Use of multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS and air pollution model inputs for schools site selection.

Masters Degrees (Civil Engineering). University of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban, 2019.Schools site selection is an essential process which needs knowledge of different fields. The process involves scientific justification, judgment and a finding of suitable land, which consider financial, social, ecological and political perspectives, that limit conflicts and supports agreement among the decision makers. Lack of scientific analysis may negatively impact on the economy, health, and safety of the public. However, reports revealed that finding of school location managed without utilization of scientific analysis thus prompted the development of schools in unsuitable areas and caused pupils to face several problems such as long walking distance, heavy traffic, presentation to sound and air pollution (Bukhari et al., 2010). Addis Ababa is the largest city in Ethiopia, and the city needs additional schools to meet the minimum pupil section ratio as per the national standard to improve education excellence (CGAAEB, 2018). Currently, most of the existing schools placed in the central part of the city; thus such scientific analysis is vital to give insight for the decision makers and planners to improve the site selection process for new schools, to provide a fair distribution of education access and utilizing a limited available resource. Nowadays, the application of GIS and Remote sensing datasets widely used to support the site selection process. In this study GIS integrated with MCDA and Remote Sensing, techniques have been used to select suitable school locations. MCDA is a tool that devoted to improving the decision-making process using various qualitative and quantitative criteria goals or objectives of a contradictory nature. This study attempts to use an air pollution model integrated with Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS) for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to identify optimal sites for new schools. The MCDA was done using Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which classify criterions in hierarchical level and assigns a relative weight to each criteria using pairwise comparison. The selected criteria in this study decompose into three main groups, namely Economy, Accessibility, and Environmental Safety. Besides, Landsat 8 OLI/TRIS satellite image was used to quantify the annual mean concentration of Particulate matter with diameter 10 μm (PM10) for Environmental safety criteria. Subsequently, using Weight overlay tool, the criteria maps combined based on their relative influence, which is obtained from AHP to produce the final map, and the map reclassified as not suitable, less suitable, suitable and most suitable, using Arc GIS 10.4 reclassify tool. The resulting map of the annual mean concentration of PM10 shows that the concentration amounts on airports, factories, and road structures are high. The criteria weights obtained are 54%, 30% and 16% for Economy, Environmental Safety, and Accessibility respectively. The ultimate suitability map shows that 3.89% of the study area is most suitable, 57.47% is suitable, 38.48% is less suitable, and 0.08% is unsuitable, the most suitable areas laid on the city’s north-east and south-east part, which are away from existing schools. Therefore, this study successfully suitability model has been used to allocate an optimal place for new schools to be built in Addis Ababa capital using GIS integrated MCDA with Air pollution model input

Application of multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS and air pollution model inputs for schools site selection.

