Crime Prevention Through Community Policing Interventions: Evidence from Harar City, Eastern Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, community policing has been announced ofcially as a national program in 2005 E.C with the impetus to nullify crimes at lower tiers. There have been growing reports of prevailing crimes in Jenila district of Harar city. Accordingly, this study endeavors to scrutinize the practices of community policing and associated challenges in the study site. A mixed research deign was used to fetch out primary and secondary data sets. Hence, the participants’ views were captured through questionnaires, key informant interviews and focused group discussions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, bar graph and percentages. The fnding of the study revealed that a greater proportions of the respondents recognized that community policing practices had contributed in preventing crimes; burglary 94 (27%) and robbery 77 (22%) as most frequently recurring and reported types of crimes in the city. While community policing structures and concerned actors operate to smoothly run the programs, there were cropping up predicaments at the grass root levels. Limited awareness among the residents, inadequate fnancial resources and professionally ill-qualifed human power were reported as major obstructions. In the face of increasing crimes, both in terms of intensity and types on the one hand, and intricate challenges to penetrate through on the other hand, the communities of residents aspire to dive deep with a sense of ownership and exploit the opportunities for intensifying the programs stated in community policing programs. Eventually, there was need to move in concerted manner to lessen the impacts of crimes in Jenila district of Harar city. 

The Statue and Management of Coffee Wilt Disease (Gibberella xylarioides) in Ethiopian Coffee Production

Coffee is directly or indirectly a source of livelihood for more than about 25 million people engaged in production, processing and marketing of the crop. Besides the crop is attacked by several diseases among which coffee berry disease, coffee wilt disease and coffee leaf rust caused by Colletotrichum kahawae, Gibberella xylarioides and Hemileia vastatrix respectively are the major fungal diseases contributing to reduced yield in the country. CWD (Gibbrela xylariodes) is prevalent in almost all coffee-growing regions, with national average incidence and severity of 28% and 5%, respectively.CWD is a soil-borne pathogen and this presents difficulties in the application of chemical treatments; affected fields may need to be left as fallow for some years or other crops planted. Coffee production (yield) at the farm level decreased due to CWD by 37% (from 1482 to 932 kg per sample farm), and this led to a decline in income of 67% (from 5038 to 1651 birr). The annual national crop losses attributed to CWD was 3360 tone amounting to US$ 3,750,976 in Ethiopia (CABI, 2003). This economic loss coupled with difficulty to manage the disease indicates that CWD is the most difficult disease of coffee, in Ethiopia which needs more attention and the most distractive coffee production threat.Keywords: Coffea arabica, coffee wilt disease, economic importance, Gibberella xylarioide

Assessment of Adult’s Abdominopelvic Computed Tomography Radiation Doses in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Computed Tomography plays a priceless role for diagnostic and therapeutic purpose; however, applying an optimized Computed Tomography Technique to produce qualified image while delivering minimum radiation dose to patients is the common challenge. The main objective of this study was to establish local diagnostic reference levels for adult patients who visited abdominopelvic Computed Tomography examination. METHODS: A total of 158 patients who had taken abdominopelvic Computed Tomography examination from   three selectedAmhara region hospitals were investigated. Both prospective and retrospective techniques of data collection were used while collecting the data in the entire sample. Two GE - Optima Computed Tomography 540 (16 slices) and one Phillips – Brilliance (64slices), were employed during data collections. Data for patient demographics scan protocols, Computed Tomography dose descriptors and machine specifications were collected and analyzed by using SPSS software version 26. RESULTS: The third quartile estimated computed tomography dose index volume and dose length product, which is the local Diagnostic Reference Levels, were 12 mGy and 1904 cm.mGy respectively. The investigated local Diagnostic Reference Levels   of Computed Tomography Dose index volume (mGy) was comparable to other international Diagnostic Reference Levels. However, the third quartile value of dose length product (cm.mGy) was higher than other reported international Diagnostic Reference Levels. CONCLUSION: The values of local Diagnostic Reference Levels presented in this work can be used as a baseline upon which future dose measurements can be compared in Amhara region

