Determinants of Nutritional Status of Under-Five Children in Ethiopia: With Particular Reference to Anelmoworeda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region

Malnutrition is one of leading problem which affect children well-being and growth in the study area as well as in Ethiopia. However, insufficient scientific knowledge limits to understand the factors of nutritional status at community level for adequate intervention. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the determinants of nutritional status of under-five children in Anlemo Woreda to tackle the malnutrition problems. A Purposive sampling followed by random sampling procedure was employed to draw 330 sample households from four Kebeles. A household survey was undertaken using structured questionnaires. Different characteristics of the households were investigated; anthropometric measurement of children was also measured. The data were analyzed using SPSS.v.22, for descriptive statistics, STATA14 for multivariate probit regression analysis and WHO anthrop v.3.2.2 software to convert raw nutritional data into Z-scores. The result of multivariate probit analyses revealed that age of household head, water source, land size, complementary feeding, antenatal care, toilet, time elapse to fetch water and livestock ownership were significant and associated with child stunting. Sex of child, toilet, income, and source water was found to be significant and associated with child wasting, and child age, family size, livestock ownership, income and water source were significant and associated with underweight. The findings of this study revealed that the prevalence of stunting of children is 42.4%, underweight 16.1% and wasting 9.7% respectively. The Prevalence of stunting and wasting among children aged 6-59 months is relatively high but underweight is lower than national and regional prevalence. Malnutrition puts substantial burden on under five children in AnlemoWoreda. Local government of the Hadiya Zone and AnlemoWoreda Health Institution should design effective nutritional implementation on child stunting and wasting is a vital task for the community to reduce malnutrition

Closing the nutrient loops in (peri-)urban farming systems through composting

Organic amendments are used to improve soil fertility and maintain agricultural fields in a productive state. Despite these benefits, the use of organic amendments is limited in many developing countries. The overall objective of this thesis is therefore to provide a better understanding of current waste management practices in developing countries and ensure sustainable crop production via the biotransformation of urban waste into a high-quality soil amendment. First, I aimed at determining the causes for the limited use of organic amendments in small-scale urban farming systems. I interviewed 220 urban farmers in Ethiopia and found that competition for agricultural waste between fuel, feed and soil amendment is a major cause for the limited use of organic amendments. I demonstrated that allocation of agricultural waste for soil amendment is linked with farmers’ livelihood strategies. I also studied variation in compost demand among different farmer groups, and the socio-economic variables which explained these variations. Gaseous losses of ammonia and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions occur during composting of nitrogen-rich urban waste. Several technologies could reduce these losses. However, these technologies are inadequate to fit within the broader farming systems because they are expensive. The second aim of this thesis was to develop low-cost methods to mitigate N losses and GHG emissions from composting, while retaining its fertilising value. Composting by earthworms (vermicomposting) is proposed as a low-cost strategy for minimising N losses and GHG emissions. Using a wide range of substrate qualities (C:N ratio, labile C sources) and other factors (earthworm density, amount of input, and moisture), I showed that vermicomposting reduced N losses and GHG emissions compared with traditional thermophilic composting, but the magnitude of the earthworm effect varied between substrates. Earthworms also change the quantity and composition of dissolved organic carbon during composting. Another low-cost strategy is to delay the addition of N-rich substrates during composting. I demonstrated that addition of nitrogen-rich substrate after the thermophilic phase reduced N losses. Delayed addition of N-rich substrates increased N2O emissions, but reduced CH4 emissions. Delayed addition resulted in compost that was as stable and effective at completely eradicating weed seeds as traditional composting. In conclusion, urban waste compost should be considered as alternative source for soil amendment, particularly in developing countries with competition for agricultural waste. Technologies such as vermicomposting and delayed addition of N-rich substrate are recommended to increase or maintain the nitrogen content of compost, reduce N losses and mitigate GHG emissions.</p

Health and welfare assessment of working donkeys in and around Rama town, Tigray, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to April 2017 with the objectives to assess the major health problems and associated factors compromising welfare and health of working donkeys in and around Rama Town, Mereb Lake District, Central zone of Tigray Regional state Ethiopia. Both direct observational (animal based) and indirect (owner based) interviews were used to collect data. A total of 384 randomly selected working donkeys were examined and 120 donkey owners were interviewed. From these 27.1%, 45.3%, 9.9%, 22.9%, 17.2% and 41.7% donkeys were suffering from skin coat, wound, musculo-skeletal, parasitic, ocular and behavioral problems, respectively. The occurrence of wound varied significantly (p&lt;0.05) among age categories and higher prevalence was noticed in donkeys more than 15 years of age (85.7%). The body condition score, duration of work and average weight loaded were also having significant (p&lt;0.05) effect on wound prevalence. The findings of indirect assessment revealed that majority (96.7%) of the respondents in the study area had no knowledge and information on donkey welfare. Financial problems and high cost of drugs were the major constraints recorded in this study. The findings of present study indicated that welfare problems are highly prevalent in the working donkeys in the study area.Keywords: Donkey; Ethiopia; Rama district; Welfare; Woun