Master’s Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Schools site selection is an essential process which needs knowledge of different fields. The process involves scientific justification, judgment and a finding of suitable land, which consider financial, social, ecological and political perspectives, that limit conflicts and supports agreement among the decision makers. Lack of scientific analysis may negatively impact on the economy, health, and safety of the public. However, reports revealed that finding of school location managed without utilization of scientific analysis thus prompted the development of schools in unsuitable areas and caused pupils to face several problems such as long walking distance, heavy traffic, presentation to sound and air pollution (Bukhari et al., 2010). Addis Ababa is the largest city in Ethiopia, and the city needs additional schools to meet the minimum pupil section ratio as per the national standard to improve education excellence (CGAAEB, 2018). Currently, most of the existing schools placed in the central part of the city; thus such scientific analysis is vital to give insight for the decision makers and planners to improve the site selection process for new schools, to provide a fair distribution of education access and utilizing a limited available resource. Nowadays, the application of GIS and Remote sensing datasets widely used to support the site selection process. In this study GIS integrated with MCDA and Remote Sensing, techniques have been used to select suitable school locations. MCDA is a tool that devoted to improving the decision-making process using various qualitative and quantitative criteria goals or objectives of a contradictory nature. This study attempts to use an air pollution model integrated with Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS) for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to identify optimal sites for new schools. The MCDA was done using Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which classify criterions in hierarchical level and assigns a relative weight to each criteria using pairwise comparison. The selected criteria in this study decompose into three main groups, namely Economy, Accessibility, and Environmental Safety. Besides, Landsat 8 OLI/TRIS satellite image was used to quantify the annual mean concentration of Particulate matter with diameter 10 μm (PM10) for Environmental safety criteria. Subsequently, using Weight overlay tool, the criteria maps combined based on their relative influence, which is obtained from AHP to produce the final map, and the map reclassified as not suitable, less suitable, suitable and most suitable, using Arc GIS 10.4 reclassify tool. The resulting map of the annual mean concentration of PM10 shows that the concentration amounts on airports, factories, and road structures are high. The criteria weights obtained are 54%, 30% and 16% for Economy, Environmental Safety, and Accessibility respectively. The ultimate suitability map shows that 3.89% of the study area is most suitable, 57.47% is suitable, 38.48% is less suitable, and 0.08% is unsuitable, the most suitable areas laid on the city’s north-east and south-east part, which are away from existing schools. Therefore, this study successfully suitability model has been used to allocate an optimal place for new schools to be built in Addis Ababa capital using GIS integrated MCDA with Air pollution model input

COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and vaccine hesitancy in Ethiopia : a community-based cross-sectional study

The current healthcare system’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Ethiopia and limit its effects on human lives are being hampered by hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge levels, attitudes, and prevention practices of COVID-19, in the context of the level of vaccine hesitancy with other associated factors in Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional design with mixed-method data sources was employed. It comprised 1361 study participants for the quantitative survey, with randomly selected study participants from the studied community. This was triangulated by a purposively selected sample of 47 key informant interviews and 12 focus group discussions. The study showed that 53.9%, 55.3%, and 44.5% of participants had comprehensive knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 prevention and control, respectively. Similarly, 53.9% and 47.1% of study participants had adequate knowledge and favorable attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Only 29.0% of the total survey participants had been vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine. Of the total study participants, 64.4% were hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. The most frequently reported reasons were a lack of trust in the vaccine (21%), doubts regarding the long-term side effects (18.1%), and refusal on religious grounds (13.6%). After adjusting for other confounding factors, geographical living arrangements, the practices of COVID-19 prevention methods, attitudes about the vaccine, vaccination status, perceived community benefit, perceived barriers toward vaccination, and self-efficacy about receiving the vaccine were significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, to improve vaccine coverage and reduce this high level of hesitancy, there should be specifically designed, culturally tailored health education materials and a high level of engagement from politicians, religious leaders, and other community members

Sociodemographic Factors Predicting Exclusive Breastfeeding in Ethiopia:Evidence from a Meta-analysis of Studies Conducted in the Past 10 Years

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between EBF and educational status, household income, marital status, media exposure, and parity in Ethiopia.METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, CINAHL and WHO Global health library databases were searched using key terms for all studies published in English between September 2009 and March 2019. The methodological quality of studies was examined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cross-sectional studies. To obtain the pooled odds ratio (OR), extracted data were fitted in a random-effects meta-analysis model. Statistical heterogeneity was quantified using Cochran's Q test, τ2, and I2 statistics. In addition, Jackknife sensitivity analysis, cumulative meta-analysis, and meta-regression analysis were conducted.RESULTS: Out of 553 studies retrieved, 31 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Almost all included studies were conducted among mothers with newborn less than 23 months old. Maternal primary school education (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.03-1.89; I2 = 86.11%), medium household income (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.05-1.55; I2 = 60.9%) and being married (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.05-1.83; I2 = 76.96%) were found to be significantly associated with EBF. We also observed an inverse dose-response relationship of EBF with educational status and income. However, EBF was not significantly associated with parity, media exposure, and paternal educational status.CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis, we showed the relevant effect of maternal education, income, and marital status on EBF. Therefore, multifaceted, effective, and evidence-based efforts are needed to increase the national level of exclusive breastfeeding in Ethiopia.</p

