Prevalence and associated factors of female genital mutilation among Somali refugees in eastern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Eastern Ethiopia hosts a substantial number of refugees originated from Somalia. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a common practice in the area, despite the campaigns to eliminate it. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated factors of FGM.Itoobiyada bari waxay soo dhoweysay qaxooti soomaaliyeed oo aad u fara badan. Inkastoo uu halkaas ka jiro ololaha ladagaalanka gudniinka fircooniga, haddana si daran ayaa halkaa looga adeegsadaa gudniinka fircooniga. Waxaana sameeyey daraasad la xiriira arrimahaas.L'Etiopia orientale ospita un numero considerevole di rifugiati somali. Le mutilazioni genitali femminili (MGF) sono una pratica comune nella zona, nonostante le campagne per eliminarla. È stato condotto uno studio per determinare la prevalenza e i fattori associati delle MGF

Review of Policy, Regulatory, and Organizational Frameworks of Environment and Health in Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia produced its Environmental Health Situational Analysis and Needs Assessment (SANA) report in 2010 as part of the global endeavor to characterize and underscore the importance of connecting health and environment. The assessment methods used in SANA 2010 were updated, replicated and used in this SABNA. with a focus on air pollution, occupational safety and health, and climate change.Objectives: The purpose of the review was to examine national policies and identify gaps in regulations and organizational arrangements that determine Ethiopia’s ability to mitigate and eventually prevent the health impacts of air pollution, occupational hazards, and climate change.Methods: The national policy and regulatory documents were reviewed. Literature was identified through electronic searches. Hard copies of past reports and policies were reviewed whenever necessary. A semi-structured guideline was used to conduct in-depth interviews aimed at identifying gaps and needs.Results: The Constitution of Ethiopia has policy provisions related to air pollution, occupational safety and health (OSH), and climate change and health. Proclamation No. 300/2002 on Environmental Pollution Control specifies ambient air quality standards and allowable emissions. However, there were no documents that outlined the national or regional strategies that the ministries and agencies could adopt to translate existing policies, legal provisions, or guidelines for air pollution into practical programs. In the same way, a national OSH policy was lacking at the time this review was made on how occupational safety and health should be handled nationally or at lower governing levels as required by the International Occupation Safety and Health and Working Environment Convention No. 155/1981. Ethiopia is a signatory of this Convention.Conclusions and Recommendations: The results of the situational analysis indicate that there are cross-cutting gaps in the various sectors. Among these, addressing the critical shortage of skilled personnel is an urgent priority. Most stakeholders face acute shortages of professionals and poor retention mechanisms. It is therefore important toa) design interventions that focus on capacity building in, for example, aligning curricula with specific needs of ministries, andb) equip professionals with the necessary technical skills.In addition, the results indicate that policies and regulations exist in theory, but in practice, there are inadequate implementation strategies to encourage adherence and enforcement of the regulations and policies

The Ethiopian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program: strengthening public health systems and building human resource capacity

The Ethiopian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (EFELTP) is a comprehensive two-year competency-based training and service program designed to build sustainable public health expertise and capacity. Established in 2009, the program is a partnership between the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa University School of Public Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Association and the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Residents of the program spend about 25% of their time undergoing didactic training and the 75% in the field working at program field bases established with the MOH and Regional Health Bureaus investigating disease outbreaks, improving disease surveillance, responding to public health emergencies, using health data to make recommendations and undertaking other field Epidemiology related activities on setting health policy. Residents from the first 2 cohorts of the program have conducted more than 42 outbreaks investigations, 27analyses of surveillance data, evaluations of 11 surveillance systems, had28oral and poster presentation abstracts accepted at 10 scientific conferences and submitted 8 manuscripts of which 2are already published. The EFELTP has provided valuable opportunities to improve epidemiology and laboratory capacity building in Ethiopia. While the program is relatively young, positive and significant impacts are assisting the country better detect and respond to epidemics and address diseases of major public health significance

Inequalities in child mortality in ten major African cities

Background: The existence of socio-economic inequalities in child mortality is well documented. African cities grow faster than cities in most other regions of the world; and inequalities in African cities are thought to be particularly large. Revealing health-related inequalities is essential in order for governments to be able to act against them. This study aimed to systematically compare inequalities in child mortality across 10 major African cities (Cairo, Lagos, Kinshasa, Luanda, Abidjan, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Dakar, Addis Ababa, Accra), and to investigate trends in such inequalities over time. Methods: Data from two rounds of demographic and health surveys (DHS) were used for this study (if available): one from around the year 2000 and one from between 2007 and 2011. Child mortality rates within cities were calculated by population wealth quintiles. Inequality in child mortality was assessed by computing two measures of relative inequality (the rate ratio and the concentration index) and two measures of absolute inequality (the difference and the Erreyger's index). Results: Mean child mortality rates ranged from about 39 deaths per 1,000 live births in Cairo (2008) to about 107 deaths per 1,000 live births in Dar es Salaam (2010). Significant inequalities were found in Kinshasa, Luanda, Abidjan, and Addis Ababa in the most recent survey. The difference between the poorest quintile and the richest quintile was as much as 108 deaths per 1,000 live births (95% confidence interval 55 to 166) in Abidjan in 2011-2012. When comparing inequalities across cities or over time, confidence intervals of all measures almost always overlap. Nevertheless, inequalities appear to have increased in Abidjan, while they appear to have decreased in Cairo, Lagos, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Dakar. Conclusions: Considerable inequalities exist in almost all cities but the level of inequalities and their development over time appear to differ across cities. This implies that inequalities are amenable to policy interventions and that it is worth investigating why inequalities are higher in one city than in another. However, larger samples are needed in order to improve the certainty of our results. Currently available data samples from DHS are too small to reliably quantify the level of inequalities within cities

