Domestic implications of concluding observations of the committee on the rights of the child: the case of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its two substantive Protocols. Ethiopia’s reporting history to the Committee on the Rights of the Child is better in terms of complying with periodicity and participation than its reporting histories to other treaty bodies. Ethiopia submitted four reports to the Committee and received recommendations. This article aims to examine the implications of these recommendations on domestic child rights framework. Ethiopian delegates to the constructive dialogues made a number of promises and submitted reports of compliance with regard to the Committee’s recommendations. Concluding observations of the Committee, which are checklist of compliance with conventional obligations, can be considered as soft obligations on the government of Ethiopia. Though concluding observations cannot sufficiently reach domestic law-making process and the law making organs, propelling role of the observations in the adoption of domestic laws, policies and plans of action is observed. With regard to the interpretative relevance of concluding observations, this article shows that there is no analytical mode of treaty application and prescribed principles of treaty reference, which would have paved the way for utilizing the concluding observations of the Committee in interpreting child rights treaties.Keywords: concluding observations, constructive dialogue, Convention on the Rights of the Child, recommendations, reporting, rights of the chil

A Study on The Suitability of Pumice Stone Powder As A Cementitious Material in Sustainable Green Concrete Production

This experimental considered involves on the performance properties of pumice powder as a supplementary cementitious material for ordinary Portland cement materials. The results showed that the pumice powder can be categorized as a pozzolanic constituents according to the ASTM C 618 standard, its main chemical composition SiO2 + Al2O3 + Fe2O3 must be higher than 70% and it was confirmed as suitable for its potential use as a supplemental cementitious resources in the production of concrete materials. As the amount of replacement of cement by the pumice powder increases its workability and density become decreases, it’s delayed in setting time observed, and it requires more water to achieve standard consistency. At 25%, it was a weight reduction of up to 3.83% was observed, as a weight of cement substituted with powdered pumice, and the compressive strength of the powdered pumice specimens was replaced with a cement at different levels of 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt%, 20wt%, and 25wt% cement resulted in a decrease after 7, 28, 56 and 90 days. In addition, it was observed in this study that its strength decreased with increasing curing age; however; replacing ordinary Portland cement with 5wt% to 10wt% pumice powder achieved the specified minimum compressive strength after a curing time of 28 days. But, a concrete sample prepared with 15% partial replacement achieved the specified minimum compressive strength after 56 days. From 15% replacement, there is then a gradual drop in its compressive strength, and the specified minimum strength was not achieved even after a curing time of 56 days it was found that the maximum strain of the concrete was replaced with a powder pumice stone is lower than conventional concrete. Based on the above property, it indicates the suitable pumice powder as a cementitious supplementary material in various concrete construction.

Combined Effects of Molasses-Lime Treatment on Poor Quality Natural Gravel Materials Used for Sub-Base and Base Course Construction

At the time of industrial development, the production of large amounts of wastage required proper disposal. To reduce the disposal problem, utilization of wastage in construction works is a very important aspect. The reuse of industrial waste had gained high momentum for achieving sustainable waste management locally and globally. Keeping this in mind, research carried out to assess the utilization of molasses, lime, and molasses-lime for improving natural gravel for sub-base and base course construction from the Jimma Jiren quarry site. The natural gravel from this quarry site is known to have poor quality since it did not satisfy the ERA standard specification for sub-base and base course construction. To use Jiren natural gravel as a sub-base or base course construction material, it is necessary to improve its engineering properties. The laboratory test matrix in each test plan included variations in additive type, additive content, and curing period. It was established 8% cane molasses by weight of dry soil as the maximum for effective stabilization of natural gravel for sub-base construction, but not suitable for a base course layer. Results indicated that the natural gravel specimens from the Jiren quarry site stabilized with lime provided higher CBR values than molasses used alone. On the other hand, replacing 50% of lime content with molasses indicated better results than the performance of either individual additive. Therefore, the natural gravel blended with the molasses-lime combination is much better when it used for sub-base and base course construction to treat such an inferior quality of natural aggregates

Effect of Selected Conventional and Non-conventional Mineral Fillers with ‘Enset’ Fibers on Compaction Characteristics of Stone Mastic Asphalt Pavement (SMAP)

