Cold chain status at immunisation centres in Ethiopia

Background: Child immunisation is among the most cost-effective ways of preventing premature child deaths, and the potency of vaccines, crucial for vaccine efficacy, is dependent on effective management of the cold chain at all levels of vaccine handling.Objective: To assess the status of the cold chain at peripheral vaccine stores in Ethiopia.Design: Institution based cross-sectional survey in two rural and one urban administrative areas were included in the study. Sixty seven health institutions providing static vaccination services were included in the study but cold chain system was assessed fully in only sixty four.Data were collected by interviewing health workers and by directly observing the cold chain equipment and records using structured forms.Results: Conditions of the cold chain system were described based on 64 of the 67 centres visited, three were excluded because of non-functioning cold chain. Complete temperature record was observed in 37(57.8%) of the centres. Thermometer was not available in four(6.3%) and thermometer reading was found to be outside the optimal range in another seven (10.9%) centres. Vaccine storage in the refrigerator was not proper in 47 (73.4%) centres. Majority of the centres had neither trained personnel nor budget for maintenance of the cold chain.Conclusion: There is a real danger of vaccines losing their potency at these centres even if they were potent on arrival. Relevant training for those handling the cold chain, improving the maintenance conditions of refrigerators and introduction of cold chain monitoring devises are recommended

Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction Analysis of Coffee Germplasms from Southern Ethiopia

Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis is a recently recommended effective method to study the genotype by environment (GxE) interaction pattern of multi-environment varietal trials. This work deals with modeling and examining the GxE interaction pattern of the multi-environment trials of 43 genotypes and eight environments from Southern Ethiopia coffee (Coffea Arabica L.) collections using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. The work further attempts to predict yield based on the ammi model and evaluate and recommend high performing and adaptable varieties. The AMMI model with the first two interaction principal component axes (AMMI2) is found to be appropriate and parsimonious for the data. Environments e5, e6, e7, e8 and e3 are found to be high potential environments, where genotypes having high-yield (greater than 14 qt/ha) and resistant to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) are associated. Among the 43 genotypes, 1, 9, 2, 3, 32, 12 and 25 are found to have the best performance with 3, 32, 12 and 25 being highly stable. Among the high-yielding genotypes, 33, 4, 23, 34 and 27 are found to be highly unstable and particularly adapted to environments 5, 6, 7 and 3, respectively

Prevalence of Disability and Associated Factors among Registered Leprosy Patients in All Africa Tb and Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre (ALERT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Delay in leprosy diagnosis and treatment causes disabilities due to nerve damage, immunological reactions and bacillary infiltration. Leprosy disability leads not only to physical dysfunction and activity limitation but also disrupts social interaction of affected individuals by creating stigma and discrimination. This study was aimed at assessing leprosy disability status in patients registered at All African TB and Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre.METHODS: Medical records of leprosy patients registered from September 11, 2010 to September 10, 2013 G.C were reviewed. Prevalence of disability calculated, bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to determine crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval.RESULTS: The overall prevalence of disability was found to be 65.9% from all categories of patients (40.2% Grade I and 25.7% Grade II). The Prevalence among the new category was 62.8% (39.1% Grade 1 and 23.7% Grade 2). Those ageed above 30 years, with duration of symptoms 6-12 months and above 24 months, with sensory loss, nerve damage and reversal reaction were more likely to develop disability.CONCLUSION: In this study the prevalence of disability, both Grade I and II, is very high. Disability was associated with age, duration of symptom, sensory loss, signs of nerve damage and reversal reaction. These risk factors indicate the existence of delay in diagnosis and treatment of leprosy cases. Therefore, the national leprosy control program should investigate leprosy case detection and diagnosis system in the country and work on improving early case detection and prevention of disability.KEYWORDS: Leprosy, leprosy disability, Ethiopi

Review of hydrologic and hydraulic studies and unsteady flow routing of the 1993 flood in the Upper Mississippi River system

"December 1997.""A division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Marketing of Kabuli and Desi chickpeas by smallholder farmers in Eastern Shewa Zone

An understanding of the market for smallholder farmers’ crops can provide clues to the potential market for their crops. The main objective of this study was thus to analyze the marketing performance of Kabuli and Desi chickpeas in three districts of east Shewa zone. It investigated the socio-economic, demographic, and institutional factors and other marketing attributes that affect farm gate-prices, season price fluctuations and marketable surplus of chickpeas in the study areas. A sample of 700 randomly selected households was interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Secondary data from different sources were also used. Both descriptive and econometric methods were used to analyze the data. The conceptual and empirical evidence suggests that improving smallholder farmers’ awareness for the uptake of improved Kabuli varieties for which the marginal values of varieties are considerably high relative to the price of the inputs would improve farm-gate net returns and prices received by small producers. The marketable surplus will also be improved if farmers switch to production of improved varieties of Kabuli chickpeas. Supplementary production relation ship between crop and livestock enterprises was found to be one of the important solutions to alleviation of high price variability that reduces competitiveness of chickpea marketing. In addition to the crop and livestock supplementary enterprise relation ship, moving for off-farm income activities with out affecting negatively the crop and livestock farming was found another alternative to alleviation of the high price variability problems. The study, however, ascertains that smallholder farmers need to know not only how to produce but first need to know and learn how to identify preferable potential buyers that will enhance competitiveness of chickpea market

Determinants of Inflationary Experience in Ethiopia

The main aim of this study is to investigate the determinants of inflationary experience in Ethiopia. The study focused on economic and econometric criterion to examine the long run and short run impacts of macroeconomic variables on inflation in Ethiopia. In order to accomplish this paper, the study has employed time series data for the period from 1974/75 to 2014/15. To check for the stationarity of the variables, the researcher has used augmented dickey fuller and Phillips-Perron unit root test and all variables become stationary at first difference. Then, long run and short run estimates had been examined by using Johansen Co-integration methodology and Vector Error Correction approach with lag length of two. The data on macroeconomic variables were taken from National Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Economic Association and World Bank database. The findings of the study indicated that in the long run consumer price index has found to be positively influenced by money supply, real gross domestic product and overall budget deficit in which these all variables are positive and statistically significant determinants of inflation. The growth of money supply should be continually kept in control, given its long run potential impact in accelerating inflationary pressure to ensure stable price level in an economy and keep on the growth of real gross domestic product with single digit inflation rate and displaying a high sense of transparency in fiscal operations bring about a realistic budget deficit that would serve as incentives to productivity and stable general price level

Illness and Treatment Perceptions of Patients with Epilepsy Attending Treatment at a Tertiary Hospital in Addis Ababa – A Qualitative Exploration

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy can be a large economic burden in countries where appropriate treatment is not taken due to religious and psychosocial beliefs. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of patients with epilepsy attending their treatment at Tikur Anbessa SpecializedHospital about their illness and treatment.METHODS: A qualitative exploratory design with an in-depth interview was followed. Fourteen purposively selected patients were used until saturation of key emerging themes was achieved.RESULTS: The finding showed that study participants expressed perceptions towards their illness including about its cause, timeline, severity and psychosocial consequences which at times may be considered different from the biomedical version. They also expressed concerns about their treatment, reported aboutsocial and psychological issues and in certain cases dissatisfaction with their healthcare providers. Such issues may have led to delays in treatment-seeking and non-adherence to recommended treatment regimens and as well use of traditional medicine and spiritual healing. On the other hand, reasons that were reported to positively influence their treatment experiences include necessity perceptions about their medications, family support and use of spiritual healing alongside their biomedical treatment.CONCLUSION: The healthcare provision should improve to cater to these groups of patients including instituting chronic care management and appropriate health education provision