Preliminary survey on tsetse flies and trypanosomosis at grazing fields and villages in and around the Nech Sar National Park, Southern Ethiopia

Preliminary survey on tsetse flies and trypanosomosis were conducted between July and August 2007 at grazing fields and villages in and around the Nech Sar national park, with the ultimate intention of forwarding baseline information on the extent of the problem and possible control strategies. . Entomological (Tsetse flies) survey was conducted by deploying a total of 16 geo referenced NGU traps on the grazing fields of cattle. Parasitological (Trypanosomosis) survey and PCV (Packed Cell Volume) measurement were done on randomly selected 202 cattle, of the park neighboring villagers. Glossina pallidipes with mean apparent density of 11.46 ftd (flies per trap per day) were found to be the only prevailing tsetse fly species in the study area. However, the mean apparent density of biting flies was found to be 4.54 ftd. Trypanosomosis with population mean estimated 17.33±5.30 were seen to be a serious problem of cattle in the area. Trypanosoma congolense and T. vivax were the two dominant species encountered in the area. However statistically significant proportion of the cattle (

Trends of modern contraceptive use among young married women based on the 2000, 2005, and 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys: a multivariate decomposition analysis

Published: January 30, 2015Introduction: Accessing family planning can reduce a significant proportion of maternal, infant, and childhood deaths. In Ethiopia, use of modern contraceptive methods is low but it is increasing. This study aimed to analyze the trends and determinants of changes in modern contraceptive use over time among young married women in Ethiopia. Methods: The study used data from the three Demographic Health Surveys conducted in Ethiopia, in 2000, 2005, and 2011. Young married women age 15–24 years with sample sizes of 2,157 in 2000, 1,904 in 2005, and 2,146 in 2011 were included. Logit-based decomposition analysis technique was used for analysis of factors contributing to the recent changes. STATA 12 was employed for data management and analyses. All calculations presented in this paper were weighted for the sampling probabilities and non-response. Complex sampling procedures were also considered during testing of statistical significance. Results: Among young married women, modern contraceptive prevalence increased from 6% in 2000 to 16% in 2005 and to 36% in 2011. The decomposition analysis indicated that 34% of the overall change in modern contraceptive use was due to difference in women’s characteristics. Changes in the composition of young women’s characteristics according to age, educational status, religion, couple concordance on family size, and fertility preference were the major sources of this increase. Two-thirds of the increase in modern contraceptive use was due to difference in coefficients. Most importantly, the increase was due to change in contraceptive use behavior among the rural population (33%) and among Orthodox Christians (16%) and Protestants (4%). Conclusions: Modern contraceptive use among young married women has showed a remarkable increase over the last decade in Ethiopia. Programmatic interventions targeting poor, younger (adolescent), illiterate, and Muslim women would help to maintain the increasing trend in modern contraceptive use.Abebaw Gebeyehu Worku, Gizachew Assefa Tessema, Atinkut Alamirrew Zelek

Threats and management options of the green belt natural forest, northwest lowlands of Ethiopia

The natural forest located across central Africa from Gambia (West Africa) to Ethiopia (East Africa) is believed to break the expansion of the great Sahara Desert towards the southern and south eastern Africa, as a green belt. However, natural and anthropogenic factors are challenging the existence of the forest. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics, threats and sustainable management options of the green belt forest (GBF) located in Ethiopia. Satellite imagery was used to assess the GBF cover dynamics between the year 1980 and 2020 using ERDAS IMAGINE software. ArcGIS software was used for spatial analysis and mapping. Field observation, focus group discussions, and questionnaire based interview were used to collect the required data and SPSS software was used for analysis. The result showed that farmland increased from 32% (in 1980) to 52% (in 2020), whereas, the GBF cover decreased from 58% (in 1980) to 39% (in 2020), with the overall classification accuracy and kappa coefficient of 86% and 81%, respectively. Re-settlement, large-scale agricultural investment, charcoal production, fuel wood, and road construction were among the important threats causing the GBF reduction. Investors, settlers, migrants, residents and day-workers are agents of the GBF cover reduction. To minimize deforestation and sustainably use the GBF local bylaws, delineating and keeping the GBF from human interferences, building awareness, enrichment plantation, and alternative firewood sources were identified as management options. Therefore, to maintain the GBF and break the expansion of the Sahara Desert, governmental and non-governmental organization and the local community ought to apply the recommended GBF management options

Effectiveness of a simple lymphoedema treatment regimen in podoconiosis management in southern Ethiopia: one year follow-up

