Irrigation for sustainable Agricultural Development in Ethiopia

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Hydatid disease of the liver: A 12 year experience of surgical management

Objective: Information about hydatid cyst disease in Ethiopia is scarce. This study was aimed at reviewing the clinical presentations, modes of surgical management and post-operative course of patients with hepatic hydatidosis in Tikur Anbessa hospital,Methods: This was a retrospective study of 137 patients seen with hepatic hydatidosis at Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Department of Surgery, Medical Faculty, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Results: The male: female ratio was 1.2:1. Patients’ age ranged from 13 to 67 years with a mean of 33.5 years. The majority (65%) of the patients came from the rural Ethiopia and 40% of the patients had been in frequent contact with domestic animals such as dogs. Abdominal pain and abdominal mass were the commonest symptoms. A palpable mass or hepatomegaly was found in 89.8% of cases, Ultrasonography and computed tomography were the main diagnostic procedures. The cysts were located in the right lobe of the liver in 76 patients (55.5%) and in the left lobe in 38(27.7 %); the other 23 patients (16.8%) had bilobar involvement. Most patients (78.1%) had a solitary cyst. Twenty-three patients had hydatid cystic lesions in other organs in addition to hepatic hydatidosis. The surgical approach was abdominal in 122(89.1%) patients, one- stage thoracoabdominal in 8(5.8%), and laparotomy and thoracotomy at interval in 7(5.1%) patients. Operative management consisted of conservative procedure in 126(92%) patients, namely evacuation in 93(67.9%), cystotomy in 21(15.3%), enucleation of intact cyst in 12(8.8%) patients. Radical procedure was done in 11(8%) patients, wedge resection in 10(5.8) patients, and lobectomy in only 1(0.7%) patient Twenty-seven (19.7%) patients developed Postoperative complication.Conclusion: Complete excision of hydatid cyst(s) and procedures that conserve liver tissue are appropriate for most patients with hepatic hydatid cysts

Empirical Study on Apple Production, Marketing and its Contribution to Household Income in Chencha District of Southern Ethiopia

Apple is a temperate climate fruit tree. The introduction of apple tree to Ethiopia is traced back to 1950s. However, apple production has been low and concentrated in Chencha district forcing the country to importation to meet the national demand. This study, therefore, intends to analyze the current apple production and marketing chain to enhance household food security in chencha district of southwest Ethiopia. Mixed non-experimental study was conducted in eight randomly selected kebeles using structured pre-tested questionnaire administered on 257 systematically drawn farm households in the district. Series group discussions, key informant interviews, institutional analysis and field observations were also held in the sampled kebeles to extract qualitative data of the study. The study has shown that apple production and productivity was low due to limited cultivation, poor agronomic practices, shortage of grafting and pruning materials, shortage of trained experts and poor research-extension and development linkage. The apple tree population was unevenly distributed among producers where few producers cultivate majority of apple and earn the lion`s share of income. The apple producers earn 272.89 USD on average per year per household. The chain of apple marketing was long passing through producers, consumers, primary cooperatives, retailers and wholesalers. Cooperatives play critical role in apple marketing and protect apple farmers from exploitation by selfish businessmen. However, mismatch between supply and demand, lack of predetermined demand schedule, smuggling which compromises quality products and unfair competition among cooperatives and absence of transparency are affecting apple marketing. The income proxy measurement of the study revealed that over 82% of the households were food insecure. The study calls for all government and nongovernmental organizations to work together to expand and improve apple production and establish apple marketing hub

A review of Theropithecus oswaldi with the proposal of a new subspecies

Theropithecus oswaldi darti, as currently understood, is the oldest Theropithecus taxon in the fossil record and the earliest subspecies in the Theropithecus oswaldi lineage. Theropithecus oswaldi darti is typified at the site of Makapansgat in South Africa, and a similar form (T. o. cf. darti) is usually recognized at Hadar, Dikika, some Middle Awash localities, and Woranso-Mille in Ethiopia. This taxon is also tentatively believed to occur in Kenya at Kanam and Koobi Fora and in Member C of the Shungura Formation in Ethiopia. While there is a general consensus that the East African ‘darti’ specimens are sufficiently similar to each other, there has always been a question of whether they are too distinct from the South African type material of T. o. darti to belong to the same subspecies. Here we conduct a morphological comparison of the different samples previously assigned to T. o. darti and T. o. cf. darti. The results of our analyses overwhelmingly support the hypothesis that the East African samples are distinct from the South African ones, and they are likely distinct in geological age as well. Therefore, we propose a new subspecies designation for the material previously termed T. o. cf. darti from East Africa: Theropithecus (Theropithecus) oswaldi ecki subsp. nov. We also formally recognize Theropithecus (Theropithecus) oswaldi serengetensis (Dietrich, 1942) for specimens from Laetoli, Woranso-Mille, and perhaps Galili

