Implementation of Technical and Vocational Training Strategy in Agricultural Sector in Ethiopia: Practices, Challenges and the Way Forward

Ethiopia introduced a wide range of socioeconomic development strategies, programs and practices since 1991. One of these is Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) strategy that aims at producing extension agents (usually referred to as development agents /DAs/) who are capable to contribute to sustainable agricultural development in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was, therefore, to assess the contribution of ATVET graduates in improving agricultural productivity and the farmers’ livelihoods. A blend of descriptive and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques were employed in this research. The study findings indicate that the role of ATVET in technology transfer, productivity enhancement, agricultural commercialization, rural economic growth and environmental protection is vital. However, its realization has been constrained by several adverse factors such as graduates’ lack of practical skills and the stamina to work in rural areas, farmers’ attitude towards rural development agents (DAs), weak industry-ATVET college linkage, and poor administrative support to DAs. The study concludes that there is a need for tailored ATVET curriculum development and strong college-industry linkages to realize the immense role of ATVET program in Ethiopia.Keywords: technical and vocational education, development agent, agriculture,Angolela, Kuyu, Ethiopi

Anti-erosion stone bunds influence rodent dynamics and crop damage in Ethiopian highlands

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Rodent abundance, stone bund density and its effects on crop damage in the Tigray highlands, Ethiopia

In areas of subsistence agriculture, a variety of soil conservation methods have been implemented in the last few decades to improve crop yields, however these can have unintended consequences such as providing habitat for rodent pests. We studied rodent population dynamics and estimated crop damage in high and low stone bund density fields for four cropping seasons in Tigray highlands, northern Ethiopia. Stone bunds are physical structures for soil and water conservation, and potentially habitat for rodents. We used a general model to relate the proportion of crop damage to rodent abundance, stone bund density and crop stages. Generally, rodent abundance remained relatively low during the study period, except during the fourth quarter of the 2010 cropping season. We found a positive correlation between rodent abundance and crop damage, and significant variation in rodent abundance and crop damage between high and low stone bund density fields. Furthermore, crop damage also varied significantly between crop stages. We concluded that Mastomys awashensis (Lavrenchenko, Likhnova and Baskevich 1998) and Arvicanthis dembeensis (Ruppel 1842) were the two most important crop pests in Tigray highlands causing significant damage. Fields with high stone bund density (~10m average distance apart) harbor more rodents and endure a significantly higher proportion of crop damage compared to fields with lower stone bund density (~15m average distance 4 apart). The fact that rodent abundances peaked during the reproductive stage of the crop and around harvest implies the need for management intervention before these crop stages are attained

Implementation of quality management systems and progress towards accreditation of National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories in Africa

Background: Laboratory services are essential at all stages of the tuberculosis care cascade, from diagnosis and drug resistance testing to monitoring response to treatment. Enabling access to quality services is a challenge in low-resource settings. Implementation of a strong quality management system (QMS) and laboratory accreditation are key to improving patient care. Objectives: The study objective was to determine the status of QMS implementation and progress towards accreditation of National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories (NTRLs) in the African Region. Method: An online questionnaire was administered to NTRL managers in 47 World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa member states in the region, between February and April 2015, regarding the knowledge of QMS tools and progress toward implementation to inform strategies for tuberculosis diagnostic services strengthening in the region. Results: A total of 21 laboratories (43.0%) had received SLMTA/TB-SLMTA training, of which 10 had also used the Global Laboratory Initiative accreditation tool. However, only 36.7% of NTRLs had received a laboratory audit, a first step in quality improvement. Most NTRLs participated in acid-fast bacilli microscopy external quality assurance (95.8%), although external quality assurance for other techniques was lower (60.4% for first-line drug susceptibility testing, 25.0% for second-line drug susceptibility testing, and 22.9% for molecular testing). Barriers to accreditation included lack of training and accreditation programmes. Only 28.6%of NTRLs had developed strategic plans and budgets which included accreditation. Conclusion: Good foundations are in place on the continent from which to scale up accreditation efforts. Laboratory audits should be conducted as a first step in developing quality improvement action plans. Political commitment and strong leadership are needed to drive accreditation efforts; advocacy will require clear evidence of patient impact and cost-benefit

