Prevalence and Pattern of Ocular Morbidity among School Children in Southern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND፡ Visual health is linked to school achievement, quality of life and productivity. But eye screening in school children is not routinely done in most Ethiopian schools. This study was done to determine prevalence and pattern of ocular morbidity among school children in Roman Dega-Kedida,Southern Ethiopia.METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study. All children aged 16 years or less, attending the school during the study period were included. Data entry and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Version 16. A P - value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULT: A total of 778 children participated in this study. The female to male ratio was 1.06:1. The mean age was 11.34(±2.31) years. A total of 201 (25.8%) children had ocular morbidities. The most common was trachoma found in 85(10.9%). Of these, 49(56.5%) had active trachoma, while 37(43.5%) had either trachoma scar or trachomatous trichiasis. Allergic conjunctivitis was found in 49(6.3%), refractive error in 37(4.8%), and xerophthalmia in 17(2.2%) children. Visual impairment in one or both eyes was found in 41(5.3%) children. Thirty-two children (4.1%) had bilateral Visual impairment of which 6(18.8%) had moderate to severe visual impairment. The cause of visual impairment was refractive error in 37(90.2%), corneal opacity in 3(7.3%) and cataract in 1(2.4%) child.CONCLUSION: Most of the ocular diseases observed were either preventable or treatable. Health education to the community and establishing regular school screening program is recommended

Magnitude and determinants of stunting in children underfive years of age in food surplus region of Ethiopia: The case of West Gojam Zone

Background: Child malnutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Surprisingly, the highest level of stunting is found in food surplus areas of the country. Objective: To identify the determinants of stunting in food surplus areas of West Gojam Zone. Method: A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 622 mother-child pairs of 0-59 month old children in Mecha and Wenberma Woredas of West Gojam Zone, Northern Ethiopia between May and June 2006. The study investigated the differential impact of demographic and socio-economic factors, health related factors and dietary factors on stunting among under-five children. Both bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis (logistic regression model) were used to identify the determinants of under-five stunting. Results: The analyses revealed that 43.2 (12.0-17.6) 95% CI percent of the children under age five were suffering from chronic malnutrition, 14.8 (39.3-47.1) 95% CI percent were acutely malnourished and 49.2 (45.3-53.1) 95% CI percent were found to be under-weight. The main contributing factors for under-five stunting were found to be sex of the child, child’s age, diarrhea episode, deprivation of colostrum, duration of breastfeeding, pre-lacteal feeds, type of food, age of introduction of complementary feeding and method of feeding. Conclusion: The findings of this study led to the realization that inappropriate feeding practice is the principal risk factor which brought about nutritional deprivation among under-five children in food surplus areas of Ethiopia. Thus, the importance of appropriate feeding during infancy and childhood cannot be overstated even in food surplus areas. The high prevalence of malnutrition in the study area points out the need to revisit the impression held by many people that malnutrition is not a problem in food surplus areas. Development and implementation of preventive policies aimed at addressing child malnutrition should also consider food surplus areas of the country. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2009;23(2):98-106

Benchmark Sediment Monitoring Program for Illinois Streams: Analysis of 36 Years of Sediment Data (WY 1981-2016)

publishedpeer reviewedOpe

Manual for production of Chamo strain Nile tilapia fingerlings and preparation of fish feeds from locally available material

Climate change has resulted in increased local temperatures that in turn have increased evapotranspiration, and negatively affected the breeding grounds of several important fish species due to reduction in the water levels of water bodies (Ficke et al. 2007). The rise in local temperature also affects the physico-chemical properties of water, including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and concentration of different ions in water bodies (El Morhit & Mouhir 2014). These changes negatively affect the physiological (e.g. reproduction) and behavioral dynamics of fish as well as their natural feed leading to lower production of capture fish (Chabot & Guénette 2013). To increase production of capture fish, there is need for a reliable method for mass production of fry. Although tilapia breed freely in ponds, it is important for farmers (producers) to consider using properly produced fingerlings. However, there are quality challenges with semi-natural or hormone-induced propagation of fingerlings. Quality fingerlings in tilapia aquaculture are needed for improved production. For this reason, it is advisable for farmers to generate their own fingerlings if they cannot ascertain the quality of those from other sources. Poor fingerlings result in poor harvests. Therefore, artificial propagation under controlled environmental conditions in a hatchery has become a necessity to ensure production en-masse of fry and fingerlings

Evaluating the Knowledge, Practice, and Regulatory Situation of Veterinary Experts Regarding Counterfeit Veterinary Medications in the Selected Districts of Central Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Yesuneh Tefera Mekasha,1 Sete Nigussie,2 Wegayehu Ashagre,3 Melaku Getahun Feleke,4 Abibo Wondie,5 Asnakew Mulaw,6 Bereket Dessalegn6 1Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Affairs, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 2Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 3Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 4Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Analysis, and Quality Assurance, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 5Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Drug Supply Chain Management, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 6Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Yesuneh Tefera Mekasha, University of Gondar, Gondar, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, Email [email protected]: The intentional and illegal misrepresentation of fake medications involves falsely indicating their source. These fraudulent medications can include products that contain either accurate or incorrect ingredients, lack proper labeling, have insufficient quantities of ingredients, and are packaged with counterfeit packaging. This unlawful activity has led to treatment failures, the development of antibiotic resistance, adverse effects, and even deaths. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, practice, and regulatory status of veterinary drug experts in the central Gondar zone of Ethiopia regarding counterfeit veterinary medications.Methods: From January 2023 to July 2023, a self-administered structured questionnaire was utilized to conduct a cross-sectional study in Central Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. The analysis of the data involved the application of descriptive and chi-square tests.Results: The study revealed that the majority of professionals possessed a work experience ranging from 5 to 9 years (23; 56.1%). Additionally, a total of 25 individuals (61.0%) who participated in the research had not undergone any kind of training. It was observed that a significant proportion of participants (82.9%) possessed knowledge about counterfeit veterinary drugs. Only about 63% and 36% of respondents had high knowledge and good practice concerning veterinary counterfeit drugs, respectively. Only 29.3% of participants have reported practices. Furthermore, a poor regulatory level of coordination was detected (85.4%). The study revealed a significant (χ 2 =7.6165; p = 0.022) disparity between the respondents’ practice levels and training. Respondents’ regulatory levels were also significantly associated (p < 0.05) with their sex (χ 2 = 13.34; p = 0.001) and work experience (χ 2 = 13.64; p = 0.033). The research findings also revealed a noteworthy correlation between practice and regulatory activity (χ 2 = 15.0463; p = 0.005).Conclusion: The study outlines the necessity of awareness initiatives, with a focus on the significance of veterinary experts’ knowledge, practice, and regulatory efforts in addressing the issue of counterfeit veterinary medications.Keywords: counterfeit veterinary drug, veterinary drug professionals, cross-sectional study, knowledge, practice, regulatory activity, central Gondar zone, Ethiopi