Male Involvement in Family Planning Services

Family planning is the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and obtain their preferred number of children, spacing, and timing of births. It is accomplished through the use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility. Family planning is important for the well-being of women and their families, and it can help a country reduce poverty and achieve the SDGs faster. When family planning methods are used effectively, they assist couples in having the number of children they desire, improve maternal and child health, which may assist women in avoiding unintended pregnancies, and lower risk factors for maternal and child mortality. Increasing the use of condoms and vasectomies among men is only one aspect of male involvement in family planning. It also includes the number of men who support and encourage their partners and peers to use family planning, as well as the number of men who influence policy to make it more favorable to promoting male-related programs. Men’s participation is critical to women’s health and program completion, as it promotes shared responsibility for birth control, contraceptive reputation, and thus the women are more likely to adopt and continue using beginning prevention if their partner’s active assistance

Corona virus vaccine hesitancy among higher education students in Adama City, Oromia, Ethiopia

BackgroundVaccination stands as the most efficient approach for managing the continued transmission of infections and preventing the emergence of novel variants. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy poses a significant burden in the fight to achieve herd immunity.MethodsA cross-sectional study, based on institutional parameters, was conducted among a cohort of 530 higher education students, selected via a simple random sampling method. Study participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique from February to March 2022. Structured questionnaire data were gathered and subsequently analyzed using SPSS version 21. The strength of the association between various factors and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was assessed using the odds ratio along with its 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance was deemed to be present at a p-value of < 0.05.ResultThe prevalence of coronavirus vaccine hesitancy was 47.5%. The factors that were found to be significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were residential address (AOR = 2.398, 95% CI: 1.476–3.896); agreeing with leaders and groups that do not support COVID-19 vaccination (AOR = 2.292, 95% CI: 1.418–3.704); coming from a community whose leaders support COVID-19 vaccination for young adults (AOR = 0.598, 95% CI: 0.381–0.940), and believing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe (AOR = 0.343,95% CI: 0.168–0.701).ConclusionApproximately five out of 10 students who participated in this study were hesitant to get vaccinated against coronavirus. Incorporating messages and initiatives into local plans to specifically target the factors identified in this study is imperative for substantially increasing the COVID-19 vaccine uptake among students in higher education institutions

REAL-TIME SENSOR DATA ANALYTICS AND VISUALIZATION IN CLOUD-BASED SYSTEMS FOR FOREST ENVIRONMENT MONITORING

Forest environment monitoring is essential for natural resource management. The development of sensors using across forests enables for the collection massive volumes of data due to technological improvements in the sensor network. Raspberry Pi, a flexible and inexpensive single-board computer, is at the main of the system, connecting and interfacing with the many sensors spread throughout the system. Sensors such as this can collect crucial information about the forest's environment, such as the weather, humidity, and temperature. Data from various sensors can be acquired and processed in real-time due to Raspberry Pi's role as a data collection device. The system uses cloud-based services to overcome the limitations of on-premises data processing and storage. A fusion technique on the cloud platform combines and analyzes data from various sensors after receiving transmissions from Raspberry Pi. The cloud service provides a location for live monitoring and other visualization which greatly help data in real-time. These visuals can be accessed remotely, allowing users to access the forest from any location. Improved comprehension and control of forest environments are possible because of the combination of various technologies for collecting, analyzing, and evaluating sensor data

