Characterization of village chicken and egg marketing systems of Bure district, North-West Ethiopia

A study was conducted to assess the existing village chicken and egg marketing system of Bure district, North West Ethiopia. A participatory rural appraisal and a formal survey were used to collect all the relevant data, using a multistage sampling technique. Seven farmer kebeles (2 from high land, 3 from mid altitude and 2 from low land agro ecologies) and a total of 280 village chicken owner households were selected and considered for the study. In addition, 30 chicken and egg collectors (middle men) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. All local and urban markets were visited once in a month in all seasons of the year. The result of the current study revealed that there was no any formal chicken and egg marketing operation in the study district. The result showed that 69.3% and 99.6% of interviewed village chicken owners involved in marketing of chicken and eggs, respectively. Producer-Consumer, Producer-Middle men, Producer-Retailer, Middle men- Retailer, Middle men-Consumer were the prevailing chicken and egg marketing channels of the study district. According to the result of the study village chicken owners traveled, on average, a distance of 5.5km and 15.9km to reach to nearby local markets and urban markets, respectively. It is identified that the majority (59.3%) of chicken owners used both hand carrying (hanging birds with a piece of stick) and carrying birds with bamboo-made containers to transport live birds to markets. The result of the current study revealed that the price of chicken and eggs showed variation between months of the year. The percentage increase in market prices of chicken products at holyday market days, as compared to ordinary market days was 19.2% for cocks, 15.3% hen, 24.2% for pullets/cockerels and 16% for eggs. Some of the major marketing problems identified in this study were: low supply of marketable chicken products, presence of only few/limited market out-lets and lack of appropriate marketing information. It is suggested that chicken and egg marketing of village chicken producers can be improved through development of market information system at farmer’s level and strengthening of agricultural extension services, through trainings and advisory services

Indigenous chicken production and marketing systems in Ethiopia: Characteristics and opportunities for market-oriented development

This working paper presents a synthesis of research findings undertaken in three woredas or districts (Bure, Fogera in Amhara Regional State and Dale in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State) in Ethiopia. These woredas are Pilot Learning Woredas (PLWs) of the Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) of Ethiopian Farmers Project being implemented by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The major objective of these studies was to assess the existing indigenous chicken production and marketing systems and identify major constraints and priorities for improvement and extension interventions. A formal survey with structured questionnaire and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods relevant to village chicken production systems were used to collect data. The result of these studies revealed that the dominant chicken production system of the study districts is an extensive/traditional type of production, using local chicken ecotypes, managed mainly on scavenging with seasonal feed supplementation of home-grown grains and household food refusals

Assessment of village chicken production system and evaluation of the productive and reproductive performance of local chicken ecotype in Bure district, North west Ethiopia

A survey was conducted in Bure district, North West Ethiopia, from 2007 to 2008 to assess the existing village chicken production system. A participatory rural appraisal and a formal survey were used to collect all the relevant data, using a multi-stage sampling technique. Seven farmer administrative kebeles (two from high land, three from mid altitude and two from low land agro-ecologies) and a total of 280 village chicken owner households were considered for the study. The result revealed that the dominant (83%) chicken production system was an extensive/traditional type of production, using a majority (97%) of local chicken ecotypes, managed mainly on scavenging with seasonal supplementation of home grown grains and household food leftovers. The purposes of chicken production were sale for income (51.4%), egg hatching for replacement (45%), consumption (44.3%), use of birds for cultural and/or religious ceremonies (36.4%) and egg production (40.7%). The average flock size per household was 13 (ranged 1 - 57), with a hen to cock ratio of 3.7:1. Only 22.1% of chicken owners prepared a separate overnight house for birds and the rest (77.9%) kept birds in various night sheltering places. The result revealed that 97.5% of interviewed chicken owners experienced chicken disease problems, mainly Newcastle disease (98.2%). The result indicated that 95% of village chicken owners used only traditional means to treat sick birds. The average age of cockerels at first mating and pullets at first egg were 24.6 weeks and 27.5 weeks, respectively. The average number of eggs laid/clutch was 16 (ranged 8 - 28) and the number of total clutch periods/hen/year was 4 (ranged 2 - 6). The annual egg production performance of local hens, under farmer’s management condition, was 60 eggs/hen (ranged 24 -112). The average number of eggs incubated/hen was 13 and 11 chicks, on average, were hatched from them. The average hatchability performance of local hens was 81.7%. However, survivability of young chicks was only 60.5% (ranged 0 -100%). High hatchability performance of local hens (81.7%) and high mortality of young chicks (39.5%) were the two contradictory features for the existing village chicken production system of the district. Seasonal diseases outbreaks (84.3%) and predation (11.4%) were the major causes of chicken loss in the district. Women were the major responsible members of the household involved in various chicken husbandry activities like cleaning bird’s house (38.6%), feeding birds (81.7%), selling birds (83%) and selling eggs (54.6%). Only 37.5% of interviewed chicken owners got appropriate extension services related to modern chicken management practices. The result of the study revealed that there is a great interest to boost up the existing village chicken production and productivity. This should be considered as an opportunity and potential to design and implement interventions, aimed at improving production and productivity of village chicken in the district