The content and type of ingredient materials are used to prepare the asphalt mix to affect the pavement surface's quality. This study aimed to investigate the compaction characteristics of Stone Mastic Asphalt Pavement (SMAP) mix using two different types of mineral fillers; namely, crushed stone and Ambo sandstone dust with local material enset fiber. Results indicated that the filler type and the content with or without fiber have a great effect on compaction characteristics of Stone Mastic Asphalt Pavement. The test results also showed that the addition of enset fiber in asphalt mix increases density, compaction energy, and strength of asphalt mix and reduces Marshall flow of the mixes. Besides, crushed stone dust and Ambo sandstone dust with enset fiber affect the Marshall property and compaction characteristics of the stone mastic asphalt mix differentially. The Ambo sandstone dust filler has a low density and has high binder absorption capacity compared with crushed stone dust filler in SMA mixes. In this study, the optimum binder content for the mixture by using Ambo sandstone dust (8%, 6.41%), (8.5%, 6.48%) & (10%, 6.43%) as well as the mixture using crushed stone dust filler at (8%, 5.84%), (8.5%,6.32%) & (10%,5.96%) was determined. The optimum fiber content obtained at 0.3% suggests that using enset fiber in stone mastic asphalt mixture improves the strength of asphalt pavements to resist external loads. The enset fiber at 0.3% better modifies stone mastic asphalt pavement properties. Finally, it is postulated that the performance of pavement is affected by filler type and content. Simultaneously, the Marshall property has a linear relationship with compaction characteristics. It showed the possibility of constructing stone mastic asphalt pavement in Ethiopia by using locally available materials

Treatment of natural fiber for application in concrete pavement

Concrete crack is one of the main problems observed in concrete technology due to drying shrinkage. Incorporating fibers in concrete production is one of the mechanisms implemented to mitigate cracks. Nowadays, investigators concentrate on different techniques to replace human-made fiber with existing natural fibers for fiber-reinforced composite material. Utilization of natural fiber has an initiation for the development of eco-friendly materials by reducing damages caused by human-made materials and saving nonrenewable resources. Natural fibers are readily and abundantly available, sustainable, and biodegradable, with low cost and low density, and have superior specific properties. Nevertheless, there are some limitations of natural fiber compared to human-made fiber. Consequently, significant energy was applied to alter natural fiber’s surface and morphology using physical, chemical, and biological treatment techniques to overcome the limitation. The primary intention of surface treatment is to modify the bond between the fiber surface and the polymer matrix. However, based on this literature review, there were no specific treatment techniques to be followed to select the best one from the others as criteria. It should include all parameters to consider starting from the stage from the cradle to the grave, cost of chemicals, transportation, and labors, including energy consumption and effluent energy. Additionally, their environmental effect also investigated in detail to compare each other

Evaluation of the Performance of Brick Dust as a Filler Material for Hot Asphalt Mix Design A Case Study in Jimma Zone

A bituminous paving mixture is a mixture of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, and bitumen mixed in suitable proportion to result in a strong and durable mix in order to withstand traffic load. In this paving mix, ordinary stone dust, and cement used as filler material. One of the main problems in the construction of a bituminous paving mixture is the insufficient amount of filler from crushing stone aggregate, and cement supply is low. A study has been carried out in this research to explore the use of Brick dust as filler material for the bituminous mixture. The objective is intended to evaluate the performance of brick dust as fillers in Hot Asphalt Mix design, according to the test procedure specified by ASTM. Several specimens of hot asphalt mixture were prepared according to ASTM D 1559 using an aggregate blend with brick filler and aggregate blend without brick filler. The aggregate blending made by using Job mix formula to obtain the percentage of mixed material. For aggregate blended without brick G-1 32%, G-2 23%, and G-3 45% for Aggregate blended with brick filler G-1 30%, G-2 18%, G-3 45% and G-4 7%; where G-1 Coarse Aggregate 3/4, G-2 Coarse Aggregate 3/8, G-3 Fine Aggregate, and G-4 brick filler. It concluded that the results of the Marshall test of mix design showed satisfactory when hot asphalt mixed with these brick fillers. The Specimens blended with brick filler lead produce asphalt mixture with higher Marshall stability, lower flow, a less void filled with asphalt. Hence, brick dust can replace stone dust and cement filler in the bituminous paving mix. It is recommended to use brick dust as filler material in a bituminous paving mix may save considerable investment; as well as a reliable performance of the in-service highway can be achieved

