How are mental health problems perceivedby a community in Agaro town?

No Abstract.Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 19 (2) 2005: 153-15

Response to the health and nutrition needs of people affected by drought emergency in Southeast Ethiopia

Background: Without well organized preparedness, early warning system and response, the consequence of drought would be catastrophic. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the preparedness and response of different sectors for health and nutrition needs of people affected by drought in Southeast Ethiopia. Methods: This assessment was conducted from August 14 to September 7, 2006 in Borena, Afder and Liben zones in the Southeast Ethiopia. Interview with representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, record review, and focus group discussion with community leaders were done to assess the health and nutrition related responses of the different stakeholders. Results: Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Commissions (DPPC) at district level did not have documented contingency planning, vulnerability assessment and risk mapping and zoning related to drought emergency. Most of the districts’ health offices had no adequate human resources to respond to drought emergency. The surveillance system was not functional in all Districts. Eighty percent of the health institutions did not conduct nutritional survey or screening. None of the health facilities had temporary or therapeutic feeding centres. Most of the focus group discussants mentioned that the food and non-food aid was not timely and adequate.Conclusions: Absence of infrastructure, lack of human resources, absence of functional surveillance system, and weakness of DPPC offices were the serious bottlenecks which affected the health and nutrition related response of the drought emergency

Determinants of delay in malaria treatment-seeking behaviour for under-five children in south-west Ethiopia: a case control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment of malaria within 24 hours after onset of first symptoms can reduce illness progression to severe stages and therefore, decrease mortality. The reason why mothers/caretakers delay in malaria diagnosis and treatment for under-five children is not well studied in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess determinants of malaria treatment delay in under-five children in three districts of south-west Ethiopia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case control study was conducted from March 15 to April 20, 2010. Cases were under-five children who had clinical malaria and sought treatment after 24 hours of developing sign and symptom, and controls were under-five children who had clinical malaria and sought treatment within 24 hours of developing sign and symptom of malaria. Data were collected by trained enumerators using structured questionnaire. Data were entered in to Epi Info version 6.04 and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. To identify determinants, multiple logistic regression was done.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 155 mothers of cases and 155 mothers of controls were interviewed. Mothers of children who were in a monogamous marriage (OR = 3.41, 95% CI: 1.39, 8.34), who complained about the side effects of anti-malarial drugs (OR = 4.96, 95% CI: 1.21, 20.36), who had no history of child death (OR = 3.50, 95% CI: 1.82, 6.42) and who complained about the higher cost of transportation to reach the health institutions (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.17, 3.45) were more likely to be late for the treatment of malaria in under-five children.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Effective malaria control programmes should address reducing delayed presentation of children for treatment. Efforts to reduce delay should address transport cost, decentralization of services and increasing awareness of the community on early diagnosis and treatment.</p

Determinants of acceptance of voluntary HIV testing among antenatal clinic attendees at Dil Chora Hospital, Dire Dawa, East Ethiopia

Back ground: Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is one of the best interventions to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV. Despite the proven benefits of VCT, many women are not willing to have HIV testing.Objective: The objective of this study was to identify factors that determine the acceptance of voluntary HIV testing among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Dil Chora Hospital in Dire Dawa. Method: The study employed unmatched case control study which was conducted from August 20 to September 10, 2006. The study population consisted of 234 antenatal care followers. Cases were antenatal care followers who werecounseled and tested for HIV in the current pregnancy. Controls were antenatal care followers who were counseled but not tested for HIV in the current pregnancy. Data were collected by trained enumerators using structured questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analysis was carried out using SPSS version 12.0.1 software. Results: The majority (79.5%) of respondents (97.4% of cases and 60.5% of controls) had good knowledge on HIV, mother to child transmission and VCT. Marital status; knowledge about HIV, mother to child transmission and VCT; attitude towards VCT; antenatal care follow up and perceived benefits of VCT were independent predictors of acceptance of voluntary HIV testing. Conclusion: Knowledge on MTCT and VCT, positive attitude towards VCT, antenatal care follow-up were predictors of acceptance of VCT. During the VCT session, health professionals should focus on knowledge, attitude, and benefitsof VCT

Determinants of under-five mortality in Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: In developing countries like Ethiopia where there is no vital events registration system and laboratory diagnosis is lacking, causes of death in under-five children and its determinants could not be well known. The objective of this study was to investigate causes of death and its determinants in under-five children in Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center. Methods: A case-control study was conducted from December 12 to 27, 2005. Cases of under-five children who died between August 27, 2004 and September 22, 2005 and controls of alive children with the same age (+/-2 months) as cases were identified by a survey as the study population. Data were collected by trained enumerators using structured questionnaire adopted from World Health Organization (WHO). Causes of death were determined using the expert algorithm based on verbal autopsy data. Results: Neonatal and infant mortality rates were respectively 38 and 76.4 per 1000 live births. The two most common causes of death during neonatal period were prematurity (26.4%) and pneumonia (22.6%). Whereas the top causes of death in post-neonatal period were pneumonia (42%), malaria (37%) and acute diarrheal diseases (30%). Maternal education, practice and perception of mothers on the severity of illness and benefits of modern treatment were found to be independent predictor of child survival. Conclusion: Neonatal causes, pneumonia, malaria and diarrheal diseases were the major killers of under-five children in Ethiopia. In this study, practice of mothers and perceived benefits on the modern treatment are identified as the key predictors of child survival which are amenable to future intervention.The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 21 (2) 2007: pp. 117-12