Computed Tomography Radiation Exposure among Urinary Tract Stone Patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: National and multinational surveys indicate large variability of Computed Tomography urinarytractStone doses. The wide use of abdominopelvic Computed Tomography in the diagnosis,  raised the issue of radiation exposure. Hence,this study was conducted to assess Computed Tomography  radiation exposure of urinary tract Stone Patients there by, to compare the results from established reference values and other published studies METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional was done on 100 urinary tract Stone patients who have at least one computed tomography scan as part of their follow-up or for diagnosis purposes fromFebruary 1 to May 31, 2021, at  Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital.Data were collected using a structured questionnaire format that evaluates the number of Computed Tomography they had, scan parameters,  dose indicators, and socio-demographic characteristics. Finally, the collected data were analyzed  using statistical software SPSS version 22 RESULTS: Out of 100 patients 3.6%of our patients have radiation exposure of more than 4mSv, which is the standard for low-dose Computed Tomography. The median radiation exposure is 1.27mSv per scan. Exposure factors like tube current, tube current products, dose length product, and scan range all have similar values with an almost null interquartile range. All the scans that overpassed the low dose threshold(4mSv) were done outsideTikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital's low-dose CT protocol for patients with urinary tract Stone is well optimized as opposed to non- Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital

Biological management of coffee wilt disease (Fusarium xylarioides) using antagonistic Trichoderma isolates

Coffee wilt disease (CWD) is a serious threat to the food security of small-scale farmers in Ethiopia, causing significant reductions in coffee yield. Currently, there are no effective control measures available against the causative agent of CWD, Fusarium xylarioides. The main objective of this study was therefore to develop, formulate, and evaluate a range of biofungicides against F. xylarioides, derived from Trichoderma species and tested under in vitro, greenhouse, and field conditions. In total, 175 Trichoderma isolates were screened as microbial biocontrol agents against F. xylarioides. The efficacy of two biofungicide formulations, wettable powder and water dispensable granules, were tested on the susceptible Geisha coffee variety in three different agro-ecological zones in southwestern Ethiopia over three years. The greenhouse experiments were set up using a complete block design, while in the field a randomized complete block design was used, with twice yearly applications of biofungicide. The test pathogen spore suspension was applied to the coffee seedlings by soil drenching, and the subsequent incidence and severity of CWD evaluated annually. The mycelial growth inhibition profiles of the Trichoderma isolates against F. xylarioides ranged from 44.5% to 84.8%. In vitro experiments revealed that T. asperelloides AU71, T. asperellum AU131 and T. longibrachiatum AU158 reduced the mycelial growth of F. xylarioides by over 80%. The greenhouse study indicated that wettable powder (WP) of T. asperellum AU131 had the highest biocontrol efficacy (84.3%), followed by T. longibrachiatum AU158 (77.9%) and T. asperelloides AU71 (71.2%); they also had a significant positive impact on plant growth. The pathogen-treated control plants had a disease severity index of 100% across all the field experiments, and of 76.7% in the greenhouse experiments. In comparison to untreated controls, the annual and cumulative disease incidence over the three years of the study period varied from 46.2 to 90%, 51.6 to 84.5%, and 58.2 to 91%, at the Teppi, Gera and Jimma field experimental locations. Overall, the greenhouse and field experiments and in vitro assays support the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma isolates, and T. asperellum AU131 and T. longibrachiatum AU158 in particular are recommended for the management of CWD under field conditions

Prevalence of wound, its associated risk factors and wound management practices in carthorses of ten selected towns of Ethiopia

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Prevalence of household food insecurity and associated factors in drought-prone pastoralist communities in Borana, Oromia, Ethiopia