Gender Difference in Research Productivity and its Associated factors in Addis Ababa University: a Cross-Sectional study

AbstractBackground: Gender equity movements have increased the number of women going to higher institutions. However, the number of women participating in research is limited in creating a critical mass. Objective: To assess the gender gap in research and its associated factors determinants among faculty at Addis Ababa University. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study from October 2018 to March 2019 using a structured self-administered questionnaire. University faculty who was lecturers and above level who served the University for more than a year were invited to participate in the study. Faculty were approached by data collection facilitators with graduate degrees and the secretory of the respective departments. We used descriptive and multivariate statistical methods to analyse the data. Result: Of the 888 study participants, 161 (18.1%) females faculty participated in the study. It was found that three hundred ninety-seven male academics (54.6%) and 50 female academics (31.1%) had ever published articles in peer-reviewed journals (p<0.001). Male faculty were more likely to publish in peer-reviewed journals than their female counterparts [AOR and (95% CI) [2.55 (1.68, 3.86)]. Faculty with a rank of assistant professors and above [AOR (95% CI) 3.47(2.31, 5.21)], those who have a Ph.D. as highest degree [AOR (95% CI) 2.98 (2.11, 4.19) and those who have affiliation with other institutions [AOR (95% CI) 2.59 (1.98, 3.56)], were more likely to publish in peer-reviewed journals than their counterparts. Conclusion: Female faculty were less likely to be involved in research than men counterparts. The University needs to narrow the gender gap in research by designing and implementing an appropriate intervention strategy. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(SI-2):15-21]Keywords: Addis Ababa University, female faculty, gender difference, publication, researc

Experience of Research Undertaking among Women Academia at Addis Ababa University: a Qualitative Study

AbstractBackground: As a pioneer University in the Country, Addis Ababa University engages itself in collaborative and local research undertakings along with teaching, community engagements and technology transfer. Despite its long engagement in research, the participation of women academia in research is limited as manifested by their low research productivity in terms of publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals. However, the reasons for their low research participation are less known and needs further exploration. Objective: To explore the experience of research undertakings among women academia at Addis Ababa University. Method: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a phenomenological approach among women academia. Eight women who have been working in the University with a rank of a lecturer having at least two years participated in in-depth interviews. We used NVivo10 software to code and categorize the transcripts. Result: Our study revealed that only a few senior informants with more than 10 years of stay at the University had a better experience in applying for national and international research grants. Although all the participants said they had ever undertaken research, their publication track in peer-reviewed journals is limited. Social and economic factors, lack of networking, low salary and family responsibility, limited internet and library access, and lack of research skill among young faculty were raised as impediments to undertake research. Conclusion: This study has indicated that women in academia had limited research engagement in terms of grant application and publication in peer reviewed scientific journals. Balancing work and family life, low salary, lack of access to common University facilities were some of the challenges. While structural change ensures gender equality at a long time, addressing the gender gap in research is the responsibility of AAU. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(SI-2):22-29]Keywords: Addis Ababa University, experience of research, women in academi

Female Academic Career Development and Administrative Positions at Addis Ababa University: a Mixed-Method Study

AbstractBackground: In Ethiopia, the number of female in academia in general and in administrative positions and higher university ranks in specific is very small as compared to men. A slight change has been seen in recent years, where a few women have come to male-dominated administrative positions as university presidents, vice presidents, deans and directors with still insignificant increase in the number of full professors. Objective: This study assessed female faculty member's career development and involvement in administrative positions and explored challenges. Method: We used a sequential mixed-method study starting with a cross-sectional quantitative study among 888 faculty members. The quantitate data were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression models to identify independent predictors of administrative involvement using SPSS version 25 software. An exploratory qualitative study was done among eight purposively selected female faculty. NVivo10 data management software was used to code and categorize the transcripts. Result: We found that male faculty members were more likely to involve in administrative positions than their female counterparts [AOR (95%CI) 1.6(1.1, 2.4)]. Those who were provided housing facility by AAU [AOR (95%CI) 2.29 (1.61, 3.23)] and assistant professors and above [AOR (95%CI) 1.495 (1.01, 2.220)] were more likely to involve in an administrative position than their counterparts. The qualitative findings indicated that the low salary faculty earns, lack of networks and family responsibility have deterred females from taking administrative positions. Conclusion: Female faculty involvement in the university administrative position and career development is very low. Both structural and personal factors such as gender roles affected their professional enhancement in academic ranks and hence positions. Creating a conducive platform for female faculty development is recommended to increase their involvement in administrative positions. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(SI-2):30-39]Keywords: Addis Ababa University, administrative positions, career development, female academician, female facult

Leadership in strategic information (LSI) building skilled public health capacity in Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In many developing countries, including Ethiopia, few have the skills to use data for effective decision making in public health. To address this need, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with two local Ethiopian organizations, developed a year long Leadership in Strategic Information (LSI) course to train government employees working in HIV to use data from strategic information sources. A process evaluation of the LSI course examined the impact of the training on trainees' skills and the strengths and weaknesses of the course. The evaluation consisted of surveys and focus groups.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Trainees' skill sets increased in descriptive and analytic epidemiology, surveillance, and monitoring and evaluation (M and E). Data from the evaluation indicated that the course structure and the M and E module required revision in order to improve outcomes. Additionally, the first cohort had a high attrition rate. Overall, trainees and key stakeholders viewed LSI as important in building skilled capacity in public health in Ethiopia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The evaluation provided constructive insight in modifying the course to improve retention and better address trainees' learning needs. Subsequent course attrition rates decreased as a result of changes made based on evaluation findings.</p