Status of parasitism in donkeys of project and control areas in central region of Ethiopia: A comparative study

The study was undertaken with the aim of comparing the status of parasitism in donkeys in the Donkey Health and welfare Project intervention (Bereh, Ada and Boset) and Control (Yekaduda, Gerado and Meki) areas of, Central Ethiopia, in 2005. Parasites are prime problem of donkeys among other problems including wound and other infectious and noninfectious diseases. The methods applied included coproscopy, packed cell volume determination, live weight estimation and body condition scoring. A total of 648 donkeys were sampled from both control (324) and project (324) study areas. Qualitative faecal worm egg analysis revealed the prevalence of different helminthes in project and control areas to be respectively, Strongyles spp. (22.8% & 49.7%) , Oxyruis equi (4.6% & 6.5%), Anaplocephala spp. (2.2% &5.6%), Fasciola spp. (6.5% & 7.7%) and Gastrodiscus aegypticus (1.9% & 6.2%). The mean prevalence in the project and control areas was 22.9% and 29.0%, respectively. Quantitative faecal egg analysis revealed that the mean epg in the project and control areas to be 433.6 and 777.2 eggs per gram of faeces (epg), respectively. There was a significant difference (

Comparative feedlot performance of Washera and Horro sheep fed different roughage to concentrate ratio

A study was conducted using thirty male intact Washera and Horro sheep (15 from each breed) with initial body weight (BW) of 19.01±0.37 kg (mean ± SD) to compare feed intake, digestibility, growth performance and carcass characteristics of the animals fed diet containing hay:concentrate ratio of 70:30 (L), 60:40 (M), 50:50 (H). The concentrate contained 30:70 (noug seed cake:wheat bran). Animals of each breed were blocked based on initial BW and were randomly assigned to the dietary treatments. The experimental design was therefore a 2*3 factorial in RCBD. The experiment had a 90 days feeding and 7 days digestibility trials and carcass evaluation at the end. The crude protein (CP) contents of the three diets were 13.7, 15.5 and 18.1% for L, M and H, respectively. Daily dry matter (DM) and CP intakes were only affected by diet (P 0.05) for M and H. CP intake (105, 130 and 160 g/day (SEM = 3.5) was in the order of L 0.05) by genotype, diet or their interaction and were above 60%. Average daily body weight gain (ADG) were significantly impacted only by diet (P 0.05) in all the main carcass parameters measured. Diet had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on hot carcass weight. Hot carcass weight (7.6, 8.2, 8.8 kg (SEM = 0.32)) was lower (P < 0.05) for L than H with value for M being similar to L and H. In conclusion this study highlighted that Washera and Horro sheep had a similar performance under the feeding regime used in this study, and it appeared that both breeds perform better in the diet containing the highest level of concentrate used in the current study

ANALYSIS AND MAPPING OF CLIMATE CHANGE RISK AND VULNERABILITY IN CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY OF ETHIOPIA

