The importance of chickpea, its farming system and determinant factors on technology adoption, North Shewa, Ethiopia.

Chickpea is one of the major pulse crops produced for home consumption and income sources. Its productivity is low due to low attention on chickpea production improvement technologies. This study examined chickpea farming system and its production status in wheat-based farming system areas. The purposes of the study were to evaluate the farming system of chickpea, to identify the determinant factors on chickpea technology adoption, and to assess the importance of chickpea in the study area. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. The primary data were obtained from a total of 230 randomly selected rural farmers in Ensaro district. Descriptive statistics and complementary log-log methods were used to assess the farming system and the adoption status of the improved varieties. Chick pea is one of the major crops produced and farmers allocated their farm for chickpea production and grow both local and improved varieties. Neighbor farmers, the district office of agriculture and Debre Birhan agricultural research center were the main sources of improved seeds. Chickpea producers obtained more grain yield and farm benefits and better position in household income and expenditure than the non-grower farmers. Farmers who used improved chickpea varieties gained more gross margins from chickpea compared with their counterparts. Farmers near to market, better contact with extension and access to agriculture-related trainings used improved chickpea production technologies. Chickpea contributed for availability of food, income and gross field benefits improvement for the grower farmers. The improved varieties provide more grain yield than the local. Strengthen extension farmers linkage and improve market access contribute for the improvements of chickpea production and rural household income in chickpea growing areas. &nbsp

Economic valuation of the preferred traits of indigenous cattle in Ethiopia

This research employs recent data generation methods and econometric techniques to elicit cattle trait preferences and to estimate the relative economic values of the preferred traits within the context of a semi-subsistence livelihood system in Dano district of Central Ethiopia. Economic valuation of preferred cattle traits serves much more than estimating implicit prices or willingness to pay. It reveals the fact that the relative economic values consumers and producers attach to traits considered important inherently determine the types and composition of animals kept under their custody. The preferences elicited and the relative values of traits can, therefore, serve as basis for biological research and policy interventions for the sustainable use of the animal genetic resources. The results of this study show that the rural community has clear and consistent preferences for the different cattle attributes that manifest the suitability of the cattle for the different and interrelated functions they are expected to render. Bull trait preference analysis results illustrate that the farming community assigns high values for good plowing strength, big body size, disease resistance, calf vigor, and for places the cattle were brought from. Regarding cow attributes, the community attaches more importance to fertility (short calving interval), disease resistance and calf vigor than to milk. Hedonic price function estimations also show that phenotypic traits of cattle, particularly class of cattle - based on sex and function, body size and age, influence cattle price as well as marketing season and market location. Based on the empirical results, a framework for the community based management of cattle genetic resources is also developed envisioning locally managed sustainable use and conservation of the indigenous cattle resources. The results of this research would substantially justify the re-focusing of the strategies and programs Ethiopia has been implementing for the last four decades with the aim of improving only few commercially important traits. The results also call for the empowerment and motivation of the rural community for sustainable management of the cattle genetic resources against the top-down approach that has been the norm in Ethiopia

Polysubstance use behavior among the male population in Ethiopia: Findings from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey

Background: Substance use is predominantly associated with male behavior and is becoming one of the major public health challenges across the globe, including in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to estimate the magnitude and predictors of polysubstance use behavior among males in Ethiopia. Methods: Data were extracted from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). From a total of 12,688 male participants in the EDHS, a sample was extracted of 7,931 males who used at least one substance (alcohol, khat or tobacco) during the time of the survey. Those who used more than one substance were considered as polysubstance users, which was the outcome of interest. Descriptive statistics was computed and displayed with tables and graph. Logistic regression was carried out to identify predictors of polysubstance use, and statistical significance was declared at a 95% confidence level. Results: Of the total sample of 12,688 males in the 2016 EDHS, 7,931 (62.5%) were currently using at least one substance. Regional distribution of current substance users shows that Amhara (18.5%), Tigray (14.2%) and Oromia (12.8%) have the highest percentage of substance users, respectively. Among the current any substance users, 15.0% use cigarettes daily or on some days – 74.7% of these are daily users. Nineteen per cent of current male substance users in Ethiopia are polysubstance users. The main substances consumed are alcohol only (53.1%), followed by khat only (25.9%). Polysubstance use behavior can be predicted by residence (urban residence: OR: 1.78; CI: 1.35, 2.34), educational status (secondary education: OR: 1.50; CI: 1.19, 1.89) and marital status (no longer living together: OR: 2.85; CI: 1.58, 5.15). Region, religion, wealth status, age, family size and media exposure are other factors significantly associated with polysubstance use behavior. Conclusions: Polysubstance use behavior among males is widespread in all regions of the country. Socio-demographic factors and access to media are predictors of polysubstance use. Therefore, in addition to law enforcement such as prohibition of advertising, there is a need to investigate underlying genetic, structural, policy and behavioral determinants of polysubstance use so that holistic interventions can be designed to target multiple substance use simultaneously. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2020; 34(3):171-180] Key words: Alcohol, cigarettes, EDHS, Ethiopia, khat, males, polysubstance use, substance us

Fe–Al binary oxide nanosorbent: Synthesis, characterization and phosphate sorption property

Phosphorous removal using efficient treatment approach such as adsorption is vital for the control of eutrophication. In this study, nanosized Fe-Al binary oxide sorbent was synthesized through a modified gel evaporation method and employed for adsorption of phosphate from aqueous system. The nanosorbent was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), tunneling electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). Langmuir model showed the best fit to the experimental data with a maximum adsorption efficiency of 16.4 mg/g. Having all parameters optimized, it has been found that the nanosorbent exhibited 99.86% phosphate adsorption efficiency. The effect of co-existing anions on the adsorption of phosphate was also studied and no significant effect on the efficiency of the nanosorbent was observed due to competing ions such as fluoride. Desorbabilty of phosphate was investigated and found to be increased with increasing pH. The results of thermodynamic studies indicated that the process is spontaneous and endothermic. Both macroscopic and microscopic approaches were employed to predict the mechanism of phosphate adsorption on the Fe-Al binary oxide nanosorbent. Accordingly, the phosphate adsorption is presumed to occur via the replacement of surface hydroxyl groups by the phosphate species and formation of inner-sphere surface complexes at the water/oxide interfac

Age-sex disparities and sub-clinical hypothyroidism among patients in Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism is an elevation in serum thyroid-stimulating hormone above the upper limit of the reference range (0.45\u20134.5 mIU/L) with normal serum TT4 and TT3 concentration. The most important implication of subclinical hypothyroidism is high likelihood of progression of clinical hypothyroidism. Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on medical records of patients referred at endocrine clinic Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa from 2010 to 2016. This study was conducted from normal ambulatory patients who have come in the hospital outpatient department since they experienced abnormality on their health status. During the study period, patients were complaining about their clinical symptoms. A total number of 9000 patients were included. Patients\u2019 card was retrieved by using standard extracted formats to collect socio-demographic and clinical information and laboratory measurements. Serum TSH, TT4, and TT3 levels were determined by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay method on ECLIA 2010 fully automatic analyzer at TASH nuclear medicine. SPSS 20 version software was used for analysis, and chi-square test was used to check the association between dependent and independent variables. Results: The overall prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism evaluated to be 582 (6.47%), 4.6% in females and 1.9% in males. Four hundred and thirty-one (74%) patients had serum TSH levels between 5 and 10 mIU/L, and the average TSH level of subclinical hypothyroid patients whose age was 65 40 differ significantly from that of subclinical hypothyroid patients whose age was < 40. The average TSH level among female patients whose age are 65 40 differed significantly from their counterparts. Subclinical hypothyroidism patients more often reported having dry skin, poor memory, fatigue, cold intolerance, constipation, and hoarseness. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of ScHt was 6.5% where females showed higher level than males. Age 65 40 became independent factor of subclinical hypothyroidism. The higher prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in this study could become a predictor for overt hypothyroidism, so screening for subclinical hypothyroidism prevents the later development of complicated overt hypothyroidism

