Assessment on project monitoring and evaluation system: the case of Meda, "Edget" Project

The aim of this thesis is to provide an in-depth understanding of the various Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) activities involved and their effect on the organization’s productivity. The study has employed a qualitative research methodology by interviewing the key informants of the studied project called Ethiopians Driving Growth, and Entrepreneurship and Trade (EDGET), implemented by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). The findings from the key informants interview and M&E process document review of EDGET project tell that the project lacks some essential elements of an effective M&E system for evidence based decision making process. Receiving and processing complete and accurate data in a timely manner was one of the challenges that the project faces. In addition to that financial and human resources and insufficient technological systems hinder the effectiveness of the M&E activities of the project. In order to enhance productivity, hiring additional staff dedicated to check the quality of data and to work on the dissemination of information, provide appropriate trainings to all levels of the M&E staff, appropriate technological advancement, and sufficient allocation of funds, and decentralization of decision making on M&E results are some of the vital recommendations made in this research

Level of Healthcare Providers’ Preconception Care (PCC) Practice and Factors Associated with Non-Implementation of PCC in Hawassa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Healthcare providers (HCPs) are at the forefront of screening and identifying preconception risk factors leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). In Ethiopia, there is no published study that assessed the status of the implementation of PCC. This is a study conducted with the aim of determining the level of HCP’s PCC practice and factors associated with non-implementation of PCC.METHODS: This institution based cross-sectional study conducted among HCPs working in public health institutions (PHI) of Hawassa. The data was collected using a validated instrument called ‘Andarg-Ethio PCC-KAPQuestionnaire’. A ltistage sampling was applied to draw a sample of 634 HCPs. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20. Descriptive statistics and binary as well as multiple logistic regression analysis models were used to determine the cruds and adjusted odds ratios.RESULTS: Out of the total study participants, 84.7%(537) were found not totally practising PCC. Those HCPs who do not screen their clients’ reproductive life plan (RPL) had 7 times higher odds of not practising PCC (AOR=7.2 95% C.I. 3.6- 14.5), whereas those HCPs with poor PCC knowledge had 4 times higher odds of not practising PCC (AOR= 4.4, 95% C.I. 2.5-7.6).CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrated the absence of standardized and consistent PCC practice which indicates that PCC is not well introduced to the area. Developing of PCC policy and guidelines plus training of HCPs are recommended.

Photosynthetic Response to Temperature in Eragrostis Tef (Zucc.) Trotter

Agronom

The pattern of childhood tuberculosis at the Ethio Swedish-Children's Hospital

Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) still remains a major public health problem in the developing world. Ninety five percent of the cases and 99% of deaths due to TB occur in the developing countries. TB is one of the major health problems in Ethiopia. The objective of the study is to outline the pattern of TB among Ethiopian children. Three hundred and seventy five children fulfilling the clinical criteria for TB were enrolled in the study at the ESCH, Addis Ababa, over a period of one year, from May 1993 to April 1994. Their ages ranged from one month to 14 years. The M:F ratio was 1.03:1 . Most children were from families with low socio-economic status, who lived in a one or two-roomed houses. More than five people live in a house in about 80% of the families. Symptom complex of TB and compatible X-ray were the two commonest findings followed by positive Mantoux test. Sputum examination for acid fast bacilli was done in 37 patients and was positive in 27% of them. Opacity was the commonest chest X-ray finding followed by infiltrations and hilar/paratracheal lymphadenopathy. There were nine patients with cavitary tuberculosis. Cervical lymph nodes were mostly affected (55.5%) followed by axillary nodes (24.0%). Thoracic vertebrae were common sites for spondylitis. Forty four and half percent had pulmonary TB, 27.5% had extra pulmonary TB, and 28% of the patients had two or more systems involved. Forty four percent of the patients were lost to follow up and 52.3% of the patients completed their treatment. Only three had signs of drug toxicity and one had treatment failure. Thirteen patients (3.5%) died at the hospital. The study showed that the lung is the most commonly affected organ, the commonest site of affection for extra pulmonary tuberculosis being the lymph nodes. Early diagnosis and close follow up are needed for better outcome in all cases of TB in children. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 1998;12(3):245-251

Physiological and Anatomical Variation in Two Triticum Dicoccoides Accessions Differing in Photosynthetic Rate

Crop Scienc

Genetic analyses of drought tolerance and resistance to late blight among potato genotypes.

Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Breeding. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2015.Potato is one of the valuable crops in Ethiopia serving as a source of food and income for smallholder farmers. About 70% of the country’s arable land is suitable for potato production. Despite the rapid growth of the total potato production in the country, productivity of the crop under the small-scale farming sector is estimated at 11 t ha-1, which is far below attainable yields of over 40 t ha-1. Recurrent drought and late blight disease are the most important constraints affecting productivity of potato in Ethiopia. Late blight disease of potato, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is widespread in most potato growing areas of Ethiopia causing yield losses reaching up to 100% in susceptible cultivars. Breeding for host tolerance and resistance could be the best option for managing recurrent droughts and controlling the disease, respectively. The overall goal of this study was, therefore, to contribute to improved food security in Ethiopia by developing potato cultivars with improved yields, late blight resistance and drought tolerance. The specific objectives of the study were to (i) select late blight resistant and high yielding potato clones under field conditions in the north-western parts of Ethiopia, (ii) determine combining ability and gene action controlling late blight resistance, yield and yield components and to identify promising potato genotypes as potential parents in a breeding programme, (iii) determine combining ability and gene action controlling yield, yield components and drought tolerance related traits among selected potato clones and to identify promising parents and crosses for cultivar development, and (iv) assess the level of genetic diversity among 18 selected potato clones using 23 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and to complement phenotypic selection for identification of suitable parents for breeding. These objectives were achieved based on four sets of experiments conducted in the north-western Ethiopia. Twenty-four selected potato clones, of which 17 from the B3C2 population acquired from the International Potato Centre (CIP) and seven widely grown released and farmers’ cultivars, were evaluated for late blight resistance and yield related traits at three locations in the north-western Ethiopia. A randomized complete block design was used with two replications. Results indicated significant variation among the genotypes for late blight resistance and yield related traits across the three locations. The following five clones were selected: 396029.25, 395017.229, 396004.263, 396034.103 and 395077.12, displaying high to moderate resistance to late blight and greater yield levels. Twelve parents selected from late blight resistant advanced population (B3C2) were crossed using North Carolina Design II. Eighteen F1 families derived from these crosses were evaluated at two late blight hotspot areas in Ethiopia. Combining ability and gene action were determined for late blight resistance under natural epidemics. Results showed that the general combining ability (GCA) effect was more important than the specific combining ability (SCA) effect for the relative area under disease progress curve (rAUDPC), total tuber yield, marketable tuber yield and average tuber weight, indicating that the expression of these traits was controlled by additive gene action. The parents with good GCA effects for late blight resistance were: 396264.14, 395109.34 and 396004.263. The first two contributed towards high tuber yield. Crosses from 396004.263 x 395017.229, 395096.2 x 396012.288 and 395109.7 x 396264.14 were best specific combiners for late blight resistance. Thirty-two potato families derived from crosses of two sets of 16 parents and 17 clones were field evaluated for yield and drought related traits in a 7 x7 lattice design with two replications under well-watered and managed drought stress conditions. Results revealed significant differences among genotypes for drought stress tolerance, growth, physiological and yield related traits. Significant GCA and SCA effects were detected among parents and crosses, respectively. The GCA effects were more important than the SCA effects for total tuber yield, marketable tuber yield, average tuber weight, plant height, chlorophyll content and groundcover, suggesting the predominance of additive over non-additive gene action for these traits under drought stress. The best general combiner parents for yield and drought tolerance were clones 395112.32, 396034.103 and 396012.288. The families with the best SCA effects for both tuber yield and drought tolerance were 395109.34 x 396041.102, 395096.2 x 396012.288, 395109.7 x 395017.14 and 396031.108 x 395017.14. Eighteen selected clones phenotyped for drought tolerance and late blight resistance were genotyped using 23 polymorphic SSR markers to determine genetic distance and to select suitable parents for breeding. Results showed the presence of wider genetic diversity among the tested clones. Pair-wise estimates of genetic similarity ranged from 0.26 to 0.52 with the mean of 0.35. Ninety-five alleles were amplified and polymorphic alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 7 with a mean of 5. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) values, observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity were 0.62, 0.78 and 0.68, respectively. The genotypes were clustered into three distinct groups. The following clones were selected from each cluster: 396029.25 from cluster I, 396038.107, 396038.101 and 395112.32 from cluster II, and 395017.229 and 395109.34 from cluster III, for drought tolerance and late blight resistance breeding. In summary, the study demonstrated the existence of genetic variability among the tested clones for late blight resistance, drought tolerance and yield and related traits. The study identified promising potato genotypes with high combining ability for tuber yield, late blight resistance and drought tolerance. The selected parents and families will be further evaluated for release in the highlands of north-western Ethiopia or similar environments in sub-Saharan African countries

Application of crop models in assessing impact of climate change and identifying adaptation options in a tropical environment in Ethiopia.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Abstract available in PDF

Establishment of immunohematological reference values among HIV sero-negative pregnant women at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Normal pregnancy is characterized by profound changes in almost every organ and system. Immunohematological parameters are important in clinical practice for the assessment of health and disease. Therefore, this study was aimed to establish immunohematological reference range among HIV sero-negative pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV sero-negative pregnant women at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College  (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 20/1-30/6/ 2016. Whole blood was collected and immunological and hematological parameters were measured  following the standard procedure. Data were entered in to Epi Info version 3.5, checked for completeness and exported to SPSS version 20 software for  analysis. The mean ± SD and 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) values were calculated for different immunohematological parameters. Results: A total of 400 women with mean age ±SD (27.3 ±4.7) ranging from18-40 years were enrolled. The mean ± SD reference value of white blood cells count with 95% CI was 8.3 ±2.3 (8.1-8.6) x109 cells/L and for CD4+, CD8+, and CD4to CD8 ratio cells absolute count with 95% CI were 906 ±404 (867-946), 698± 378 (662-736) cell/μl, and 1.5±0.9 (1.4-1.6), respectively. The mean ± SD reference values for red blood cells count with 95% CI was 4.5±0.5(4.4-4.5) 1012/L, for hemoglobin 14±7.2(13.3-14.7) gm/dl, and for hematocrite was 39.5± 4(39-39.9). Conclusions: These values were lower than the one from developed countries but not lower than the one from other African studies. It suggests the need for further large study.  Keywords: Immunohematological References, Pregnant Women, Reference Value

