Surgically treated acute abdomen at Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia.

Background: Acute abdomen is an acute onset of abdominal disease entities that require immediate surgical intervention in most of the cases. The numbers of researches done on acute abdomen in general are Very few in Ethiopia. The main objective of this study was to document the burden of acute abdomen in general and the outcome of emergency laparotomyMethods: This was a retrospective study on surgically treated acute abdomen performed at Gondar University Hospital (GUH) from September 1998 to August 2002Results: More than 1 in 10 operations done in GUH were for acute abdomen. Nearly a quarter of the operations performed in the study period were laparotomies, 43.3% of which were on emergency bases. Majority of surgically treated acute abdomen patients were from rural areas (58.2%). The sex composition was significantly different by place of residence (X2= 12.74, p=0.0017). Abdominal pain (100%), Vomiting (90.3%), abdominal distension (58.3%) and constipation (55.3%) were the commonest symptoms in patients with acute abdomen.Conclusion: This study has shown what the commonest symptoms of acute abdomen are and that the outcome of emergency laparotomy may be affected by different factors. Some of these factors were duration of illness, age, presence of peritonitis, Haematocrit level and complication detection time. Since the management is almost the same for almost all causes of surgical acute abdomens, the abovementioned factors should be given due attention in handling such patients. The reasons for low appearance of rural female dwellers to better health care centres need to be investigated

Study on the status of bovine tick infestation, in Guba-koricha District in West Hararghe zone, east - Ethiopia

Abstract A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2010 to April 2011 to determining the prevalence of tick infestation, to identify the common tick species in cattle andto assess the major risk factors associated with the occurrence of tick species in Gubakorichadistrict WestHararghe zone of Oromia regional state, southeast Ethiopia.Ticks were collected by searching and half body of animals using forceps on different regions of the animals’ body. A total sample of 384 cattle, 234 were found to be infested by one or more tick species an overall prevalence of 60.9%. The most predominant isolated ticks species in this study were R.pullchelus with isolation rate of 49.4% followed A. Varigatum with isolation rate of 30.3%, H. marginatumrufipes, the third predominant with isolation rate 11.8%. However, A. gemma, H. trucatum and R. Evertsi-evertsi was the least isolate which accounts for 3.6%, 2.4% and 2.35% respectively.Age, sex and body conditions scoring were found to be important risk factors associated with tick infestation. The prevalence of tickinfestation between age and sex was statistically significant (X2=32.3075, CI=0.1323358-0265075, P=0.000 andX2=5.117, CI=0.1953184-0.0061713, P=0.037) respectively. However, breed and body condition were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Hereof, Ticks are obligate, blood feeding ecto-parasites that cause severe damage to the hides and skins of domestic cattle due to this reduce the foreign exchange of the country; and also transmit tick borne diseases. Therefore, effective tick control programs should be formulated and implemented at national or regional level

Narrowing the wood supply gap through on-farm wood production in Ethiopia

This policy brief aims to propose options to narrow the wood supply and demand gap through a critical scenario analysis at the national level, complemented with wood value chain analysis that reflects the on-the-ground realities. Limited access to credit services, complicated bureaucratic processes, insecure land tenure, and the dominant influence of government forestry enterprises in the wood value chain are among the key constraints to augmenting the national wood supply. The government needs to remove some of the complicated bureaucratic land acquisition processes to ensure tenure security for private investors, small- and medium-sized wood producers. Wood import substitution with locally produced wood products can reduce government spending, while promoting local industrialization, innovation, and job creation. Cross-sectoral collaboration among government departments and the need to extend the participation of small- and medium-scale wood producers beyond wood production to wood processing and marketing activities is crucial to upscale the wood supply. This policy brief is intended for forest and natural-resource policymakers, wood industrial sector, non-governmental organizations, and academia dealing with the forestry and wood sector in Ethiopia.:Key Messages: Page 1 Introduction: Page 2 Project methods: Page 2 National wood product supply scenarios: Page 3 Wood value chain: Page 4 Policy implications and recommendations: Page 5 Contact: Page

Tuberculosis treatment outcome and associated factors among tuberculosis patients at Wolayta Sodo Teaching and Referral Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: a retrospective study

Background: Tuberculosis is a major public health problem throughout the world particularly in resource limited countries. Measuring and reporting of TB treatment outcomes and identifying associated factors are fundamental part of TB treatment. The aim of this study was to assess TB treatment outcome and associated factors among TB patients in Wolayta Sodo Teaching and Referral Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.Design and Methods: Facility based retrospective cohort study was conducted in Wolayta Sodo Teaching and Referral Hospital. All TB patients who registered during September 2014 to August 2019 and had known treatment outcome were included in the study. The data were collected using pretested structured data extraction format that included demographic, clinical and treatment outcome variables. SPSS Version 23 for Windows was used for data processing. Bivariate and multivariate analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to infer associations between the independent and dependent variables.Results: Of total 232 TB patients included in the study, 54.3% were male,80.2% were urban residents, 65.9% were pulmonary TB (PTB). From the total 153 PTB cases,31.5% were smear positive, 17.2% were HIV co-infected and all of them were on antiretroviral treatment. Most, 97.0% of the TB cases were newly diagnosed and all were treated as first line treatment category. The overall treatment success rate was 82.5% (28% cured 54.3% completed), 11.2% loss to follow-up, 4.7% dead and 0.9% treatment failure. The treatment success rate of HIV co-infected TB patients was 77.5%. There was no significant association between TB treatment outcome and age, sex, residence, type of TB, category of patients and HIV status.Conclusions: The treatment success rate was low (82.5%) which is below the90% threshold defined standard with high proportion of patient’s lost to follow-up (11.2%). A higher number of transfer-out cases were recorded in this study. Thus, supervision and monitoring of DOTs implementation, improved counseling service, mechanisms for lost to follow-up patients should be strengthen. Establish efficient referral and contact tracing mechanisms for transferred-out cases and document their treatment outcomes of status is also fundamental