Observed and projected changes in urbanization and nature conservation in a typical fast growing city of Ethiopia, Jimma

Urbanization poses a signifcant threat to biodiversity, particularly in developing nations characterized by high rural–urban migration and inadequate urban planning that fails to consider nature conservation. Insufcient information on how to efectively integrate urban expansion and nature conservation exacerbates environmental problems and hampers mitigation eforts. In this study, we assessed the expansion of Jimma City, a typical rapidly growing city in Ethiopia, over the past 35 years, projected changes for the next 50 years, and identifed priority areas for conservation. Landsat satellite images from 1985 and 2020 were utilized to map major land cover types and quantify temporal changes. We employed a Markov chain model to predict changes over the next 50 years and a GIS-based multi-criteria approach to identify conservation priority areas. Our fndings underscore the adverse efect of urban expansion on natural habitats. Over the past three decades, built-up areas expanded by sevenfold (721%; 2227 ha) while croplands expanded by 34% (4155 ha). Conversely, natural habitats experienced signifcant declines: forest cover declined by 39% (5209 ha), grassland by 20% (655 ha) and wetland by 28% (638 ha). Projecting the current trend over the next 50 years showed built-up areas to further increase by about fourfold (436%, 3565 ha). However, open water, wetland, natural forest, and cropland are predicted to decline by 81% (120 ha), 40% (660 ha), 42% (3455 ha), and 55% (8848 ha), respectively. Given the current rate of population growth and rural–urban migrations, urban expansion appears inevitable. Our study emphasizes the importance of designating at least 9040 ha (28%) of the land within the city and its surroundings as high-priority areas for biodiversity conservation. These areas encompass approximately 95% of the remaining forest remnants, 78% of the wetland area, and 22% of the grassland. It is imperative for urban administrations in developing nations to adopt sound policies, strategies, and planning approaches that support the integration of urban development and nature conservation, with special attention given to the preservation of key biodiversity areas. Such eforts are crucial for fostering inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. Biodiversity conservation · Remote sensing · Urban expansion · Urban planning · Urban biodiversity · Urban ecosystempublishedVersio

Monitoring biophysical and socioeconomic impacts of CSA practices at Doyogena and Basona Climate-Smart Landscapes, Ethiopia

This activity was conducted to determine climate-smart agricultural practices’ biophysical and socioeconomic impacts over the last 12 months, using the Doyogena (Southern Ethiopia) and Basona (North Ethiopia) climate-smart landscapes as a case study. More specifically, this activity addressed if CSA practices (i) guarantee farmers resilience to climate change; (ii) increase food productivity and household income; and (iii) prevent gender-related bias (i.e., improving women’s participation in decisions, access/control over resources). From each site, 200 adopters (i.e., farmers who practice the above-mentioned practices) and 200 non-adopters (i.e., farmers` as usual practices) were selected randomly. Hence, 800 households were surveyed from six villages from Doyogena and 25 villages from Basona sites. The activity was conducted between 21 December 2020 to 05 January 2021 at Doyogena and between February 01 - 16, 2021 at Basona climate-smart landscapes. Twelve enumerators for Doyogena and fifteen for Basona sites were selected, trained for three days, and performed pre-testing with 8 – 10 farmers before data collection. At Doyogena, a portfolio of eleven promising CSA options was evaluated, namely, (i) terraces coupled with Desho grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum); (ii) controlled grazing; (iii) improved wheat seeds (high yielding, disease-resistant & early maturing); (iv) improved bean seeds (high yielding); (v) improved potato seeds (high yielding, bigger tuber size); (vi) cereal/potatolegume crop rotation (N fixing & non-N fixing); (vii) residue incorporation of wheat or barley; (viii) green manure: vetch and/or lupin during the off-season (N fixing in time); (ix) improved breeds for small ruminants; (x) agroforestry (woody perennials and crops); and (xi) cut and carry for animal feed. At Basona, on the other hand, the impact of seven CSA options was evaluated, namely, (i) terrace (soil bunds); (ii) terraces coupled with phalaris and tree lucerne); (iii) trenches; (iv) enclosure; (v) percolation pits; (vi) check-dams; and (vii) gully rehabilitation

Monitoring socioeconomic impacts of climate-smart agricultural practices at Doyogena and Basona Worena climate-smart landscapes, Ethiopia

