Improving the range of contraceptive choices in rural Ethiopia

Background: Despite the reality of a high unmet need, the utilization of family planning services in Ethiopia could be described as very low. Besides this, the knowledge and practice of family planning is limited merely to the usage of shorter-term contraceptive methods. Therefore, there is a need to expand access to family planning services in rural Ethiopia by making available more choices to family planning clients. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the pattern of family planning method mix overtime and to assess the impact of combining strategies, such as community and facility based approaches, in improving access to family planning services and choices. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in September 2000 in Tehuledere woreda, in South Wollo zone, Amhara Regional State. A census was done on all clients who live in 15 kebeles in the woreda and who used long-term and permanent family planning methods which included IUD, Norplant and male and female sterilization methods and were interviewed. Results: Among the 218 family planning clients interviewed, 11 (5%) were males who had undergone vasectomy. Almost 81% of the clients using long-term and permanent methods were in the age group of 25-44 years. The mean age was 34.2 years with a range of 18-70 years and the mean number of children ever born to the study subjects was 5.6 with a range of 0-14 children. Knowledge of modern family planning methods was found to be over 90%, the majority (73.9%) of the respondents getting information on family planning from the community based reproductive health (CBRH) program. Fifty two percent have undergone voluntary surgical contraception, followed by Norplant (39.0%) and IUD (8.7%). Among the major reasons mentioned for the use of the current family planning methods were limiting family size (45.9%), spacing (27.5%), and side effects of the previous method (12.4%). For most clients (90.8%) the source of information for their current use is the CBRH program. Conclusions: Improving the usage of wide range of contraceptive method mix improves the quality of family planning services rendered to the community and ensures sustainability of the services. A coordinated effort among facility based and community based providers can assist in ensuring client choices and improving the method mix. The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 20 (2) 2006: 74-7

Effects of pre- and post harvest treatments on changes in sugar content of tomato

The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the combined effect of pre- and post harvest disinfection and evaporatively coolled storage on the changes in sugar content of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). The preharvest treatments used were ComCat®, manure, NP and the combinations of ComCat® with the two forms of fertilizers and a control. The tomatoes were periodically analyzed for reducing sugar and total sugar. Preharvest ComCat® and ComCat® + manuretreatments improved the quality of tomato in terms of maintaining higher (P < 0.05) leveles of sugar during storage. Storage at ambient conditions resulted in rapid change in sugar that resulted in qualitydeterioration of tomatoes. Disinfection seemed to have very limited effect on the changes in sugar content of tomatoes during storage. Two-way interactions between preharvest and storage conditionson changes in total sugar were significant at P < 0.05 level during the first week of storage and at

Comparative clinico-haematological analysis in young Zebu cattle experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax isolates from tsetse infested and non-tsetse infested areas of Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia, particularly in the Northwest region, is affected by both tsetse and non-tsetse fly transmitted trypanosomosis, with significant impact on livestock productivity. The aim of this study was to determine and compare clinical findings and haematological values between experimental infections induced by Trypanosoma vivax isolates from areas of either transmission mode. Sixteen young (aged between 6 and 12 months) Zebu cattle (Bos indicus), purchased from a trypanosome-free area and confirmed to be trypanosome-negative, were randomly assigned into four groups of four animals. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were infected with an isolate from a tsetse infested or one of two isolates from a non-tsetse infested area, and group 4 was a non-infected control. All animals in the infected groups were inoculated intravenously with 2 × 106 trypanosomes from donor animals. The experimental animals were monitored for eight consecutive weeks post infection for clinical signs, parasitaemia and haematological changes in packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hgb), total red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, differential WBC count and blood indices (mean corpuscular volume [MCV], mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration).&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results: Infection was characterized by reduced feed intake, weakness, pyrexia, parasitaemia, rough hair coat, enlarged prescapular lymph nodes, lacrimation, weight loss, pallor mucus membrane and dehydration. Body weight loss in all infected groups was significantly higher than in the non-infected control. Similarly, body weight loss was higher (P &#60; 0.001) in animals infected with the tsetse infested isolate than with the non-tsetse infested isolates. The mean PCV, Hgb, total RBC and WBC counts were lower (P &#60; 0.001), and mean MCV was higher (P = 0.01) in all infected groups than in non-infected control animals at different time points during the study period. Except for minor variations in haematological values, the overall changes were similar in all infected groups.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusion: Clinical signs and significant reduction in haematological values in the infected groups indicated the pathogenicity of the T. vivax parasites. Pathogenicity of T. vivax from the non-tsetse infested area can be considered as nearly as important as that of its counterpart derived from the tsetse infested area

Utilization of post-abortion care services in three regional states of Ethiopia

Background: In Ethiopia, utilization of post-abortion care service is minimal and it seems that the expanding services are underutilized. The purpose of this study was to assess factors which influence decisions for utilization of abortion related services at community level.Methodology: The study was carried out in six selected districts (woredas) within the three big regions of the country, namely Amhara, Oromiya and SNNPR. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. Both quantitative and qualitative study techniques, including structured interview questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs), and in-depth interviews. The study population comprised randomly selected 1,492 women of reproductive age, service providers, and key informants of the sampled districts.Results: Majority of respondents said that they prefer public health facilities. According to the respondents, the reason why women do not visit health facility for PAC services include lack of community support, unavailability of services, services are expensive, facilities are distantly located and lack of means of transportation. From the multivariate analysis it appears that public health facilities are preferred by younger respondents, those with no education, those with no history of unwanted pregnancy and those with better income. The qualitative study indicated that women do not go to health facilities for PAC mainly because of inappropriate treatment by providers at the health facilities. Conclusion: Public health facilities especially health centers are the most preferred but there are barriers that should improve. Introduction of supportive supervision should be considered as a tool for improving quality of care. Amechanism should be in place to obtain community opinion regularly and use it to continuously improve services. To correct some misconceptions and improve community awareness on abortion related issues community providers, including reproductive health agents and health extension workers can teach about availability of services and about abortion related complications. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010;24 Special Issue 1:123-129

Summary of research for development ‘best practice’ technologies validated in the Africa RISING Endamehoni site in Ethiopia, 2013-2016

United States Agency for International Developmen

Visceral leishmaniasis patients display altered composition and maturity of neutrophils as well as impaired neutrophil effector functions

Immunologically, active visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is characterised by profound immunosuppression, severe systemic inflammatory responses and an impaired capacity to control parasite replication. Neutrophils are highly versatile cells, which play a crucial role in the induction as well as the resolution of inflammation, the control of pathogen replication and the regulation of immune responses. Neutrophil functions have been investigated in human cutaneous leishmaniasis, however, their role in human visceral leishmaniasis is poorly understood. In the present study we evaluated the activation status and effector functions of neutrophils in patients with active VL and after successful anti-leishmanial treatment. Our results show that neutrophils are highly activated and have degranulated; high levels of arginase, myeloperoxidase and elastase, all contained in neutrophils’ granules, were found in the plasma of VL patients. In addition, we show that a large proportion of these cells are immature. We also analysed effector functions of neutrophils that are essential for pathogen clearance and show that neutrophils have an impaired capacity to release neutrophil extracellular traps, produce reactive oxygen species and phagocytose bacterial particles, but not Leishmania parasites. Our results suggest that impaired effector functions, increased activation and immaturity of neutrophils play a key role in the pathogenesis of VL

Livestock: Africa RISING science, innovations and technologies with scaling potential from the Ethiopian Highlands

United States Agency for International Developmen

Postharvest handling and utilization of crop residues in the highlands of Ethiopia

United States Agency for International Developmen

Cultivated forages for improved livestock productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia

United States Agency for International Developmen