STUDY ON THE STATUS OF BOVINE TICK INFESTATION, IN GUBAKORICHA DISTRICT IN WEST HARARGHE ZONE, EAST - ETHIOPIA

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2010 to April 2011 to determining the prevalence of tick infestation, to identify the common tick species in cattle and to assess the major risk factors associated with the occurrence of tick species in Guba koricha district West Hararghe zone of Oromia regional state, southeast Ethiopia. Ticks were collected by searching and half body of animals using forceps on different regions of the animals’ body. A total sample of 384 cattle, 234 were found to be infested by one or more tick species an overall prevalence of 60.9%. The most predominant isolated ticks species in this study were R. pullchelus with isolation rate of 49.4% followed A. Varigatum with isolation rate of 30.3%, H. marginatum rufipes, the third predominant with isolation rate 11.8%. However, A. gemma, H. trucatum and R. Evertsi-evertsi was the least isolate which accounts for 3.6%, 2.4% and 2.35% respectively. Age, sex and body conditions scoring were found to be important risk factors associated with tick infestation. The prevalence of tick infestation between age and sex was statistically significant (X2=32.3075, CI=0.1323358-0265075, P=0.000 andX2=5.117, CI=0.1953184- 0.0061713, P=0.037) respectively. However, breed and body condition were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Hereof, Ticks are obligate, blood feeding ecto-parasites that cause severe damage to the hides and skins of domestic cattle due to this reduce the foreign exchange of the country; and transmit tick borne diseases. Therefore, effective tick control programs should be formulated and implemented at national or regional level

Foraging ecology of African wolves (Canis lupaster) and its implications for the conservation of Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis)

African wolves (AWs) are sympatric with endangered Ethiopian wolves (EWs) in parts of their range. Scat analyses have suggested a dietary overlap between AWs and EWs, raising the potential for exploitative competition, and a possible conservation threat to EWs. However, in contrast to that of the well-studied EW, the foraging ecology of AWs remains poorly characterized. Accordingly, we studied the foraging ecology of radio-collared AWs (n = 11 individuals) at two localities with varying levels of anthropogenic disturbance in the Ethiopian Highlands, the Guassa-Menz Community Conservation Area (GMCCA) and Borena-Saynt National Park (BSNP), accumulating 845 h of focal observation across 2952 feeding events. We also monitored rodent abundance and rodent trapping activity by local farmers who experience conflict with AWs. The AW diet consisted largely of rodents (22.0%), insects (24.8%), and goats and sheep (24.3%). Of the total rodents captured by farmers using local traps during peak barley production (July to November) in GMCCA, averaging 24.7 ± 8.5 rodents/hectare/day, 81% (N = 3009) were scavenged by AWs. Further, of all the rodents consumed by AWs, most (74%) were carcasses. These results reveal complex interactions between AWs and local farmers, and highlight the scavenging niche occupied by AWs in anthropogenically altered landscapes in contrast to the active hunting exhibited by EWs in more intact habitats. While AWs cause economic damage to local farmers through livestock predation, they appear to play an important role in scavenging pest rodents among farmlands, a pattern of behaviour which likely mitigates direct and indirect competition with EWs. We suggest two routes to promote the coexistence of AWs and EWs in the Ethiopian highlands: local education efforts highlighting the complex role AWs play in highland ecosystems to reduce their persecution, and enforced protection of intact habitats to preserve habitat preferred by EWs

Is Any Job Better than No Job? Labor Market Experiences and Depressive Symptoms in People Living with HIV

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the psychosocial work environment and labor market experiences (including unemployment) on mental health among adults living with HIV. We used data provided by 538 participants at clinical and community sites across Ontario, Canada. Generalized estimating equation models showed that employment was associated with lower depressive symptoms. For employed participants, adverse psychosocial work conditions, specifically job insecurity, psychological demands, and decision authority were associated with depressive symptoms. For the entire sample, the number of adverse psychosocial work conditions was associated with higher depressive symptoms while participants working in poor quality jobs reported similar levels of depressive symptoms than those who were unemployed or not in the labor force. This study showed that poor quality employment (as assessed by having a high number of adverse psychosocial work exposures) was associated with a similar level of depressive symptoms as unemployment, suggesting that “bad jobs” may not offer the same mental health benefits as “good jobs.” Policies to improve employment outcomes should take the quality of employment into account to maximize mental health benefits as better employment may lead to better mental health

Pongamia seed cake as a valuable source of plant nutrients for sustainable agriculture

Pongamia, a multipurpose leguminous tree containing non-edible oil, grows widely in India. Oil extracted from the seeds of Pongamia is used as energy source as well as in tanneries while the cake (a byproduct after extracting oil) was found to be rich in all plant nutrients in general and nitrogen (4.28%) and sulfur (0.19%) in particular. Both nitrogen and sulfur were found to be deficient in 100 and 80%, respectively, in soil samples from farmers' fields in Powerguda village of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Use of Pongamia seed cake as a source of plant nutrients for maize, soyabean and cotton was found beneficial in participatory research and development trials on farmers' fields. Further, application of critically deficient micronutrients such as zinc and boron and secondary nutrient sulfur increased crop yields by 16.7 and 19% in soyabean and cotton, respectively. In addition, B:C ratios of 5.03, 1.81 and 2.04 were obtained for soyabean, maize and cotton, respectively, with use of cake as a source of N, however it needed higher initial investment