successes are relatively small and involve isolated projects, they have been promising and have set the stage for researchers to investigate prevailing projects so as to gain better understanding of the aforementioned factors. Our study does not claim that telemedicine can solve all of Ethiopia\u27s medical challenges; however, we contend that it is a starting point to reach Africans that live in areas with limited medical facilities and personnel. Hence, our study could have far reaching implications as the world looks to help this country, and by extension, other developing countries, to overcome their medical challenges and join the information society