Assessment of awareness on food borne zoonosis and its relation with Veterinary Public Health Services in and around Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

A survey qualitative survey was conducted to assess the awareness on food borne zoonosis and its relation with Veterinary Public Health Services in Addis Ababa and its surrounding districts from November 2008 to May 2009. Structured questionnaire was used in the study. Questionnaires were distributed to 384 individuals, of which 196 were elementary and high school students, and 196 were Graduates. Factors like education level, information source and profession were considered for possible explanation of the results. The use of inspected animal products is found statistically different (P<0.05) among health and non health professionals while no difference is seen between students and graduates. The majority (85.42%) of the students get their information from other information sources like their families in the form of advice and 67.71% of health professionals get their information from their medical schools. The most frequently mentioned zoonotic diseases were Rabies 384(100 %), followed by Anthrax 362(94.27%), Teniasis 342 (89.06%), Tuberculosis 340 (88.54%) and Brucellosis 190(49.48%) and 120(31.25%) mentioned other infectious diseases of zoonotic importance. The importance of veterinary public health in the overall public health institutions was assessed by looking at the responses to questions and shown that yet the public health institutions don’t see the need of having veterinarians in the public health. In conclusion this study demonstrated that the awareness and use of inspected and packed animal products is relatively low that expose the people to risk of food borne pathogens and the awareness of health institutes on the importance of veterinary public health service is relatively low. The authors would like to recommend to the government and concerned bodies to raise the awareness of the public using the appropriate communication media, and to strengthen the contribution of public health veterinarians in the public health services for better community health

Evaluation of two estrus synchronization protocols in dairy cattle at North Shoa zone Ethiopia

This study was initiated to change the hesitation of the farmer on the effectiveness of estrus synchronization under their (Ethiopian small holder) livestock management system using two synchronization protocols. Non-pregnant animals with normal reproductive tract and that fulfilled the preconditions for estrus synchronization were considered for treatment & assigned into two synchronization protocols (single PGF2α injection; and double PGF2α injection). Among 94 (27 heifer and 67 cows) synchronized cows using one and two injections of PGF2α protocols 26 heifers and 63 cows (89/94.7%) were exhibited estrus by visual observation and rectal palpation the remaining 5 (5.3%) did not illustrate heat. The overall pregnancy was 59.6 % with overall birth 94.3 %. High pregnancy was obtained in the double injection of PGF2α treatment group (63.1 %) than animals treated with one shot protocol 55.8 % there were statistically significant difference between treatments (p<0.05). Higher pregnancy was obtained from cross breed animals than local breeds. More over most of the animals come to estrus greater than 96 hrs. There was also significant difference between technicians on detecting the CL and conception. The estrus response, conception rate, pregnancy rate and calving rate was higher in both protocols so producers or farmers can use either the two protocols to achieve remarkable result but tight follow-ups and more resources are need to be exploited at farmer level

Evaluation of Two Estrus Synchronization Protocols in Dairy Cattle at North Shoa Zone Ethiopia

This study was initiated to change the hesitation of the farmer on the effectiveness of estrus synchronization under their (Ethiopian small holder) livestock management system using two synchronization protocols. Non-pregnant animals with normal reproductive tract and that fulfilled the preconditions for estrus synchronization were considered for treatment & assigned into two synchronization protocols (single PGF2α injection; and double PGF2α injection). Among 94 (27 heifer and 67 cows) synchronized cows using one and two injections of PGF2α protocols 26 heifers and 63 cows (89/94.7%) were exhibited estrus by visual observation and rectal palpation the remaining 5 (5.3%) did not illustrate heat. The overall pregnancy was 59.6 % with overall birth 94.3 %. High pregnancy was obtained in the double injection of PGF2α treatment group (63.1 %) than animals treated with one shot protocol 55.8 % there were statistically significant difference between treatments (p<0.05). Higher pregnancy was obtained from cross breed animals than local breeds. More over most of the animals come to estrus greater than 96 hrs. There was also significant difference between technicians on detecting the CL and conception. The estrus response, conception rate, pregnancy rate and calving rate was higher in both protocols so producers or farmers can use either the two protocols to achieve remarkable result but tight follow-ups and more resources are need to be exploited at farmer level

Situation of Rabies in Ethiopia: A retrospective study 1990-2000

[Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2002;16(1): 105-112

Religion, politics and the dilemma of modernising Ethiopia

Ethiopia is an old society often confronted with new ideas and foreign values. As a result, social changes and modernisation were important contentious points especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some wanted change and progress at the expense of indigenous values, specifically cultural and political independence, while others opted for a more cautious approach. Inasmuch as Ethiopia’s context was one in which the church and the state were accustomed to seeing themselves as two sides of the same coin, the discourse of modernisation had both a political and religious flavour to it. This article therefore aims to examine the volatile dynamics between religion (especially the Protestant churches of the ‘southern peripheries’) and the Marxist regime in modernising Ethiopia. Specifically, the article intends to explore how state-church relations transformed social thinking in Ethiopia. I begin by sketching the historical background and proceed to unravel the dilemma of modernisation. In the final part, I discuss how Protestantism contributed to modernising three aspects of social structure: the understanding of the human person, state-church relations and social organisation