Physico-chemical Analysis of Groundwater Around Mai-Bela, Asmara, Eritrea

Groundwater quality studies were carried out inAsmaraaround Mai-Belaan area having a long history of waste water irrigation. The objective of this study is to identify the quality of groundwater where groundwater is used for domestic and agricultural purposes in Mai-Bela area. Samples from five locations were collected and analyzed. The  present  investigation  is  focused  on  the  determination of  Physico-Chemical  parameters such as temperature, electrical  conductivity, pH, hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, salinity,sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chemical oxygen demand (COD)and toxic metal determinations. Groundwater suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes was compared with World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) standards. Most of the physico-chemical parameters were  found above the permissible limit  and so do the toxic metals except for COD, pH, temperature, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn which were found slightly lower than the standard limit which indicate the groundwater  in most of the study sites were not  suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes. This therefore, calls for appropriate treatment measures before the consumption of these waters by the populace to avoid long term accumulated health problems of these pollutants

Threats to and alternatives for financing Social Security

MBA Professional ReportThis project identified the problems with and threats to the Social Security program caused by the rapid increase in aging of the population. It compared and contrasted the traditional system with different proposed alternatives. The author recommended three basic options in a priority order for improving economic growth and personal control, while ensuring fairness for future American generations. The three recommended options are: (1) Privatization (2) Raise the payroll tax and increase the number of years for calculating benefits and (3) Raise the payroll tax rate.http://archive.org/details/threatstondltern109459833Lieutenant, Ethiopian Air ForceApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Impact of a double catastrophe, war and COVID-19, on health service utilization of a tertiary care hospital in Tigray: an interrupted time-series study

Abstract Background In developing nations with fragile healthcare systems, the effect of war is likely to be much worse than it would be in more developed countries. The presence of COVID-19 will also likely exacerbate the war’s impact. This study set out to determine the effect of armed conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic on health service utilization at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Methods An interrupted time-series study design was used to analyze patient visits over forty-eight consecutive months (from July 2017 to June 2021) at inpatient, outpatient, and emergency departments. Data were analyzed using segmented regression analysis with a defined outcome of level and trend changes in the number of patient visits. In addition, negative binomial regression analysis was also used to estimate the impact of both COVID-19 and the war on patient flow. Results There were 59,935 admissions, 876,533 outpatient visits, and 127,872 emergency room visits. The effect of COVID-19 was seen as soon as the Tigray regional government imposed comprehensive restrictions. Immediately after COVID-19 appeared, all the service areas exhibited a significant monthly drop in visits; [-35.6% (95% CI: -48.2%, -23.1%)] for inpatient, [-60.6% (95% CI: -71.6%, -49.5%)] for outpatient, and [-44.1% (95% CI: -59.5%, -28.7%)] for emergency department visits. The impact of the war became apparent after a lag time of one month. Controlling the effects of time and COVID-19, the war led to a significant fall in inpatient visits [-44.3% (95% CI: -67.2%, -21.5%)], outpatients [-52.1% (95% CI: -82.7%, -21.5%)], and emergency-room attendances [-45.0% (95% CI: -74.8%, -15.2%)]. An upward trend in outpatient flow was observed after the war [1,219.4 (95% CI: 326.1, 2,112.8)]. Conclusions The present study has clearly indicated that the war and COVID-19 have led to a large reduction in admissions, outpatient attendance, and emergency department visits. The evidence from this study suggests that due to this double catastrophe, thousands of patients could not gain access to healthcare, with probable negative consequences. Governments and organizations should implement measures to buttress the healthcare system to maintain pre-war status of service