To achieve food security and agricultural development goals, adaptation to climate change and lower emission intensities per output will be necessary. This transformation must be accomplished without depletion of the natural resource base. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach to managing landscapes such as cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries that address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change. CSA aims to simultaneously achieve increased productivity, enhanced resilience and reduced emissions. In Ethiopia, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in East Africa has established two climate-smart landscapes: one in southern Ethiopia in Doyogena district and the second one in central Ethiopia in Basona Worena district. In these sites, locally appropriate CSA practices are being tested and promoted by the European Union and International Fund for Agricultural Development (EU-IFAD) funded project "Building livelihoods and resilience to climate change in East & West Africa" that is supporting large-scale adoption of CSA technologies and practices. Although evidence from some East African countries suggests that the introduction of CSA practices among farmers contributes to the potential of agriculture to adapt to a changing climate, the impact of these CSA practices on food security and livelihoods of Ethiopian farmers is not well understood and documented. Therefore, this activity report is the result of the data collection process that was conducted to assess the impacts of CSA practices on agricultural production, income and household food security in Doyogena and Basona Worena Climate Smart Villages (CSVs). Based on the information gathered in the two CSVs, the socio-economic impacts of these practices will be estimated and documented to help donors and decision makers to justify funding and guide priorities in scaling up the adoption of CSA technologies and practices

Delay of emergency surgical interventions in Ethiopia: Patient and health system factors

Background: The objectives of this study were to evaluate outcomes among patients with acute abdomen and abdominal trauma who presented at either of 2 referral hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and to determine the factors associated with delay as well as the effects of prehospital and in-hospital delay on outcome. Methods: We conducted a 1-year prospective cross-sectional study, which included all cases of surgically treated acute abdomen and abdominal trauma admitted to St Paul General Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Gondar University Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. Standardized data collection forms were completed for all cases from 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2009. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 6 and SPSS version 13. Results: A total of 504 patients were studied. Diagnoses were: intestinal obstruction (34.6 %), appendicitis (33 %), and perforated peptic ulcer (3.6 %). Sixty-six percent of patients over 45 years of age, 60% of females, and 61% of intestinal obstruction cases were operated on within 3 days of illness onset. The 35% of patients who were operated on more than 3 days after the development of symptoms had a mortality of 67%. Fifty-four percent of the cases with a total prehospital and in-hospital time of more than 3 days had initially visited other health institutions. Conclusions: Delay of surgical intervention of more than 3 days for acute abdomen or abdominal trauma adversely affected outcomes. Women, patients older than 45 years of age, patients with intestinal obstruction, and those who were referred from other health facilities were delayed and had adverse outcomes. Keywords: delay in surgery; acute abdomen; abdominal trauma; surgical systems improvement

Training of ag-extension agents and farmers on validated best-bet CSA packages for crop, forage, and small ruminant value chains to manage climate and non-climate risks in Southern and Central Highlands of Ethiopia

The CGIAR research program on climate change, Agriculture and food security (CCAFS) organized training on validated best-bet CSA packages for crop, forage, and small ruminant value chains to manage climate and non-climate risks in collaboration with The Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Africa RISING, ICARDA, Inter Aide, Debre Berhan University, Areka Agricultural Research Center, and Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). The training was carried out between July 15-20, 2021 in Basona Werana and July 31 – August 11, 2021, in Doyogena climate smart landscapes. The training targeted smallholder farmers, and early career experts (i.e. technicians and development agents) from the national partners including district agricultural offices, Areka agricultural research center, Debre Birhan University, and Inter Aide. A total of 443 farmers (87 female and 356 male) and 64 early career experts (8 females and 56 males) were included in the training in both climate smart landscapes. For farmers, the training was given in the local languages. The training covered the following topics: climate change and its risk and impact on agriculture, restoring Agroecology and sustainable benefits, adaptation and mitigation strategies, including soil and water management interventions, on-farm integration of highvalue agroforestry trees, animal feed/fodder, reforestation at a larger landscape scale, nutrient management, and small scale solar-based irrigation. In addition, the sustainable benefits of Agroecology and the concept of community-based breeding programs to improve small ruminant genetics were covered. Training on the use of calculators to estimate greenhouse gas emissions is given to the technicians. Farmers and technicians, development agents, and experts were trained on how to collect data within CBBP cooperatives, evaluation of cooperative breeding sires, pregnancy test, mass synchronization, artificial insemination, principle, and method of breeding ram selection, ranking, and certification, utilization of forage legumes, use of alternative feed resources, ewe flushing, fattening and on the characteristics and controlling methods of small ruminant pests and diseases

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