There is growing demand for spatially explicit information among stakeholders across public and private institutions regarding vulnerability to climate change at the local scale. This study was conducted over 16 districts in Central Rift Valley (CRV) of Ethiopia, to determine the degree of climate risk and the relative vulnerability of the districts, to climate change and, thereby identify vulnerable hotspots. A biophysical and socio-economic indicator based integrated vulnerability assessment technique was used to map climate change vulnerability. Indicators were generated and analysed under three components of vulnerability, namely exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity; and finally aggregated into a single vulnerability index. The values of all indicators were normalised by considering their functional relationship with vulnerability, and expert judgment was then used to assign weights to all indicators. Aggregate vulnerability index (VI) was finally determined from the weighted sum of all indicators and mapped over the 16 districts. Selti, Dodotana-Sire and Tiyo districts had relatively high vulnerability to climate change; while Arsinegele, Adamitulu-Jido-Kombolcha and Dugda-Bora were the least vulnerable. The rest of the districts had medium vulnerability to changing climate. This study shows that vulnerability mapping is crucial in determining the varying degrees of vulnerability of different localities, and generating information that can help researchers, policy makers, private and public institutions in formulating site-specific adaptation strategies and prioritising adaptation investments to the most vulnerable hotspots.Il ya une demande sans cesse croissante parmi les partenaires \ue0 travers les institutions publiques et priv\ue9es, de l\u2019information spatiale explicite concernant la vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 au changement climatique \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle locale. Cette \ue9tude \ue9tait conduite sur 16 districts de la Vall\ue9e du Rift Central (VRC) en Ethiopie, pour d\ue9terminer le degr\ue9 de risque climatique et la vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 relative de ces districts au changement climatique et del\ue0, identifier les sites les plus vuln\ue9rables. Une technique d\u2019\ue9valuation du degr\ue9 de vulnerabilit\ue9 bas\ue9 sur un indicateur int\ue9grant les aspects biophysiques et socio-\ue9conomiques \ue9tait utilis\ue9e pour \ue9tablir la carte de vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 au changements climatique. Les indicateurs \ue9taient g\ue9n\ue9r\ue9s et analys\ue9s sous trois composantes de vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9\ua0: exposition, sensitivit\ue9 et capacit\ue9 adaptive; et finalement agr\ue9g\ue9s en un seul indice de vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9. Les valeurs de tous les indicateurs \ue9taient normalis\ue9es en consid\ue9rant leur relation fonctionnelle avec la vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9, et ensuite, un jugement expert \ue9tait utilis\ue9 pour leur assigner un poids. L\u2019indice de vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 cumulative (VI) \ue9tait finalement d\ue9termin\ue9 de la somme du poids de tous les indicateurs et cartographi\ue9 sur l\u2019\ue9tendue de seize districts. Les districts de Selti, Dodotana-Sire et Tiyo avaient relativement une vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 \ue9lev\ue9e au changements climatique, pendant que Arsinegele, Adamitulu-Jido-Kombolcha et Dugda-Bora \ue9taient les districts les moins vuln\ue9rables. Le reste des districts pr\ue9sentaient une vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 moyenne au changement climatique. Cette \ue9tude montre que la cartographie de la vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 est cruciale dans la d\ue9termination des divers niveaux de vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 des diff\ue9rentes localit\ue9s et la g\ue9n\ue9ration de l\u2019information pouvant aider les chercheurs, les d\ue9cideurs politiques, les institutions priv\ue9es et publiques dans la formulation des strat\ue9gies sp\ue9cifiques d\u2019adaptation et \ue0 la formulation des priorit\ue9s d\u2019investissement pour renforcer l\u2019adaptation des sites les plus vuln\ue9rables

Associations between endometriosis and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes: a population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE To examine the association between endometriosis and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes (preeclampsia, placenta previa, and preterm birth). METHODS A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted among 468,778 eligible women who contributed 912,747 singleton livebirths between 1980 and 2015 in Western Australia (WA). We used probabilistically linked perinatal and hospital separation data from the WA data linkage system's Midwives Notification System and Hospital Morbidity Data Collection databases. We used a doubly robust estimator by combining the inverse probability weighting with the outcome regression model to estimate adjusted risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS There were 19,476 singleton livebirths among 8874 women diagnosed with endometriosis. Using a doubly robust estimator, we found pregnancies in women with endometriosis to be associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia with RR of 1.18, 95% CI 1.11-1.26, placenta previa (RR 1.59, 95% CI 1.42-1.79) and preterm birth (RR 1.45, 95% CI 1.37-1.54). The observed association persisted after stratified by the use of Medically Assisted Reproduction, with a slightly elevated risk among pregnancies conceived spontaneously. CONCLUSIONS In this large population-based cohort, endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia, placenta previa, and preterm birth, independent of the use of Medically Assisted Reproduction. This may help to enhance future obstetric care among this population

Early mortality among Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal women who had a preterm birth in Western Australia: A population-based cohort study