Perceived barriers to the implementation of Isoniazid preventive therapy for people living with HIV in resource constrained settings: a qualitative study

Introduction: Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) reduces the risk of active TB. IPT is a key public health intervention for the prevention of TB among people living with HIV and has been recommended as part of a comprehensive HIV and AIDS care strategy. However, its implementation has been very slow and has been impeded by several barriers. Objective: The Objective of the study is to assess the perceived  barriers to the implementation of Isoniazid preventive therapy for people living with HIV in resource  constrained settings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2010.Methods: A qualitative study using a semi-structured interviewed guide was used for the in-depth  interview. A total of 12 key informants including ART Nurse, counselors and coordinators found in four hospitals were included in the interview. Each session of the in-depth interview was recorded via audio tape and detailed notes. The interview was transcribed verbatim. The data was analyzed manually. Results: the findings revealed that poor patient adherence was a major factor; with the following issues cited as the reasons for poor adherence; forgetfulness; lack of understanding of condition and patient non- disclosure of HIV sero-status leading to insubstantial social support; underlying mental health issues resulting in missed or irregular patient appointments; weak patient/healthcare provider relationship due to limited quality interaction; lack of patient information, patient empowerment and proper counseling on IPT; and the deficient reinforcement by health officials and other stakeholders on the significance of IPT medication adherence as a critical for positive health outcomes. Conclusion: Uptake of the  implementation of IPT is facing a challenge in resource limited settings. This recalled provision of  training/capacity building and awareness creation mechanism for the health  workers, facilitating disclosure and social support for the patients is recommended.Key words: Isoniazid preventive therapy, People Living with HIV, T

MOTHERS’ HEALTH CARE SEEKING BEHAVIOR FOR CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES IN DERRA DISTRICT, NORTHSHOA ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

No abstract - Available on PD

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of residents in medical research and barriers: A cross-sectional survey at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital

Background: Research activity is an important component of postgraduate training in medical institutions. However, only a few residents of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital were able to publish research papers. Lack of funding and time, poor infrastructure, belief about research, and inadequate research knowledge and methodology were reported to be among the hindering reasons.Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, practice, and barriers to conduct research among clinical residents.Methods: Three hundred and forty-four residents from 13 clinical departments were enrolled in a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted during December 2015 - May 2016. Participants of this study were determined using convenient sampling technique. This means that residents who showed willingness to participate in the study were included. Data were collected using standardized field tested questionnaire. After collecting the responses they were entered into SPSS (version 20) software. Descriptive statistics, one sample-T, and Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to analyze the data and report the finding.Results: Mean Knowledge score was 34.6% for all participants. Knowledge score was significantly better among females compared to males (p-value &lt; 0.01 (95% CI: 0.32-0.85). Attitude towards research undertaking was positive with mean score of 3.8 (95 % CI: 3.75-3.86). Research practice (presentations and previous publications) were found to be very low (27.6% and 2% respectively). Research training received during graduate training was positively correlated with publications (practice) (p &lt; 0.01). Inadequate financial and mentor support as well as lack of access to research equipment were found to be the main barriers the study participants face to conduct clinical research.Conclusion: Participants’ attitude towards research was positive, but their knowledge of research made their practice inadequate. There is a need for filling the gap between high level of positive attitude, low research knowledge and low research practice. This can perhaps be achieved through increasing their training during their graduate studies. Improving research equipment and the resident’s access to financial and better research mentorship are recommended to raise their knowledge and research practice. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2017;31(4):259-265]Keywords: Medical research, Knowledge, Attitude, Post graduate training, Ethiopi

Factors associated with late presentation to HIV/AIDS care in South Wollo ZoneEthiopia: a case-control study

Abstract Background Access to free antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa has been steadily increasing. The success of large-scale antiretroviral therapy programs depends on early initiation of HIV/AIDs care. The purpose of the study was to examine factors associated with late presentation to HIV/AIDS care. Methods A case-control study was conducted in Dessie referral and Borumeda district hospitals from March 1 to 31, 2010, northern Ethiopia. A total of 320 study participants (160 cases and 160 controls) were included in the study. Cases were people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) who had a WHO clinical stage of III or IV or a CD4 lymphocyte count of less than 200/uL at the time of the first presentation to antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinics. Controls were PLHA who had WHO stage I or II or a CD4 lymphocyte count of 200/uL or more irrespective of clinical staging at the time of first presentation to the ART clinics of the hospitals cases and controls were interviewed by trained nurses using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten health workers and eight PLHA. Results PLHA who live with their families [OR = 3.29, 95%CI: 1.28-8.45)], lived in a rented house [OR = 2.52, 95%CI: 1.09-5.79], non-pregnant women [OR = 9.3, 95% CI: 1.93-44.82], who perceived ART have many side effects [OR = 6.23, 95%CI:1.63,23.82)], who perceived HIV as stigmatizing disease [OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.09-8.76], who tested with sickness/symptoms [OR = 2.62, 95% CI: 1.26-5.44], who did not disclose their HIV status for their partner [OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.02-7.56], frequent alcohol users [OR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.63-7.71] and who spent more than 120 months with partner at HIV diagnosis[OR = 5.86, 95% CI: 1.35-25.41] were significantly associated with late presentation to HIV/AIDS care. The qualitative finding revealed low awareness, non-disclosure, perceived ART side effects and HIV stigma were the major barriers for late presentation to HIV/AIDS care. Conclusions Efforts to increase early initiation of HIV/AIDS care should focus on addressing patient's concerns such as stigma, drug side effects and disclosure.</p