Utilization of Family Planning Methods and Associated Factors among Women Living with HIV Attending ART Clinics in Nekemte Public Health Facilities, East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia

This study was designed to assess the utilization of Family planning methods and associated factors among HIV-infected women in ART clinics of public health institutions Nekemte town, East Wollega zone, Ethiopia. Facility based cross sectional study design using quantitative technique of data collection method undertaken from May 1st to May 26th, 2012, on a sample of 456 women living with HIV who are on follow up care in ART clinics. Univariate analysis was done to determine frequencies of FP methods used. Factors associated with use of family planning methods were examined using logistic regression methods at p<0.05. There was ahigh level of knowledge about family planning with more than 98% of women knowledgeable of at least one method used to prevent conception. Out of 456 respondents 303(66.4%) were using different methods of family planning during the study period and condom is the dominant method used by the client (41.6%).High proportion (42.1%) of women living with HIV/AIDS expressed a desire for having more children in the future. Logistic regression result showed that educational attainment (AOR=3.199, 95% CI (1.487-6.541), marital status (AOR= 95% CI, 6.252 (4.008-9.752), and having open discussion with ones partner about family planning (AOR=95% CI, 13.846 (5.062-37.875) were statistically  associated with current family planning use at p<0.05. Generally current use of modern contraceptive other than condoms was very low in the study area. These findings highlight the need for integration of family planning and HIV care and treatment and strengthening of family planning services for HIV infected people

Levels of selected metals in the leaves of Ruta chalepensis L. (Rue) collected from four different areas of Ethiopia

The objective of this study was to determine the level of selected metals in the leaves of Ruta chalepensis L. (Rue) cultivated in Ethiopia. Rue leaves samples were randomly collected from four different parts of Ethiopia (Kality and Alem Bank from Addis Ababa Administration, Holeta (Oromia Region) and Worabe (South Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region)). A 0.5 g Rue sample was digested with 3.0 mL of 69.5% HNO3 and 1.0 mL 70% HClO4 and the levels of selected metals were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The validity of the optimized procedure was evaluated by analyzing the digest of the spiked samples with standard solution and the percentage recoveries varied from 92.0 to 102%. The levels of metals determined in mg/kg dry weight were in the ranges Ca (1872–3077), Zn (44.5–64.0), Cu (<DL–10.8), Cr (<DL–3.10) and Cd (<DL–2.87) (where DL is detection limit). Ni and Pb were below the detection limit. ANOVA at p = 0.05 indicated that there is a significant difference in the level of Ca, Cr, Cu and Zn in the samples. The results indicate that the content of the metals did not exceed the permissible amount for medicinal plants set by WHO and FAO. KEY WORDS: Ruta chalepensis L., Rue, Tena Adam, Metals, Flame atomic absorption spectrometry, Ethiopia Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2018, 32(2), 185-197.DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v32i2.1 

Testing Claims about Large Land Deals in Africa: Findings from a Multi-Country Study

Despite much research on large land deals for plantation agriculture in Africa, reliable data remain elusive, partly because of limited access to information and practical and methodological challenges. International debates are still shaped by misperceptions about how much land is being acquired, where, by whom, how and with what consequences. This article aims empirically to test some common perceptions through an analysis of findings from research conducted in three African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania. The article presents new evidence on the scale, geography, drivers and features of land deals, relates findings to data from earlier research and international efforts to monitor land deals, and outlines possible ways forward for ongoing monitoring of the deals

High seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Ethiopian healthcare workers