Mental health stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia:evidence synthesis to inform stigma reduction interventions

BACKGROUND: People with mental illnesses are at an increased risk of experiencing human rights violations, stigma and discrimination. Even though mental health stigma and discrimination are universal, there appears to be a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Anti-stigma interventions need to be grounded in local evidence. The aim of this paper was to synthesize evidence on mental health stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia to inform the development of anti-stigma interventions.METHODS: This evidence synthesis was conducted as a part of formative work for the International Study of Discrimination and Stigma Outcomes (INDIGO) Partnership research program. Electronic searches were conducted using PubMed for scientific articles, and Google Search and Google Scholar were used for grey literature. Records fulfilling eligibility criteria were selected for the evidence synthesis. The findings were synthesized using a framework designed to capture features of mental health stigma to inform cultural adaptation of anti-stigma interventions.RESULTS: A total of 37 records (2 grey literature and 35 scientific articles) were included in the evidence synthesis. Some of these records were described more than once depending on themes of the synthesis. The records were synthesized under the themes of explanatory models of stigma (3 records on labels and 4 records on symptoms and causes), perceived and experienced forms of stigma (7 records on public stigma, 6 records on structural stigma, 2 records on courtesy stigma and 4 records on self-stigma), impact of stigma on help-seeking (6 records) and interventions to reduce stigma (12 records). Only two intervention studies assessed stigma reduction- one study showed reduced discrimination due to improved access to effective mental health care, whereas the other study did not find evidence on reduction of discrimination following a community-based rehabilitation intervention in combination with facility-based care.CONCLUSION: There is widespread stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia which has contributed to under-utilization of available mental health services in the country. This should be addressed with contextually designed and effective stigma reduction interventions that engage stakeholders (service users, service providers, community representatives and service developers and policy makers) so that the United Nations universal health coverage goal for mental health can be achieved in Ethiopia

Transforming the sheep and goat industry through dispersed community based breeding and centralized management

Transforming the sheep and goat industry through dispersed community-based breeding and centralized management. Presentation at 30th ESAP Conference. September 15-17th

Routine health management information system data in Ethiopia: consistency, trends, and challenges.

Background: Ethiopia is investing in the routine Health Management Information System. Improved routine data are needed for decision-making in the health sector. Objective: To analyse the quality of the routine Health Management Information System data and triangulate with other sources, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys. Methods: We analysed national Health Management Information System data on 19 indicators of maternal health, neonatal survival, immunization, child nutrition, malaria, and tuberculosis over the 2012-2018 time period. The analyses were conducted by 38 analysts from the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, and two government agencies who participated in the Operational Research and Coaching for Analysts (ORCA) project between June 2018 and June 2020. Using a World Health Organization Data Quality Review toolkit, we assessed indicator definitions, completeness, internal consistency over time and between related indicators, and external consistency compared with other data sources. Results: Several services reported coverage of above 100%. For many indicators, denominators were based on poor-quality population data estimates. Data on individual vaccinations had relatively good internal consistency. In contrast, there was low external consistency for data on fully vaccinated children, with the routine Health Management Information System showing 89% coverage but the Demographic and Health Survey estimate at 39%. Maternal health indicators displayed increasing coverage over time. Indicators on child nutrition, malaria, and tuberculosis were less consistent. Data on neonatal mortality were incomplete and operationalised as mortality on day 0-6. Our comparisons with survey and population projections indicated that one in eight early neonatal deaths were reported in the routine Health Management Information System. Data quality varied between regions. Conclusions: The quality of routine data gathered in the health system needs further attention. We suggest regular triangulation with data from other sources. We recommend addressing the denominator issues, reducing the complexity of indicators, and aligning indicators to international definitions