Fish ecology and management of reservoirs in the semi-arid highlands of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

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Development of strategies for community-based prevention of maternal common mental disorders in urban Oromia, Ethiopia

This sequential explanatory mixed-method study investigated in divided three phases: the quantitative phase, the qualitative phase, and the strategy development phase based on the findings of the first two phases. In the quantitative phase, the population entailed 228 women attending the antenatal clinic (ANC) clinic and key informants related to pregnant mothers at 5 towns administration health facilities in urban Oromia, Ethiopia. In the qualitative phase, the population comprised members of the community who had a relationship with a pregnant mother. On entry (before admission to the ANC clinic), data were collected using a standardized Likert-scale questionnaire, and in the qualitative phase, individual phenomenological interviews were done. Quantitative data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22, and the Colaizzi data analysis method was employed in the qualitative phase. Findings indicate that women with common mental disorders (CMD) such as depression (10.7%) and anxiety (24.9%) prevalence is 32%. These disorders were exacerbated by having lower levels of education, perceiving their financial status as poorer, being unmarried, living alone, the CMD women also stated lower level of social support, lower relationship quality, higher scours of anxiety and depression, living urban, higher maternal age, household insecurity, and low economic status. As regards mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), substance use were risk factors for higher prevalence compared to the other indicators. It is also noted that very minimal mental health prevention services are available in the community for pregnant women. The psychological obstacles women face during their childbearing years may not end in just CMD. The findings were then utilized in the third phase of strategy development. To meet the mental health needs of this group, a modified socio-ecological model was combined with a public health model for community-based prevention of maternal CMD after expert validation studies.Health StudiesD. Phil. (Publuc Health

Diversity and abundance of fishes in Tekeze Reservoir, Tekeze Basin, Ethiopia

The diversity and relative abundance of fishes from Tekeze Reservoir, Ethiopia, was studied from January 2016 to December 2017. Samples were collected from six sites using gill nets with different stretched mesh sizes (0.5–5.5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 cm). Fish were identified to family and species level. Ecological indices such as Shannon-Weaver diversity index, Simpson’s diversity index, Species Evenness and Richness were used to analyze the data. All environmental variables were found in the optimum condition for fish production. The fish belonged to 15 species within four families: Cyprinidae, Bagridae, Claridae and Cichlidae. Shannon-Weaver and Simpson’s diversity indices ranged from 1.447 to 1.697 and 0.7333 to 0.7925, respectively, and Equitability ranged 0.6957–0.8718. Values for fish species diversity and equitability were higher (H′ = 1.715; J′ = 0.746) during the wet and dry-cold seasons, respectively. The index of relative importance(%IRI) in the gill net landings were: Oreochromis niloticus, (35.5%), Bagrus docmak (22.6%), Labeobarbus intermedius (20.5%), Labeo niloticus (10.6%)and Labeo forskalii (10.2%). The species with low relative importance (< 1%) include Clarias gariepinus, Labeobarbus nedgia, Raiamas senegalensis, Labeobarbus crassibarbis, Heterobranchus longifilis, Garra dembeensis, Bagrus bajad, Labeobarbus bynni, Labeo cylindricus, and Labeobarbus beso. The river mouth habitats had more catch composition than the pelagic. Physico-chemical parameters played a key role in the spatial variation of the fish. The study indicated decline of the fish stock in the reservoir, therefore, management plan and strategy should be in place to maintain the fish species and increase their sustainable utilization. Keywords/phrases: Abundance, Diversity, Evenness, Seasons, Tekeze Reservoi

Hypoglycemia prevention practice and its associated factors among diabetes patients at university teaching hospital in Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study.