Subnational mapping of HIV incidence and mortality among individuals aged 15–49 years in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–18 : a modelling study

Background: High-resolution estimates of HIV burden across space and time provide an important tool for tracking and monitoring the progress of prevention and control efforts and assist with improving the precision and efficiency of targeting efforts. We aimed to assess HIV incidence and HIV mortality for all second-level administrative units across sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: In this modelling study, we developed a framework that used the geographically specific HIV prevalence data collected in seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care clinics to train a model that estimates HIV incidence and mortality among individuals aged 15–49 years. We used a model-based geostatistical framework to estimate HIV prevalence at the second administrative level in 44 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for 2000–18 and sought data on the number of individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) by second-level administrative unit. We then modified the Estimation and Projection Package (EPP) to use these HIV prevalence and treatment estimates to estimate HIV incidence and mortality by second-level administrative unit. Findings: The estimates suggest substantial variation in HIV incidence and mortality rates both between and within countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with 15 countries having a ten-times or greater difference in estimated HIV incidence between the second-level administrative units with the lowest and highest estimated incidence levels. Across all 44 countries in 2018, HIV incidence ranged from 2 ·8 (95% uncertainty interval 2·1–3·8) in Mauritania to 1585·9 (1369·4–1824·8) cases per 100 000 people in Lesotho and HIV mortality ranged from 0·8 (0·7–0·9) in Mauritania to 676· 5 (513· 6–888·0) deaths per 100 000 people in Lesotho. Variation in both incidence and mortality was substantially greater at the subnational level than at the national level and the highest estimated rates were accordingly higher. Among second-level administrative units, Guijá District, Gaza Province, Mozambique, had the highest estimated HIV incidence (4661·7 [2544·8–8120·3]) cases per 100000 people in 2018 and Inhassunge District, Zambezia Province, Mozambique, had the highest estimated HIV mortality rate (1163·0 [679·0–1866·8]) deaths per 100 000 people. Further, the rate of reduction in HIV incidence and mortality from 2000 to 2018, as well as the ratio of new infections to the number of people living with HIV was highly variable. Although most second-level administrative units had declines in the number of new cases (3316 [81· 1%] of 4087 units) and number of deaths (3325 [81·4%]), nearly all appeared well short of the targeted 75% reduction in new cases and deaths between 2010 and 2020. Interpretation: Our estimates suggest that most second-level administrative units in sub-Saharan Africa are falling short of the targeted 75% reduction in new cases and deaths by 2020, which is further compounded by substantial within-country variability. These estimates will help decision makers and programme implementers expand access to ART and better target health resources to higher burden subnational areas

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000–2018

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)—giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life—is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of EBF prevalence estimates from 2000 to 2018 across 94 LMICs mapped to policy-relevant administrative units (for example, districts), quantify subnational inequalities and their changes over time, and estimate probabilities of meeting the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) of ≥70% EBF prevalence by 2030. While six LMICs are projected to meet the WHO GNT of ≥70% EBF prevalence at a national scale, only three are predicted to meet the target in all their district-level units by 2030

Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: all-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 findings for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in children younger than 5 years of age, with multiple scenarios for child mortality in 2030 that include the consideration of potential effects of COVID-19, and a novel framework for quantifying optimal child survival. Methods We completed all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality analyses from 204 countries and territories for detailed age groups separately, with aggregated mortality probabilities per 1000 livebirths computed for neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and under-5 mortality rate (USMR). Scenarios for 2030 represent different potential trajectories, notably including potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of improvements preferentially targeting neonatal survival. Optimal child survival metrics were developed by age, sex, and cause of death across all GBD location-years. The first metric is a global optimum and is based on the lowest observed mortality, and the second is a survival potential frontier that is based on stochastic frontier analysis of observed mortality and Healthcare Access and Quality Index. Findings Global U5MR decreased from 71.2 deaths per 1000 livebirths (95% uncertainty interval WI] 68.3-74-0) in 2000 to 37.1 (33.2-41.7) in 2019 while global NMR correspondingly declined more slowly from 28.0 deaths per 1000 live births (26.8-29-5) in 2000 to 17.9 (16.3-19-8) in 2019. In 2019,136 (67%) of 204 countries had a USMR at or below the SDG 3.2 threshold and 133 (65%) had an NMR at or below the SDG 3.2 threshold, and the reference scenario suggests that by 2030,154 (75%) of all countries could meet the U5MR targets, and 139 (68%) could meet the NMR targets. Deaths of children younger than 5 years totalled 9.65 million (95% UI 9.05-10.30) in 2000 and 5.05 million (4.27-6.02) in 2019, with the neonatal fraction of these deaths increasing from 39% (3.76 million 95% UI 3.53-4.021) in 2000 to 48% (2.42 million; 2.06-2.86) in 2019. NMR and U5MR were generally higher in males than in females, although there was no statistically significant difference at the global level. Neonatal disorders remained the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years in 2019, followed by lower respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, congenital birth defects, and malaria. The global optimum analysis suggests NMR could be reduced to as low as 0.80 (95% UI 0.71-0.86) deaths per 1000 livebirths and U5MR to 1.44 (95% UI 1-27-1.58) deaths per 1000 livebirths, and in 2019, there were as many as 1.87 million (95% UI 1-35-2.58; 37% 95% UI 32-43]) of 5.05 million more deaths of children younger than 5 years than the survival potential frontier. Interpretation Global child mortality declined by almost half between 2000 and 2019, but progress remains slower in neonates and 65 (32%) of 204 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, are not on track to meet either SDG 3.2 target by 2030. Focused improvements in perinatal and newborn care, continued and expanded delivery of essential interventions such as vaccination and infection prevention, an enhanced focus on equity, continued focus on poverty reduction and education, and investment in strengthening health systems across the development spectrum have the potential to substantially improve USMR. Given the widespread effects of COVID-19, considerable effort will be required to maintain and accelerate progress. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

Speciation And Mobility Study Of Selected Heavy Metals In Kofe Dumpsite Soil Of Jimma Town, Jimma, Ethiopia

Speciation and mobility of selected heavy metals including Cd, Pb and Fe were investigated in Kofe dumpsite soils of Jimma Town, Jimma, Ethiopia. To study vertical mobility of the metals, soil samples were collected at three depth profiles comprising surface soil (0-10 cm), subsoil (20-30 cm), and bottom soil (40-50 cm) using soil auger. Similarly, for horizontal mobility assessment, soil samples were collected from 5 m, 10 m and 15 m distances starting from the edge of the dumpsite in east, west, north and south directions. Control soil samples were also collected at the same depth profiles, from 200 m away from the dumpsite. The collected samples were air dried, sieved as well as ground before processing utilizing a Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure. The fraction of the target metals in the extracted samples were then determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). The mobility factor (%MF) of the target metals was investigated in both vertical and horizontal variations and the obtained results showed that the target metals have exhibited both vertical and horizontal mobility. The texture, organic matter and pH of the soil samples were also analyzed for correlation study. Variation among obtained results, i.e., %MF and concentration of analytes, were evaluated using one way ANOVA at (P&lt;0.05). It was observed that Cd and Pb exhibited vertical mobility and thus could lead to pollution of the underground water. Similarly, the highest amount of Pb in the bioavailable fraction may also indicate its horizontal mobility and its high tendency to pollute surface water, sediment as well as agricultural products.Key Words: Speciation, Mobility, Sequential extraction, Heavy metal