Productivity of mixtures and evolutionary populations of wheat, barley, beans and rice

Mixtures of different varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare), wheat (Triticum ssp.) are grown by farmers in Ethiopia, Iran, Jordan, as a means of diversifying production and/or coping with difficult or uncertain growing conditions. Similarly, mixtures of different varieties of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were grown by farmers in Bhutan, Nepal and Uganda, with mixtures of Rice (Oryza sativa) were also grown by Bhutan and Nepal farmers. The mixture of all crops in all countries were grown for three consecutive years under IFAD – EPB project. Varietal diversity can improve farmers’ productivity, capabilities to manage pests and diseases and allows farmers to select suitable cultivars in response to varied or uncertain climatic conditions. Moreover, varietal diversification can improve the nutritional security of smallholder farmers

Knowledge and Awareness of Cervical Cancer among HIV-Infected Women in Ethiopia

Introduction. Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death among Ethiopian women. Low awareness of cervical cancer, in combination with low health care seeking behavior, is a key challenge for cervical cancer prevention. This study assessed the knowledge of cervical cancer among HIV-infected women in Ethiopia. Methods. A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to September 2012 among HIV-infected women between 21 and 49 years of age. Basic descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS. Results. A total of 432 HIV-infected women participated in this study. About 71% of participants had ever heard of cervical cancer. Among women who had ever heard of cervical cancer, 49% did not know the cause while 74% were able to identify at least one risk factor for cervical cancer. Only 33% of women were able to correctly address when women should seek care and 33% identified at least one treatment option for cervical cancer. Conclusion. This study revealed that knowledge about cervical cancer was generally low, in particular for health care seeking behavior and treatment of cervical cancer. Health awareness programs should be strengthened at both community and health facility levels with emphasis highlighting the causes, risk factors, care seeking behaviors, and treatment options for cervical cancer

Local Increase of Arginase Activity in Lesions of Patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Ethiopia

The leishmaniases are a complex of diseases caused by Leishmania parasites. Currently, the diseases affect an estimated 12 million people in 88 countries, and approximately 350 million more people are at risk. The leishmaniases belong to the most neglected tropical diseases, affecting the poorest populations, for whom access to diagnosis and effective treatment are often not available. Leishmania parasites infect cells of the immune system called macrophages, which have the capacity to eliminate the intracellular parasites when they receive the appropriate signals from other cells of the immune system. In nonhealing persistent leishmaniasis, lymphocytes are unable to transmit the signals to macrophages required to kill the intracellular parasites. The local upregulation of the enzyme arginase has been shown to impair lymphocyte effector functions at the site of pathology. In this study, we tested the activity of this enzyme in skin lesions of patients presenting with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis. Our results show that arginase is highly upregulated in these lesions. This increase in arginase activity coincides with lower expression of a signalling molecule in lymphocytes, which is essential for efficient activation of these cells. These results suggest that increased arginase expression in the localized cutaneous lesions might contribute to persistent disease in patients presenting with cutaneous leishmaniasis

Are Ethiopian highlands changing? : amphibians as ecosystem indicators

Mountain ecosystems have recently received considerable interest based on theunderstanding that climate change might have particularly serious irreversible impacts onphysical and biological systems in these habitats. Land use changes also continue to have adevastating impact on mountain habitats. Quantitative data are being gathered across theglobe to measure changes and evaluate the most appropriate mitigating and adaptivestrategies. For Africa, few quantitative studies exist whereby conclusions can be firmlyestablished, and this means that a fresh focus on the region is required. We outline a currentproject in Ethiopia that aims to establish a foundation for understanding changes to uplandecosystems using amphibians as indicators

Agroecological transformation for sustainable food systems : Insight on France-CGIAR research

This 26th dossier d’Agropolis is devoted to research and partnerships in agroecology. The French Commission for International Agricultural Research (CRAI) and Agropolis International, on behalf of CIRAD, INRAE and IRD and in partnership with CGIAR, has produced this new issue in the ‘Les dossiers d’Agropolis international’ series devoted to agroecology. This publication has been produced within the framework of the Action Plan signed by CGIAR and the French government on February 4th 2021 to strengthen French collaboration with CGIAR, where agroecology is highlighted as one of the three key priorities (alongside climate change, nutrition and food systems)