Background: Podoconiosis is a non-filarial elephantiasis caused by long-term barefoot exposure to volcanic soils in endemic areas. Irritant silicate particles penetrate the skin, causing a progressive, debilitating lymphoedema of the lower leg, often starting in the second decade of life. A simple patient-led treatment approach appropriate for resource poor settings has been developed, comprising (1) education on aetiology and prevention of podoconiosis, (2) foot hygiene (daily washing with soap, water and an antiseptic), (3) the regular use of emollient, (4) elevation of the limb at night, and (5) emphasis on the consistent use of shoes and socks. Methodology/Principal Findings: We did a 12-month, non-comparative, longitudinal evaluation of 33 patients newly presenting to one clinic site of a non-government organization (the Mossy Foot Treatment & Prevention Association, MFTPA) in southern Ethiopia. Outcome measures used for the monitoring of disease progress were (1) the clinical staging system for podoconiosis, and (2) the Amharic Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), both of which have been recently validated for use in this setting. Digital photographs were also taken at each visit. Twenty-seven patients completed follow up. Characteristics of patients completing follow-up were not significantly different to those not. Mean clinical stage and lower leg circumference decreased significantly (mean difference -0.67 (95% CI -0.38 to -0.96) and -2.00 (95% CI -1.26 to -2.74), respectively, p<0.001 for both changes). Mean DLQI diminished from 21 (out of a maximum of 30) to 6 (p<0.001). There was a non-significant change in proportion of patients with mossy lesions (p = 0.375). Conclusions/Significance: This simple, resource-appropriate regimen has a considerable impact both on clinical progression and self-reported quality of life of affected individuals. The regimen appears ideal for scaling up to other endemic regions in Ethiopia and internationally. We recommend that further research in the area include analysis of cost-effectiveness of the regimen

Assessing the impacts of watershed interventions using ground data and remote sensing: a case study in Ethiopia

Quantifying the temporal and spatial changes due to watershed interventions is important for assessing the effectiveness of natural resource management practices on vegetative cover and sediment management. This study assessed the performance of natural resource management in a target site (Aba Gerima) and compared the collateral impacts on neighbouring watersheds in Ethiopia in terms of land-use land-cover change. Changes in the extent of cropland, grassland and shrubland were assessed in the target watershed and the non-treated neighbouring watersheds using temporal satellite imagery. In addition, ground monitoring was applied to quantify the impacts on sediment accumulation, fodder biomass and vegetative cover intensity. The study findings showed substantial changes over the study period: mainly, a change from degraded and barren land to restored vegetation in the target watershed, but a continued trend of land-use change from perennial vegetation to cropland in the neighbouring untreated watersheds. There was a decrease in the rate of conversion of vegetative land cover to cropland in the target watershed, and significant on-site changes in sediment retention, fodder productivity and vegetation intensity. The study findings demonstrate a link between management interventions and improvement in soil and vegetation ecosystem functions. These results not only indicate that watershed-level interventions improve on-site soil and water environmental services but also underline the role of community managed land-use regulations in reducing pressure on natural land-use systems and thereby serve the major goal of up-scaling sustainable land management

Evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of praziquantel against schistosomes in seven countries with ongoing large-scale deworming programs

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends periodic assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of praziquantel (PZQ) to detect reduced efficacy that may arise from drug resistance in schistosomes. In this multi-country study (2014), we assessed the therapeutic efficacy of a single oral dose of PZQ (40 mg/kg) against Schistosoma mansoni (Brazil, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Madagascar and Tanzania), S. haematobium (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Tanzania and Zanzibar) and S. japonicum (the Philippines) infections in school-aged children, across a total of 12 different trials. Each trial was performed according to the standardized methodology for evaluating PZQ efficacy as described by the WHO. Overall, therapeutic efficacy, measured as the reduction in arithmetic mean of schistosome egg counts following drug administration (egg reduction rate; ERR), was high for all three schistosome species (S. mansoni: 93.4% (95%CI: 88.8-96.8); S. haematobium: 97.7% (95%CI: 96.5-98.7) and S. japonicum: 90.0% (95%CI: 68.4-99.3). At the trial level, therapeutic efficacy was satisfactory (point estimate ERR >= 90%) for all three Schistosoma species with the exception of S. mansoni in Cameroon where the ERR was 88.5% (95%CI: 79.0-95.1). Furthermore, we observed that in some trials individual drug response could vary significantly (wide 95%CI) and that few non-responsive individuals could significantly impact ERR point estimates. In conclusion, these results do not suggest any established reduced efficacy of the standard PZQ treatment to any of the three schistosome species within these countries. Nevertheless, the substantial degree of variation in individual responses to treatment in some countries underpins the need for future monitoring. The reported ERR values serve as reference values to compare with outcomes of future PZQ efficacy studies to ensure early detection of reduced efficacies that could occur as drug pressure continues increase. Finally, this study highlights that 95%CI should be considered in WHO guidelines to classify the therapeutic efficacy of PZQ