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF STABILIZED EXPANSIVE SOIL USING PUMICE MIXED WITH LIME FOR SUBGRADE ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Unsuitable soil materials along the alignment of road projects have a significant influence on planning, design, construction, and maintenance. Expansive soils are susceptible to considerable volume changes due to seasonal variations and moisture content. Most soils found in Jimma and Ambo Zones composed of plastic clay soil, causing severe damage at the intermittent of pavement sections. This research study conducted laboratory investigation considering combinations of materials blended to stabilize the expansive soil for subgrade construction. An experimental type of study performed started by collecting specimens. Two clayey soil specimens considered to test the free swell index obtained from a depth of 1.5m to remove the organic impurities. Results indicated the chemical analysis of pumice contained 82.68%, while its physical properties of the test of fineness specific surface and residue on 45 microns showed 3770 cm2/gm and 30%, respectively. As the lime content increased, the CBR strength also increased. But, if the percent content of lime decreased with an increasing pumice content, the CBR value did not show any significant increase. Both the chemical and physical properties satisfied the requirements according to ASTM C-618. Hence, this experiment obtained 7% lime + 3% pumice as an optimum mix ratio to stabilize expansive soils

Trend, determinants, and future prospect of child marriage in the Amhara region, Ethiopia: a multivariate decomposition analysis

BackgroundChild marriage is a harmful traditional practice, which compromises children of their childhood and threatens their lives and health. In Ethiopia, 58% of women and 9% of men get married before the age of 18 years. Surprisingly, parents in the Amhara region make marriage promises of their children before they are even born, which will hinder the region from attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of ending child marriage. Thus, this study aimed to assess the trends, determinants, and future prospects of child marriage in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.MethodsA repeated cross-sectional study was conducted using four consecutive nationally representative Ethiopian demographic and health surveys (2000–2016). A logit-based multivariate decomposition analysis for a non-linear response model was fitted to identify factors that contributed to the change in child marriage over time. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. The child marriage practice in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted using different forecasting features of Excel.ResultsThe trend of child marriage over the study period (2000–2016) decreased from 79.9% (76.7, 82.8) to 42.9% (39.1, 46.9), with an annual average reduction rate of 2.9%. Approximately 35.2% of the decline resulted from an increase in the proportion of women who attained secondary and above-secondary education over the two surveys. A decrease in the proportion of rural women and a change in the behavior of educated and media-exposed women also contributed significantly to the decline in child marriage. The prevalence of child marriage in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted to be 10.1% or 8.8%.ConclusionThough there has been a significant decline in child marriage in the Amhara region over the past 16 years, the proportion is still high, and the region is not going to eliminate it by 2030. Education, residence, and media exposure were all factors associated with the observed change in child marriage in this study. Therefore, additional efforts will be required if child marriage is to be eliminated by 2030, and investing more in education and media access will hasten the region's progress in this direction

Anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionAnxiety and depression are among the common comorbidities of people diagnosed with cancer. However, despite the progress in therapeutic options and outcomes, mental health care and support have lagged behind for cancer patients. Estimating the extent and determinants of mental health disorders among cancer patients is crucial to alert concerned bodies for action. In view of this, we aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and determinants of anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia.MethodsRelevant literatures were searched on PubMed, African Journals Online, Hinari, Epistemonikos, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Gray literature sources. Data were extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA 17 statistical software. The random effect model was used to summarize the pooled effect sizes with their respective 95% confidence intervals. The I2 statistics and Egger’s regression test in conjunction with the funnel plot were utilized to evaluate heterogeneity and publication bias among included studies respectively.ResultsA total of 17 studies with 5,592 participants were considered in this review. The pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia were 45.10% (95% CI: 36.74, 53.45) and 42.96% (95% CI: 34.98, 50.93), respectively. Primary and above education (OR= 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.97), poor social support (OR= 2.27, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.98), occupational status (OR= 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.82), advanced cancer stage (OR= 2.19, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.47), comorbid illness (OR= 1.67; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.58) and poor sleep quality (OR= 11.34, 95% CI: 6.47, 19.89) were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, advanced cancer stage (OR= 1.59, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.20) and poor sleep quality (OR= 12.56, 95% CI: 6.4 1, 24.62) were the factors associated with anxiety.ConclusionThis meta-analysis indicated that a substantial proportion of cancer patients suffer from anxiety and depression in Ethiopia. Educational status, occupational status, social support, cancer stage, comorbid illness and sleep quality were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, anxiety was predicted by cancer stage and sleep quality. Thus, the provision of comprehensive mental health support as a constituent of chronic cancer care is crucial to mitigate the impact and occurrence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients. Besides, families and the community should strengthen social support for cancer patients.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023468621