Background: Having a preterm ( \u3c 37 weeks\u27 gestation) birth may increase a woman\u27s risk of early mortality. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) women have higher preterm birth and mortality rates compared with other Australian women. Objectives: We investigated whether a history of having a preterm birth was associated with early mortality in women and whether these associations differed by Aboriginal status. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used population-based perinatal records of women who had a singleton birth between 1980 and 2015 in Western Australia linked to Death Registry data until June 2018. The primary and secondary outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific mortality respectively. After stratification by Aboriginal status, rate differences were calculated, and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results: There were 20,244 Aboriginal mothers (1349 deaths) and 457,357 non-Aboriginal mothers (7646 deaths) with 8.6 million person-years of follow-up. The all-cause mortality rates for Aboriginal mothers who had preterm births and term births were 529.5 and 344.0 (rate difference 185.5, 95 % CI 135.5, 238.5) per 100,000 person-years respectively. Among non-Aboriginal mothers, the corresponding figures were 125.5 and 88.6 (rate difference 37.0, 95 % CI 29.4, 44.9) per 100,000 person-years. The HR for all-cause mortality for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal mothers associated with preterm birth were 1.48 (95 % CI 1.32, 1.66) and 1.35 (95 % CI 1.26, 1.44), respectively, compared with term birth. Compared with mothers who had term births, mothers of preterm births had higher relative risks of mortality from diabetes, cardiovascular, digestive and external causes. Conclusions: Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women who had a preterm birth had a moderately increased risk of mortality up to 38 years after the birth, reinforcing the importance of primary prevention and ongoing screening

Association between skilled maternal healthcare and postpartum contraceptive use in Ethiopia

Abstract Background The postpartum period provides an important opportunity to address unmet need for contraception and reduce short birth intervals. This study aims to assess the association between skilled maternal healthcare and postpartum contraceptive use in Ethiopia. Methods Data for this analysis come from the 2011 to 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS) and include nearly 5000 married women of reproductive age with a recent birth. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to investigate the relationship between skilled maternal healthcare and postpartum contraceptive use. Results Between rounds of the 2011 and 2016 EDHS, the postpartum contraceptive prevalence increased from 15 to 23% and delivery in public facilities, use of skilled birth assistance, and skilled antenatal care also grew. In both survey rounds, educated women had approximately twice the odds of postpartum contraceptive use, compared with non-educated women, while an initially significant relationship between wealth and postpartum contraceptive use diminished in significance by 2016. Women with a desire to limit future pregnancy had five to six times the odds of postpartum contraceptive use in both survey rounds, and women in 2016 – unlike those in 2011 – with a desire to delay pregnancy were significantly more likely to use contraception (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.38, 95% CI: 1.46-13.18) compared to women who wanted another child soon. In 2011, no statistically significant associations were found between any maternal healthcare and postpartum contraceptive use. In contrast, in 2016, postpartum contraceptive use was significantly associated with an institutional delivery (AOR = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-2.62) and skilled antenatal care (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.41-4.10). No significant relationship was observed in either survey round between postpartum contraceptive use and skilled delivery or postnatal care. Conclusions A comparison of postpartum women in the 2011 and 2016 EDHS reveals increased use of both contraception and skilled maternal healthcare services and improved likelihood of contraceptive use among women with an institutional delivery or antenatal care, perhaps as a result of increased attention to postpartum family planning integration. Additionally, results suggest postpartum women are now using contraception to space future pregnancies, with the potential to help women achieve more optimal birth intervals

Biodiversity Strategy Improved in Ethiopia by Using Optimal Control System

Biodiversity Strategy (BS) explains conserving biodiversity is not just a matter of protecting wildlife in nature reserves. It is also about safeguarding the natural systems of the Earth that are our life support systems, purifying the waters, recycling oxygen, carbon and other essential elements, maintaining the fertility of the soil, providing food from the land, freshwaters, and seas, yielding medicines and safeguarding the genetic richness on which we depend in the creaseless struggle to improve our crops and livestock. Biodiversity can be divided into three hierarchical categories – Genes, species and ecosystems that describe quite different aspects of living systems and that scientists’ measure in different ways. We tried to measure BS with suitable parameters by using Optimal Control Systems including Hamiltonian – Jacobi – Bellman Equation (HJBE) and state, costate with control aimed at to improve BS in Ethiopia and explain how to improve and implemented it in Ethiopia in future properly

