Performance of Formal Rural Financial Institutions in Ethiopia: Country Review

The main objective of this paper is to review performance and challenges of rural financial institutions in Ethiopia. Performance of the industry was reviewed in terms of outreach, financial sustainability and welfare impact. The main challenges of the industry were also reviewed. Relevant secondary data for the study were collected from published sources. The total number of active borrowing clients of the microfinance institutions in Ethiopia reached over 2.4 million customers in 2011 whereas the total credit extended by all microfinance institutions amounted to Birr 6.9 billion. Of the total credit granted, the share of the three largest Microfinance institutions is Birr 5.1 billion. Dependency ratio measured by the ratio of donated equity to total capital decline, ratio of retained earnings to total capital is rising letting the industry to be financially self-sufficient. Microfinance programs have improved savings of the respondents through letting access to saving services and increasing household income out of which they can use to save. After joining microfinance programs, mean monthly expenditure of the respondents has significantly increased in food, clothing, housing furniture, health, education, and service items.  Limited loan products, absence of legal title of assets in rural areas, less willingness from commercial banks to lend to MFIs without collateral, the less conducive legal environment in enforcing the loan contract, and shortage of logistic in rural areas are the major challenges reviewed. Keywords: Microfinance, Sustainability, Outreac

Determinants of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Demelash Assefa,1 Berhanu Seyoum,2 Lemessa Oljira2 1KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Addis Ababa, 2School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia Abstract: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been jeopardizing the global effort to prevent and control tuberculosis (TB). However, data on MDR-TB in Ethiopia in general, and in our study area in particular, are very scarce. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of MDR-TB in a cohort of patients managed in two referral hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between April 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013. A health facility-based case–control study was conducted. A total of 710 TB patients (229 confirmed MDR-TB and 481 drug susceptible TB patients) were enrolled in this study. Identified independent determinants for MDR-TB were contact history with a known TB patient (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–3.3), previous history of TB treatment (AOR: 11.9, 95% CI: 6.8–21), history of hospitalization (AOR: 4.4 95% CI: 2.2–7.8), sputum-smear positivity (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–3.4), and social stigma (AOR: 5.1, 95% CI: 1.8–14.4). These identified factors should be considered for use in MDR-TB screening tool development if universal drug susceptibility testing is not possible. Moreover, TB infection control practices in health care settings should be further strengthened. As factors may vary from region to region, further broader studies need to be conducted in other parts of Ethiopia. Keywords: MDR-TB, drug susceptible TB, determinants, sputum smear positive, treatment completed, cured, drug susceptibility testin