IntroductionHypoglycemia is a true medical emergency, which needs prompt recognition and treatment to prevent organ damage and mortality. Knowledge about the prevention of hypoglycemia is an important step to self-care practice because informed people are more likely to have a better hypoglycemia prevention practice. The aim of this study was to explore hypoglycemia prevention practice and its associated factors among diabetes patients at a university teaching hospital in Ethiopia.MethodA cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 422 systematically selected diabetic patients at the University of Gondar Referral and Teaching Hospital. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, and interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS version 20 and associated variables were measured using binary logistic regression and within 95% confidence interval. A p-value ResultFrom the total of 422 diabetic patients, 61.6% were males, 70.1% of them were urban dwellers, 37.9% of them were unable to write and read, and 70.6% of the participants were taking insulin. The majority of respondents had good knowledge of (77.5%) and practice of (93.1%) hypoglycemia prevention. Only good participant knowledge about hypoglycemia prevention was strongly associated with the practice of its prevention (AOR: 2.87 (1.2-6.8), p = 0.01).Conclusion and recommendationEven though diabetic patients with good knowledge of hypoglycemia and its prevention was strongly associated with good prevention practice, there exists a gap in knowledge of hypoglycemia prevention. Hence, we recommend counseling be offered to patients regarding hypoglycemia during their visit to the diabetic clinic. Counseling points such as common clinical symptoms, its negative consequence, as well as remedial options are essential elements for the improvement of their practice on its prevention

Data on spatiotemporal urban sprawl of Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia

The data presented in this paper shows the spatiotemporal expansion of Dire Dawa City (eastern Ethiopia) and the ensuing land use land cover changes in its peri-urban areas between 1985 and 2015. The data were generated from satellite images of Thematic Mapper (TM), Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus (ETM+) and OLI (Operational Land Image) with path/raw value of 166/053 by using Arc GIS 10.1 software. The precision of the images was verified by geolocation data collected from ground control points by using Geographic Positioning System (GPS) receiver. Four LULC classes (built up area, vegetation, barren land and farmland) with their respective spatiotemporal dimensions were clearly identified in the analysis. Built up area had shown an overall annual increment of 15.8% (82 ha per year) from 517 ha in 1985 to 2976 ha in 2015. Expansion took place in all directions but it was more pronounced along the main road towards other nearby towns, recently established business/service areas and the Industrial Park. Barren land, farmland and vegetation areas showed speedy decline over the years

A survey of ecto and endoparasites of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) fingerlings in Midmar reservoir, Adwa, northern Ethiopia

ABSTRACTFishes are hosts to a range of taxonomically diverse parasites. This survey was intended to provide insight into the occurrence, distribution, prevalence, and intensity of parasites infesting the fingerlings of the tilapia, in Tigray. A total of 384 Oreochromis niloticus specimens were collected from Midmar consisting of 227 males and 157 females. External and internal organs were examined for parasite infection. Squash preparation of fish eyes was also examined to reveal the organisms through microscopic examination. The major groups of parasites were trematode, nematodes, protozoa and hirudinea. A total of 3762 genus Diplostomum were recorded affecting the health of 93% of fishes. Contracaecum species was the second most prevalent distributed majorly in the intestine (77.8%), pericardial cavity (19.1%), swim bladder (2.4%), gill (0.2%) and mouth (0.8%). The prevalence and mean intensity of Diplostomum spp., Contracaecum, Myxosporea, Clinostomum spp., Eustrongylides and Leeches was 93%(10.5), 62.2%(5.3), 39.3%(8.3), 2.1%(8.8),1.8%(5.7) and 1.6% (2.5), respectively. The mean temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH of the dam were 24.4°C, 7.55 mg/l, 849.5µs/cm, and 7.5, respectively. Therefore, responsible bodies in fisheries should perform a pre-stock assessment and provide fish farming extension services for optimum production and marketing of fish products with management and production enhancement methods