The Role of Empowerment in the Association between a Woman’s Educational Status and Infant Mortality in Ethiopia: Secondary Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status at national, sub-national, household, and individual levels  explains a significant portion of variation in infant mortality. Women’s education is among the major  determinants of infant mortality. The mechanism through which a woman’s own educational status, over  her husband’s as well as household characteristics, influences infant mortality has not been well studied  in developing countries. The objective of this study was to explore the role of woman’s empowerment and household wealth in the association between a woman’s educational status and infant mortality.METHODS: The association between a woman’s educational status and infant death, and the role of woman’s empowerment and household wealth in this relationship,were examined among married women in Ethiopia through a secondary, serial cross-sectional analysis utilizing data on birth history of married women from three rounds of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the association between woman’s education and infant death, and the possible mediation or moderation roles of woman empowerment and household wealth.RESULTS: Female education and empowerment were inversely associated with infant death. The results indicated mediation by empowerment in the education-infant death association, and effect modification by household wealth. Both empowerment and education had strongest inverse association with infant death among women from the richest households.CONCLUSION: The findings suggest an important role of female empowerment in the education-infant death relation, and the complexity of these factors according to household wealth. Woman empowerment programs may prove effective as a shorter term intervention in reducing infant mortality.KEYWORDS: Woman, Education, Empowerment, Infant Mortality, Demographic and Health Survey, Social Determinants, Mediation, Moderation, Ethiopi

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Malaria Transmission and Its Preventive Measures among Households in Urban Areas of Assosa Zone, Western Ethiopia

Background: Knowledge about the modes of transmission and preventive measures of malaria are important preceding factors for the acceptance and use of proven control tools by the community. Objective: To assess knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) about modes of malaria transmission and preventive methods in the study areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three urban areas of Assosa zone, Western Ethiopia from January to February, 2006. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS for windows version 12.0.1. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were employed to test the strength of association. Results: About 48% of the study participants were aware that malaria can be transmitted by mosquito bites. Thirty percent (30%), of respondents were aware that mosquitoes carry disease causing microorganism, 95% were aware that mosquitoes bite during night, and 61% were aware that mosquitoes rest at dark places inside the house. Sleeping under a mosquito net and eliminating mosquito-breeding sites were identified by 58% and 52% of respondents, respectively, as major malaria preventive measures. Respondents' education and wealth status were associated with comprehensive knowledge on malaria preventive measures (OR= 2.42, 95% CI: 1.09, 5.4 and OR= 3.89, 95% CI: 1.99, 7.6, respectively). Conclusion: Knowledge of the role of mosquitoes in malaria transmission and comprehensive knowledge about malaria prevention strategies among the study population were observed to be lower than 50%. Comprehensive behavioral change and communication is required to improve the knowledge of the mode of malaria transmission and its preventive and control measures.The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 21 (2) 2007: pp. 157-16

Barriers and facilitators of maternal health care services use among pastoralist women in Ethiopia: Systems thinking perspective

Barriers and facilitators of maternal health care services use among pastoralist women in Ethiopia: Systems thinking perspectiv

Enhancing Malaria Research, Surveillance, and Control in Endemic Areas of Kenya and Ethiopia

Malaria control programs in Africa encounter daunting challenges that hinder progressive steps toward elimination of the disease. These challenges include widespread insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors, increasing outdoor malaria transmission, lack of vector surveillance and control tools suitable for outdoor biting vectors, weakness in malaria surveillance, and an inadequate number of skilled healthcare personnel. Ecological and epidemiological changes induced by environmental modifications resulting from water resource development projects pose additional barriers to malaria control. Cognizant of these challenges, our International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) works in close collaboration with relevant government ministries and agencies to align its research efforts with the objectives and strategies of the national malaria control and elimination programs for the benefit of local communities. Our overall goal is to assess the impact of water resource development projects, shifting agricultural practices, and vector interventions on Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria in Kenya and Ethiopia. From 2017 to date, the ICEMR has advanced knowledge of malaria epidemiology, transmission, immunology, and pathogenesis, and developed tools to enhance vector surveillance and control, improved clinical malaria surveillance and diagnostic methods, and strengthened the capacity of local healthcare providers. Research findings from the ICEMR will inform health policy and strategic planning by ministries of health in their quest to sustain malaria control and achieve elimination goals