Farmers’ perception of the effects of soil and water conservation structures on crop production: The case of Bokole watershed, Southern Ethiopia

Level soil bunds (LSB) and stone bunds (SB) have been widely implemented in Bokole watershed with World Food Programme (WFP) support since 2000-2001. However, the performance of structures against the target has not been studied. This study assessed farmers’ opinion on the effect of soil and water conservation (SWC) structures, particularly level soil bunds and stone bunds, in improving agricultural crop production. A household survey was carried out by stratified random sampling. Twenty-seven percent of the farmers who adopted SWC structure (29 households from the upper watershed and 62 households from the lower watershed) were randomly selected and interviewed. Three group  discussions were also conducted. Based on their own indicators, a high proportion of those interviewed (79.3% in the upper and 87.1% in the lower watershed) had a positive opinion about LSB and SB on their cropland, in relation to its role in improving soil fertility and crop  production. Ninety-three percent of interviewed farmers in both the upper watershed and the lower watershed perceived a change in crop yield within two years after implementation of structures. There is a need for awareness creation and for monitoring the correct management of existing soil and water conservation structures, to ensure that they function as intended, and to improve their efficiency. This can reduce the problem of a ‘decrease’ or ‘fluctuation’ in crop yield. Key words: Crop yield, non-terraced, soil bunds, stone bund, water erosion

Determination of eligibility to antiretroviral therapy in resource limited settings using total lymphocyte counts, hemoglobin and body mass index among HIV positive patients

Background: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a serious public health problem in Ethiopia. CD4+ T cell count testing is the standard method for determining eligibility for antiretroviral therapy. However, automation for CD4+ T cell count is not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia.Objective: This study was to determine eligibility for antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings using total lymphocyte counts, hemoglobin and body mass index among HIV positive patients.Materials and methods: CD4+ T cell count was determined using Becton Dickinson FACS count analyzer. Total lymphocyte count and hemoglobin concentration were measured by a Cell Dyne 1800 hematology analyzer and body mass index was determined. Correlation of total lymphocyte count, hemoglobin and body mass index with CD4+ T cell count was determined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient and p-value.Results: The correlation between CD4+ T cell count and Total Lymphocyte Count (TLC) was not strong, but the association between CD4+ T cell count and TLC was highly significant and correlation between CD4+ T cell counts with hemoglobin were very weak. The sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of TLC using threshold value of 1000 cells/mm3 for CD4+ T cell counts <350 cells/mm3 were 3% , 94%, 17% and 71%, respectively. Total lymphocyte count threshold of 1750 cells/mm3 were the better predictor of CD4+ T cell counts of <350 cells/mm3 when compared to < 200 cells/mm3.Conclusion: TLC showed weak correlation with CD4+ T cell counts but the association between CD4+ T cell count with TLC was significant (p<0.0001). The TLC threshold of 1750 cells/mm3 were the most accurate predictors of CD4+ T cell counts of <350 cells/mm3. Therefore, the significant association of TLC with CD4+ T cell count may suggest that TLC could be used as marker for CD4+ T cell count in determining anti-retroviral treatment initiation when CD4+ T cell count is not available particularly in rural settings where laboratory facilities are lacking

The prevalence and antimicrobial responses of Shigella isolates in HIV-1 infected and uninfected adult diarrhoea patients in north west Ethiopia

Background: Shigella is one of the diarrhoea causing organisms found in HIV positive patients. But so far, the pattern of diarrhoeal agents caused by Shigella in AIDS patients has not been determined. Objective: This study is thus aimed at determining the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance of Shigella isolates in HIV positive subjects. Methods: All stool samples taken from the subjects of this study were plated on the MacConkey agar and incubated at 35-37oC for 24 or 48 hrs. Biochemical and antimicrobial sensitivity testing were carried out by using the standard methods. Results: Out of the 391 subjects included in the study, 199(63.8%) HIV seropositive and 113 seronegative patients had acute and chronic diarrhoea while 79 were HIV seropositive without diarrhoea. Of the 27 (8.7) Shigella isolates taken from the diarrhea patients, 11 (3.5%) were from HIV positive subjects. All Shigella isolates were found to be sensitive against norfloxacin (100%), gentamicin (97%), polymyxin B (97%) and kanamycin (93%). The most frequent resistance observed was to chloramphenicol (62%), tetracycline (86%) and ampicillin (100%). The frequency of resistance of Amp, Sex, Ch, TTc was found to be very high when compared with other patterns of resistance. Conclusion: The high proportion of HIV seropositive patients who had diarrhea in the absence of identified Shigella strains strongly indicates the existence of other diarrhoeagenic agents or mechanisms. Detailed investigation is important to get comprehensive information for better treatment of diarrhoea in HIV /AIDS patients. According to this finding, norfloxacin, gentamicin, polymyxin B, kanamycin and nalidixic acid might be used as drugs of choice for empirical treatment. On the other hand, amplicilin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol may not be used as the drugs of choice for the treatment of Shigella infection unless culture and sensitivity tests are done prior to treatment. The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 20 (2) 2006: 99-10