Transnacionální vazby, integrace a vliv etiopské diaspory na rozvoj Etiopie

Tato práce si klade za cíl prozkoumat vliv Etiopanů žijících v zahraničí na rozvoj jejich domovské země, jejich vliv na nedávné politické změny a zároveň konfrontovat názory Etiopanů v zahraničí (dále označováni jako diaspora) s podobnou skupinou respondentů žijících trvale v Etiopii. Kromě toho také zkoumá transnacionální vazby a migrační a integrační zkušenosti Etiopanů v zahraničí a migrační plányvzorku respondentů žijících v Etiopii. Výzkum je založen na internetovém dotazníkovém šetření mezi 137 respondenty, kteří byli identifikováni prostřednictvím autorčiny sociální sítě (tzn. záměrný výběr). Vzorek respondentů byl složen z těch, kteří žijí v zahraničí v Západních zemích (N = 75) a těch, kteří žijí v Etiopii. (N=62). Výzkum ukázal, že navzdory uváděné ochotě podílet se na rozvoji domovské země, je účast diaspory na oficiálních aktivitách přispívajících k ekonomickému rozvoji Etiopie poměrně malá, byť větší část respondentů potvrdila poskytování remitencí svým rodinám v Etiopii (finančních, hmotných i sociálních). Identifikován byl významný vnímaný vliv diaspory na probíhající politickou transformaci země i etnickou mobilizaci (včetně etnických tenzí). Vedle dalších poznatků výzkum také naznačil, že respondenti žijící v zahraničí se cítí být dobře integrováni, udržují transnacionální vazby na...This thesis aims to examine the perceived influence of Ethiopians abroad on home country development and recent political transformation, while confronting the views of Ethiopians staying abroad (referred to as diasporas) with the comparable groups of those residing in Ethiopia. In addition, it also explores the transnational links and migration and integration experiences of Ethiopians living abroad and migration intentions of the subsample of respondents residing in Ethiopia. The research draws on a web-based questionnaire survey among 137 respondents. The respondents were identified purposely through the author's social networks, with the sample constructed to consist of two subgroups in terms of respondents from Ethiopia staying abroad in western countries (N = 75) and those residing in Ethiopia (N = 62). The research showed that despite general willingness, there is relatively low participation of diaspora in official activities contributing to economic development in Ethiopia, though the majority of respondents provide financial as well as in-kind and social remittance to their families. It identified the high perceived influence of diaspora on the recent political transformation as well as ongoing ethnic mobilisations (including ethnic tensions in Ethiopia). Among other findings, the...Department of Social Geography and Regional Develop.Katedra sociální geografie a region. rozvojePřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

Combining ability of highland tropic adapted potato for tuber yield and yield components under drought

Open Access Journal; Published online: July 25, 2017Recurrent drought and late blight disease are the major factors limiting potato productivity in the northwest Ethiopian highlands. Incorporating drought tolerance and late blight resistance in the same genotypes will enable the development of cultivars with high and stable yield potential under erratic rainfall conditions. The objectives of this study were to assess combining ability effects and gene action for tuber yield and traits related to drought tolerance in the International Potato Centre’s (CIP’s) advanced clones from the late blight resistant breeding population B group ‘B3C2’ and to identify promising parents and families for cultivar development. Sixteen advanced clones from the late blight resistant breeding population were crossed in two sets using the North Carolina Design II. The resulting 32 families were evaluated together with five checks and 12 parental clones in a 7 x 7 lattice design with two water regimes and two replications. The experiment was carried out at Adet, in northwest Ethiopia under well-watered and water stressed conditions with terminal drought imposed from the tuber bulking stage. The results showed highly significant differences between families, checks, and parents for growth, physiological, and tuber yield related traits. Traits including marketable tuber yield, marketable tuber number, average tuber weight and groundcover were positively correlated with total tuber yield under both drought stressed and well-watered conditions. Plant height was correlated with yield only under drought stressed condition. GCA was more important than SCA for total tuber yield, marketable tuber yield, average tuber weight, plant height, groundcover, and chlorophyll content under stress. This study identified the parents with best GCA and the combinations with best SCA effects, for both tuber yield and drought tolerance related traits. The new population is shown to be a valuable genetic resource for variety selection and improvement of potato’s adaptation to the drought prone areas in northwest Ethiopia and similar environments