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has a devastating impact on the economies and health care system of sub-Saharan Africa. Healthcare workers (HWs), the main actors of the health system, are at higher risk because of their occupation. Serology-based estimates of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HWs represent a measure of HWs' exposure to the virus and could be used as a guide to the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the community and valuable in combating COVID-19. This information is currently lacking in Ethiopia and other African countries. This study aimed to develop an in-house antibody testing assay, assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Ethiopian high-risk frontline HWs. METHODS: We developed and validated an in-house Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for specific detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain immunoglobin G (IgG) antibodies. We then used this assay to assess the seroprevalence among HWs in five public hospitals located in different geographic regions of Ethiopia. From consenting HWs, blood samples were collected between December 2020 and February 2021, the period between the two peaks of COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using questionnaire-based interviews. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the overall and post-stratified seroprevalence and the association between seropositivity and potential risk factors. RESULTS: Our successfully developed in-house assay sensitivity was 100% in serum samples collected 2- weeks after the first onset of symptoms whereas its specificity in pre-COVID-19 pandemic sera was 97.7%. Using this assay, we analyzed a total of 1997 sera collected from HWs. Of 1997 HWs who provided a blood sample, and demographic and clinical data, 51.7% were females, 74.0% had no symptoms compatible with COVID-19, and 29.0% had a history of contact with suspected or confirmed patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overall seroprevalence was 39.6%. The lowest (24.5%) and the highest (48.0%) seroprevalence rates were found in Hiwot Fana Specialized Hospital in Harar and ALERT Hospital in Addis Ababa, respectively. Of the 821 seropositive HWs, 224(27.3%) of them had a history of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 while 436 (> 53%) of them had no contact with COVID-19 cases as well as no history of COVID-19 like symptoms. A history of close contact with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases is associated with seropositivity (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8; p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence levels were observed in the five Ethiopian hospitals. These findings highlight the significant burden of asymptomatic infection in Ethiopia and may reflect the scale of transmission in the general population

Carbene footprinting accurately maps binding sites in protein–ligand and protein–protein interactions

Specific interactions between proteins and their binding partners are fundamental to life processes. The ability to detect protein complexes, and map their sites of binding, is crucial to understanding basic biology at the molecular level. Methods that employ sensitive analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry have the potential to provide valuable insights with very little material and on short time scales. Here we present a differential protein footprinting technique employing an efficient photo-activated probe for use with mass spectrometry. Using this methodology the location of a carbohydrate substrate was accurately mapped to the binding cleft of lysozyme, and in a more complex example, the interactions between a 100 kDa, multi-domain deubiquitinating enzyme, USP5 and a diubiquitin substrate were located to different functional domains. The much improved properties of this probe make carbene footprinting a viable method for rapid and accurate identification of protein binding sites utilizing benign, near-UV photoactivation

Patients' Knowledge and Attitude towards Anesthesia in Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital

Background: In Ethiopia, anesthesia as a discipline and anesthetist as a professional is not well recognized by the public. In studies done in around the world, the public knowledge of the anesthesia as a discipline and lower compared to other medical discipline. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine patients’ knowledge and attitude towards anesthesia in TikurAnbesa specialized Hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from March 30- June 11, 2015 G.C Method: The study was conducted in TikurAnbesa Specialized Hospital. An analytic cross-sectional study design was conducted from March 30- June 11, 2015 G.C. All adult elective patients in TikurAnbesa Specilaized Hospital during the study period were used as a sample. Results: Ninety two percent (92%) of the patients believed that anesthesia is necessary for surgery and 79% of patients responded that a surgeon decides if a patient is fit for anesthesia. Sixty eight percent (68.2%) had poor knowledge & attitude towards anesthesia with a mean score of 9.98. Conclusion: Despite surveys on the overall knowledge & attitude of patients overseas also shows poor results, in our study it is much more significant number of patients who had poor knowledge & attitude

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) for climate-smart water management practices: the case of Upper Awash River Basin of Wollo and Lower Awash River Basin of Afar in Ethiopia. Synthesis report prepared by the Prioritization of Climate-smart Water Management Practices project