Invitro Antibacterial Screening of Extracts from Selected Ethiopian Medicinal Plants

Indigenous knowledge, literature reports and ethnobotanical records suggest that plants are the basis for medicines. They constitute natural source of antimicrobial drugs that will provide novel or lead compounds for the fight against disease. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of three selected Ethiopian medicinal plants was studied with the objective of  screening their antibacterial activity. The fruits of Measalanceolata, aerial part of Cissus quadrangularis and leaf of Dodonae angustifolia were collected, air dried under shed, powdered and soaked in 80% methanol and extracted. In vitro antibacterial activity of the extracts was tested at different concentrations by using agar disc diffusion method and  measuring the zone of inhibition. The plant extracts showed broad  spectrum activity against gram positive (S. aureus) as well as gram  negative (E. coli) bacteria, except Cissus quadrangularis which did not show any activity against E. coli. Furthermore, the plant extracts had also  concentration dependant zone of inhibition against the tested bacteria. In fact, the highest activity was obtained for Dodonae angustifolia at  1000mg/ml against S. aureus. The activities are attributed to the presence of some secondary metabolites present in the tested plants which have been associated with antibacterial activities. This finding suggests that these medicinal plants can be potential source to isolate antibacterial drugs.Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Disc diffusion, E. coli, Plant extract and S. aureus

Brief Communication: Comparison of formol-acetone concentration method with that of the direct iodine preparation and formol-ether concentration methods for examination of stool parasites

Background: Formol-ether concentration technique is taken as a gold standard method to detect most intestinal parasites; however, because of its low safety and hazardous impact a need for better technique has a paramount importance.Objective: To evaluate a formol- acetone concentration method in comparison with the conventional direct iodine preparation and formol- ether concentration methods in detecting intestinal parasites.Methods: A total of 382 stool samples were collected from Tseda elementary school children, in 2006. Samples were processed and examined using formol-acetone concentration, the direct iodine stained smear, and formol-ether concentration methods.Results: Formol-ether detected 79.1% of parasites followed by formol-acetone (73.6%) and direct iodine preparation (50.3%). Statistical (P< 0.05) difference was observed for the detection of over all positivity of any parasites between the two concentration methods. However, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predicative value of formol-acetone were 88.1%, 81.3%, and 94.7%, respectively respective to formol-ether method. Almost similar detection ability was also observed by the two concentration methods for A. lumbricoids, H. nana, T. trichuira, and S. stercoralis. However, there was difference in the detection rate of hookworm and S. mansoni.Conclusions: for safety and hazard free laboratory set up, this new method might be used as an alternative choice for formol-ether concentration method. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010;24(2):148-151

Brief communication: Low prevalence of HIV infection, and knowledge, attitude and practice on HIV/AIDS among high school students in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

HIV/AIDS is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Therefore, a school based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gondar; Northwest Ethiopia to determine the seroprevalence of HIV infection and to assess Knowledge, attitude and practice related to HIV/AIDS. A total of 565 students were included in the study. The seroprevalence of HIV infection was 1.1%. Sexual contact with commercial sex worker or non-regular partner was reported by 16.7% of the students. Only 58.5% of those who practice sex used condoms. History of sexually transmitted diseases was reported by 10.7% of the sexually active students. The majority (96.6%) reported unprotected sex, unsafe blood transfusion, contaminated needles and mother to child transmissions as common ways of HIV transmission. Abstinence, faithfulness to one\'s partner and use of condom as means to prevent transmission of HIV was responded by 84.1%, 60.4% and 41.8% of the students, respectively. Over 82% demanded screening for HIV as a precondition for marriage and 97.2% agreed to have a VCT service. The findings of the study indicate that the prevalence of HIV infection is low among high school students in Gondar. The students had adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS and VCT despite the risky practices. Continued health education is needed to bring behavioral changes.The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 21 (2) 2007: pp. 179-18