AbstractBackground: Food security is a central component of the development agenda in pastoralist communities, especially among those who reside in drought-prone areas.Objective: This study measured the prevalence of household food insecurity and associated factors among pastoralist communities of Borana, Ethiopia. Methods and materials: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between July and August 2015 in two pastoralist communities in Borana Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Data were collected from 1,058 randomly sampled households through an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using SPSS version 21.0. Results: The mean household food insecurity score was 18.21 (value range: 0.00-27.00). Overall, 82.33% of the households were severely food insecure, with 14.56% moderately food insecure. Ownership of private farming land, reliance on crop farming as the main economic activity (β=1.47, p=0.016), and one-way walk time to water sources (β=0.01, p=0.001) were significantly associated with household food insecurity (p<0.05). Likewise, increased family size (β=0.49, p=0.001) and lack of education (β=1.41, p=0.025) were significantly associated with food insecurity. In contrast, dependence on small business (petty trade and shop) as the main economic activity (β=5.14, p=0.001); ownership of milking cow (β=-0.25, p=0.001), bull/heifer (β=-0.16, p=0.002), goat (β=-0.14, p=0.001) or pullet (β=-1.17, p=0.001); ownership of various assets, such as forage (β=-2.50, p=0.009); and participation in village-level saving schemes (β=-1.41, p=0.044) were all significantly associated with reduced household food insecurity. Conclusions: Household food insecurity was widespread in the pastoralist communities of Borana, Ethiopia, affecting a high number of households in all domains: food anxiety, food quality, and quantity of food at the household level. As there were factors that were linked to food insecurity in the study pastoralists, evidence-based innovative interventions via a combination of measures in a medium-to-long-term development plan are vital for sustained household food security. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(1):38-49] Keywords: Pastoralist, resilience, food resiliency, food insecurity, Borana, Ethiopi

Agroclimate prediction and advisory for Ethiopian agricultural extension

To date, the performance of Belg rainfall has been mixed with favorable conditions in the southern and eastern half of Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), and adjoining western areas of Oromia. However, in eastern and southern Tigray, eastern Amhara, and northern Afar, seasonal rainfall has been erratic, delayed in onset, and slightly below average. As a result, Belg planting was delayed in these areas, and in some cases, farmers were deterred from planting despite heavy April rainfall. However, the favorable Gu/Genna rains (March to May) have supported relatively favorable production prospects for pastoral and agropastoral communities of Somali and southern Oromia

Climate Services amid the Covid-19 Pandemic: Seasonal and sub-seasonal climate advisory and communication to agricultural stakeholders in Ethiopia

This brief summarizes a work that has been conducted in 2020 to provide seasonal and intra-seasonal climate forecasts and advisories to smallholder farmers amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. The work involved (i) preparation of seasonal outlook for the main rainy season, (ii) translation of the forecasts into advisories, and (iii) communication of advisories to smallholders to serve for tactical decision making. Similar steps were followed to generate 10 to 15 days forecasts and advisories and communicating them to smallholders together with COVID-19 status updates and awareness messages

A Framework for Bundling Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and Climate Information Services (CIS) in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is increasingly impacted by climate change and variability because of its greater reliance on climate-sensitive economic sectors such as agriculture. The impacts of climate change and variability are greater on a poor section of the rural community in particular because of their weak adaptive capacities. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and climate information services (CIS) to improve climate risk management and adaptation of smallholders to climate change in Ethiopia. However, CSA and CIS are rarely provided to farmers in an integrated manner. Therefore, considering the current agricultural technology development and dissemination landscape and the growing digital climate agro-advisory services in the country, a CSA and CIS budling framework is developed for Ethiopia. Bundling of CSA and CIS is expected to empower farmers to make appropriate decisions on a seasonal and intra-seasonal basis, minimize 'technology failure' due to climate variability and enhance adoption of new or existing CSA technologies/practices, reduce yield loss due to climate variability, and farm costs, and increase household income and food security and enhances resilience. Moreover, the bundling framework creates an opportunity for a platform to integrate tools, technologies, and services provided by different institutions and actors. The framework is validated through stakeholder feedback, and it is expected to guide the scaling of bundled services to smallholders