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in a newly established treatment centre in the Lay Gayint district, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease that primarily affects the most vulnerable populations. In Ethiopia, where this study took place, CL is an important health problem, however, the incidence of CL is poorly monitored. Objectives: This study took place in a recently established CL treatment centre, at Nefas Mewcha Hospital, Lay Gayint. This area was considered to be endemic for CL, however, no cases of CL from Lay Gayint had previously been officially reported to the Amhara Regional Health Bureau. Methods: Following a CL awareness campaign, a retrospective data review was performed of patients presenting to this centre between July 2019 and March 2021. Basic demographic and clinical data were collected by a nurse and recorded in the logbook of the CL treatment centre. Results: Two hundred and one patients presented for diagnosis and treatment. The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 75 years and 63.2% were males. Most patients were between 10- and 19-years-old. The majority (79.1%) of the patients presented with localised cutaneous leishmaniasis and 20.9% with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. 98% of the patients tested positive for Leishmania parasites by microscopy. Conclusions: This work underpinned how CL is a major public health problem in the Lay Gayint district. It also shows that raising awareness about CL in the community and providing diagnosis and treatment encouraged patients to travel to seek diagnosis and treatment

Trends and causes of maternal mortality in Ethiopia during 1990-2013:Findings from the Global Burden of Diseases study 2013

Background: Maternal mortality is noticeably high in sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia. Continuous nationwide systematic evaluation and assessment of the problem helps to design appropriate policy and strategy in Ethiopia. This study aimed to investigate the trends and causes of maternal mortality in Ethiopia between 1990 and 2013. Methods: We used the Global Burden of Diseases and Risk factors (GBD) Study 2013 data that was collected from multiple sources at national and subnational levels. Spatio-temporal Gaussian Process Regression (ST-GPR) was applied to generate best estimates of maternal mortality with 95% Uncertainty Intervals (UI). Causes of death were measured using Cause of Death Ensemble modelling (CODEm). The modified UNAIDS EPP/SPECTRUM suite model was used to estimate HIV related maternal deaths. Results: In Ethiopia, a total of 16,740 (95% UI: 14,197, 19,271) maternal deaths occurred in 1990 whereas there were 15,234 (95% UI: 11,378, 19,871) maternal deaths occurred in 2013. This finding shows that Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in Ethiopia was still high in the study period. There was a minimal but insignificant change of MMR over the last 23 years. The results revealed Ethiopia is below the target of Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) related to MMR. The top five causes of maternal mortality in 2013 were other direct maternal causes such as complications of anaesthesia, embolism (air, amniotic fluid, and blood clot), and the condition of peripartum cardiomyopathy (25.7%), complications of abortions (19.6%), maternal haemorrhage (12.2%), hypertensive disorders (10.3%), and maternal sepsis and other maternal infections such as influenza, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis (9.6%). Most of the maternal mortality happened during the postpartum period and majority of the deaths occurred at the age group of 20-29 years. Overall trend showed that there was a decline from 708 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 497 per 100,000 in 2013. The annual rate of change over these years was-1.6 (95% UI:-2.8 to-0.3). Conclusion: The findings of the study highlight the need for comprehensive efforts using multisectoral collaborations from stakeholders for reducing maternal mortality in Ethiopia. It is worthwhile for policies to focus on postpartum period

Effect of UVA Fluence Rate on Indicators of Oxidative Stress in Human Dermal Fibroblasts

During the course of a day human skin is exposed to solar UV radiation that fluctuates in fluence rate within the UVA (290-315 nm) and UVB (315-400 nm) spectrum. Variables affecting the fluence rate reaching skin cells include differences in UVA and UVB penetrating ability, presence or absence of sunscreens, atmospheric conditions, and season and geographical location where the exposure occurs. Our study determined the effect of UVA fluence rate in solar-simulated (SSR) and tanning-bed radiation (TBR) on four indicators of oxidative stress---protein oxidation, glutathione, heme oxygenase-1, and reactive oxygen species--in human dermal fibroblasts after receiving equivalent UVA and UVB doses. Our results show that the higher UVA fluence rate in TBR increases the level of all four indicators of oxidative stress. In sequential exposures when cells are exposed first to SSR, the lower UVA fluence rate in SSR induces a protective response that protects against oxidative stress following a second exposure to a higher UVA fluence rate. Our studies underscore the important role of UVA fluence rate in determining how human skin cells respond to a given dose of radiation containing both UVA and UVB radiation