This research study on gender and water resources management, led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and its partners in Ethiopia, was designed to collect primary and secondary data on how smallholder agricultural producer communities in selected catchments are impacted by and cope with climate change. Our focus was on exploring opportunities and barriers for designing and implementing gender-responsive and climate resilient water resources planning and management interventions that are contextually relevant. The research findings will be further translated into actionable recommendations for gender-responsive decision support tools for climate-smart water resources management. The study, informed by the Gender Empowerment Framework and a qualitative research methodology, analyzed soil and water conservation initiatives and small-scale irrigation (SSI) interventions in four districts of the Awash River Basin. These locations were the Kalu and Habru districts from the Upper Awash Catchment in Wollo, and the Ewa and Afambo districts from the Lower Awash Catchment in Afar. These four districts were chosen for their diversity of conservation initiatives and livelihoods. Data were collected from a total sample size of 309 individuals – 288 of whom were smallholder farmers (160 women and 128 men) and 21 were key informants from local government offices – by conducting 96 in-depth interviews, 24 focus group discussions and 21 key informant interviews. The data were analyzed to assess the gender dynamics of productivity, production and practices, and SSI practices, focusing on three key dimensions: resources, agency and institutions. The three key results and recommendations are as follows: First, climate impacts result in diverse outcomes for women (and men). It causes malnutrition in persons with special needs and increases the workload of women and girls, who are predominantly responsible for domestic work. This requires interventions that focus on the needs, priorities, barriers and challenges of these groups, and ensure targeted opportunities in decision-making, access to resources and services, and benefits. Second, deep-rooted sociocultural norms and barriers impact outreach efforts for women and marginalized groups; this includes the effective engagement of these groups in capacity building training programs, and their access to relevant information, entrepreneurial opportunities and linkages across the value chains. Without addressing these barriers, making a sustained impact in terms of gender equality and social inclusion will not be possible. We recommend adopting interventions that address the structural barriers to women’s participation in leadership positions, promoting gender-responsive practices across institutions and building synergy among relevant stakeholders. Third, insufficient institutional capacities among implementing actors present key obstacles to the design and implementation of gender-responsive climate-smart water technologies and practices. Overcoming these challenges necessitates commitment from leaders and the allocation of sufficient resources to establish and enhance institutional systems such as mechanisms for accountability, monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, it entails evidence-based and data-driven research on gender to collate gender and social inclusion challenges. This report presents a synthesis focused on the methodology and key findings of the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) study. For further information, the reader is advised to refer to the detailed report prepared as part of the study, which can be accessed by contacting the lead author

Community health volunteers could help improve access to and use of essential health services by communities in LMICs: an umbrella review

A number of primary studies and systematic reviews focused on the contribution of community health workers (CHWs) in the delivery of essential health services. In many countries, a cadre of informal health workers also provide services on a volunteer basis [community health volunteers (CHV)], but there has been no synthesis of studies investigating their role and potential contribution across a range of health conditions; most existing studies are narrowly focused on a single condition. As this cadre grows in importance, there is a need to examine the evidence on whether and how CHVs can improve access to and use of essential health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We report an umbrella review of systematic reviews, searching PubMed, the Cochrane library, the database of abstracts of reviews of effects (DARE), EMBASE, ProQuest dissertation and theses, the Campbell library and DOPHER. We considered a review as ‘systematic’ if it had an explicit search strategy with qualitative or quantitative summaries of data. We used the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal assessment checklist to assess methodological quality. A data extraction format prepared a priori was used to extract data. Findings were synthesized narratively. Of 422 records initially found by the search strategy, we identified 39 systematic reviews eligible for inclusion. Most concluded that services provided by CHVs were not inferior to those provided by other health workers, and sometimes better. However, CHVs performed less well in more complex tasks such as diagnosis and counselling. Their performance could be strengthened by regular supportive supervision, in-service training and adequate logistical support, as well as a high level of community ownership. The use of CHVs in the delivery of selected health services for population groups with limited access, particularly in LMICs, appears promising. However, success requires careful implementation, strong policy backing and continual support by their managers.Mirkuzie Woldie, Garumma Tolu Feyissa, Bitiya Admasu, Kalkidan Hassen, Kirstin Mitchell, Susannah Mayhew, Martin McKee, and Dina Balabanov

SEGMENTATION OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS LESIONS FROM MR BRAIN IMAGES USING THE PRINCIPLES OF FUZZY-CONNECTEDNESS AND ARTIFICIAL NEURON NETWORKS

Segmentation is an important step for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. In this paper, a method for segmentation of multiple sclerosis lesions from Magnetic Resonance (MR) brain image is proposed. The proposed method combines the strengths of two existing techniques: fuzzy connectedness and artificial neural networks. From the input MR brain image, the fuzzy connectedness algorithm is used to extract segments which are parts of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), White Matter (WM) or Gray Matter (GM). Segments of the MRI image which are not extracted as part of CSF, WM or GM are processed morphologically, and features are computed for each of them. Then these computed features are fed to a trained artificial neural network, which decides whether a segment is a part of a lesion or not. The results of our method show 90% correlation with the expert’s manual work. 1