Uncertainties in the path to 2030:Increasing trends of under-five mortality in the aftermath of Millennium Development Goal in Eastern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Although Ethiopia was applauded for achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing child mortality, whether the gains sustained beyond the MDG era was rarely studied. In this study, we reported the trends and determinants of under-five mortality (U5M) from 2015 to 2020 in a population based cohort under the Kersa Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), eastern Ethiopia. METHODS: We followed pregnant women and their pregnancy outcomes from 2015 to 2020. Each year, data related to death and live births among the follow up population was retrieved. Automated verbal autopsy (InterVA-4) was used to assign the cause of death and Stata 14 was used for analysis. U5M rate was calculated as death among under five children divided by all live births during the study period and described per 1000 live births along with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). A multivariable Cox proportional regression model was used to identify determinant of U5M using adjusted hazard ratio (AHR). Finally, P value <0.05 was considered for declaring statistically significant association. RESULTS: From January 2015 to December 2020, a total of 28 870 live births were registered under the Kersa HDSS, of whom 1335 died before their fifth birthday. The overall U5M rate was 46.3 per 1000 live births (95% confidence interval (CI) = 43.79-48.79), with significant increase from 27.9 in 2015 to 54.7 in 2020 (P < 0.041). Diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory tract infection including pneumonia, meningitis and encephalitis, and HIV related deaths were the leading causes of U5M. The hazard of death was higher among children born to poor household (AHR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.27-1.81), rural residents (AHR = 6.0; 95% CI = 3.65-9.91), born to adolescent mothers (AHR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.02-1.95), whose mother didn’t receive antenatal care (AHR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.21-1.69), were born preterm (AHR = 14.1; 95% CI = 9.96-19.89) and had low birth-weight (AHR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.39-2.18). CONCLUSION: We found high level of U5M rate with an increasing trend in the aftermath of the praised MDG4 achievement. Achieving the ambitious U5M of 25 per 1000 live births by 2030 requires addressing diarrheal disease, and respiratory tract infections, and HIV/AIDS. Reasons behind the persistent increase over the study period require further inquiry

Perceived stress and its associated factors among people living in post-war Districts of Northern Ethiopia:A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: War and conflict environments result in long-term physical and psychological consequences. Sexual violence, displacement, malnutrition, death, illness, injury, torture, and disability are some of the physical effects, whereas stress, depression, aggressive behaviors, and anxiety are some of the emotional complications of war. Hence, evidence-based interventions are required particularly to monitor mental health disorders. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of perceived stress and its associated factors among people living in post-war situations, Northern Ethiopia. METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 812 samples from April 1 to May 15, 2022. The study participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured and pre-tested tool. Data were cleaned and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and transferred to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify determinants of perceived stress. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit was applied to test for model fitness and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: The prevalence of perceived stress was 76.1%, 95% CI (72.9–78.8). Age above 45 years (AOR (CI) = 2.45 (1.07–5.62), poor educational level (AOR (CI) = 5.92 (2.36–14.8), large family size (AOR (CI) = 0.48 (0.31–0.74), alcohol consumption (AOR (CI) = 0.63 (0.42–0.94), smoking (AOR (CI) = 0.17 (0.06–0.56), and exposure to multiple traumatic events (AOR (CI) = 2.38 (1.23–4.62) have shown a statistically significant association with perceived stress. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that more than three-fourths of participants living in post-war settings were found to have perceived stress. Older age, poor level of education, large family size, alcohol consumption, smoking, and the number of traumatic events were significant associates of perceived stress. Psychotherapy that can effectively address the medical, social, and psychological well-being of the community is important to reduce the burden of perceived stress

Non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places: a systematic review and meta-analysis of global studies

IntroductionNon-compliance with smoke-free law is one of the determinants of untimely mortality and morbidity globally. Various studies have been conducted on non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places in different parts of the world; however, the findings are inconclusive and significantly dispersed. Moreover, there is a lack of internationally representative data, which hinders the evaluation of ongoing international activities towards smoke-free law. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places.MethodsInternational electronic databases, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, African Journals Online, HINARI, Semantic Scholar, google and Google Scholar were used to retrieve the relevant articles. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. The Higgs I2 statistics were used to determine the heterogeneity of the reviewed articles. The random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval was carried out to estimate the pooled prevalence of non-compliance.ResultsA total of 23 articles with 25,573,329 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law was 48.02% (95% CI: 33.87–62.17). Extreme heterogeneity was observed among the included studies (I2 = 100%; p &lt; 0.000). The highest non-compliance with smoke-free law was noted in hotels (59.4%; 95% CI: 10.5–108.3) followed by homes (56.8%; 95% CI: 33.2–80.4), with statistically significant heterogeneity.ConclusionAs the prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law is high in public places, it calls for urgent intervention. High non-compliance was found in food and drinking establishments and healthcare facilities. In light of these findings, follow-up of tobacco-free legislation and creating awareness that focused on active smokers particularly in food and drinking establishments is recommended