Perceptions and attitude towards violence against women by their spouses: A qualitative study in Northwest Ethiopia.

Introduction: To stop violence against women by their spouses we need to understand how the specific society perceives and views such violence. Then and only then can we institute effective and acceptable strategy to tackle the problem.Objective: To assess community perceptions and attitude towards violence against women by their spouses Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with women,family arbitrators, healthcare workers, psychosocial experts, victims and perpetrator of violence, and law enforcement bodies in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Data were analyzed thematically using the Open Code Software. Results: The normative expectation that conflicts are inevitable in marriage makes it difficult for society to reject violence. Acts of violence against women represent unacceptable behavior according to existing social and gender norms when there is no justification for the act and the act causes severe harm. There is considerable permissiveness of violent acts when the act is not regarded as wrong, there is socially acceptable premise, and the consequences are deemed mild. Marital rape is not understood well and there is less willingness to condemn it. Conclusions: We conclude that there is insufficient understanding of violence against women in its contemporary use and many people hold a non-disapproving stance regarding violence against women by their spouses calling for a culturally sensitive information, education and communication intervention. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010(1):39-45

Polio Outbreak Response in Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia had been polio-free for almost four years until December 2004. However, between December 2004 and February 2006, 24 children were paralysed as a result of infection with wild poliovirus imported from the neighbouring country of Sudan. In response, the country has attempted to document the impact of various response measures on the containment of wild poliovirus transmission. Objectives: This study aims at systematic and epidemiological assessment of the extent of the outbreak, its determinants, and the lessons learned as well as the implications for future control strategies to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission. Design: A cross-sectional study design with qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches was used to conduct the epidemiologic assessment. Subjects: All confirmed wild poliovirus cases, and reported acute flaccid paralysis cases in close proximity to the confirmed polio cases were the study subjects. Child caretakers and health service providers were interviewed as part of the investigation. Results: Between December 2004 and February 2006, eight children from Tigray Regional State, nine children from Amhara Regional State and seven children from Oromia Regional State were paralysed as a result of infection with wild poliovirus type 1. Genetic sequencing demonstrated two separate importations to Ethiopia. Risk factors that may have facilitated spread of the outbreak within the country included gaps in vaccination coverage and interruption of the cold chain system, gaps in acute flaccid paralysis surveillance performance, high population mobility, poor environmental sanitation, crowded living conditions and unsafe drinking water. In response to the outbreak, Ethiopia conducted detailed outbreak investigations within two days of confirmation of the index cases. Large-scale, house-to-house vaccination campaigns were also implemented. As a result, the three regions interrupted the wild poliovirus transmission within the regions within one year of confirmation of the index case. Conclusion: Outbreak response activities were successful in interrupting the imported wild poliovirus transmission in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia Regional States of Ethiopia within a oneyear period of time. In Ethiopia, programme strategies should be intensified to contain further spread and prevent future importation of wild poliovirus. Large-scale immunisation campaigns should reach every child, including those isolated by geography, poverty and security. East African Medical Journla Vol. 85 (5) 2008: pp. 222-23

Stochastic simulation of restoration outcomes for a dry afromontane forest landscape in northern Ethiopia.

Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) is carried out with the objective of regaining ecological functions and enhancing human well-being through intervention in degrading ecosystems. However, uncertainties and risks related to FLR make it difficult to predict long-term outcomes and inform investment plans. We applied a Stochastic Impact Evaluation framework (SIE) to simulate returns on investment in the case of FLR interventions in a degraded dry Afromontane forest while accounting for uncertainties. We ran 10,000 iterations of a Monte Carlo simulation that projected FLR outcomes over a period of 25 years. Our simulations show that investments in assisted natural regeneration, enrichment planting, exclosure establishment and soil-water conservation structures all have a greater than 77% chance of positive returns. Sensitivity analysis of these outcomes indicated that the greatest threat to positive cashflows is the time required to achieve the targeted ecological outcomes. Value of Information (VOI) analysis indicated that the biggest priority for further measurement in this case is the maturity age of exclosures at which maximum biomass accumulation is achieved. The SIE framework was effective in providing forecasts of the distribution of outcomes and highlighting critical uncertainties where further measurements can help support decision-making. This approach can be useful for informing the management and planning of similar FLR interventions

Sprouty2 mediated tuning of signalling is essential for somite myogenesis

Background: Negative regulators of signal transduction cascades play critical roles in controlling different aspects of normal embryonic development. Sprouty2 (Spry2) negatively regulates receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) and FGF signalling and is important in differentiation, cell migration and proliferation. In vertebrate embryos, Spry2 is expressed in paraxial mesoderm and in forming somites. Expression is maintained in the myotome until late stages of somite differentiation. However, its role and mode of action during somite myogenesis is still unclear. Results: Here, we analysed chick Spry2 expression and showed that it overlaps with that of myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and Mgn. Targeted mis-expression of Spry2 led to inhibition of myogenesis, whilst its C-terminal domain led to an increased number of myogenic cells by stimulating cell proliferation. Conclusions: Spry2 is expressed in somite myotomes and its expression overlaps with myogenic regulatory factors. Overexpression and dominant-negative interference showed that Spry2 plays a crucial role in regulating chick myogenesis by fine tuning of FGF signaling through a negative feedback loop. We also propose that mir-23, mir-27 and mir-128 could be part of the negative feedback loop mechanism. Our analysis is the first to shed some light on in vivo Spry2 function during chick somite myogenesis

Two-Thirds of Smear-Positive Tuberculosis Cases in the Community Were Undiagnosed in Northwest Ethiopia: Population Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) case detection rate remains low in Ethiopia. One of the underlying reasons is the emphasis on passive case finding strategy which may seriously underestimate the burden of the disease. Estimating the prevalence of smear-positive pulmonary TB through active case finding at population level can help assessing the degree to which passive case detection is successful. Methods and findings: This is population based cross-sectional study. The study population was all individuals aged $14 years. Interviews using a uniform questionnaire were done initially to identify individuals with chronic cough ($15 days) and the two sputum (spot and morning) samples were gathered for standard smear microscopy. A total of 23,590 individuals aged $14 years were interviewed and 984 had a chronic cough for$15 days. Of 831 individuals who provided two sputum samples for acid fast bacilli (AFB), 41 had positive smears. A total of 22 smear-positive TB cases detected through passive case finding were on anti-TB treatment. The prevalence of new smear-positive TB was 174 per 100,000 in persons aged $14 years (95$45 years [AOR: 2.26, 95 % CI (1.12–4.59). Conclusions: The study revealed that about two-thirds of patients with active TB remain undiagnosed and thus untreated. This may indicate the need for strengthening case detection at the community level. Furthermore, the high burden of T

Iron deficiency was not the major cause of anemia in rural women of reproductive age in Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background Anemia, which has many etiologies, is a moderate/severe public health problem in young children and women of reproductive age in many developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of iron deficiency, anemia, and iron deficiency anemia using multiple biomarkers and to evaluate their association with food insecurity and food consumption patterns in non-pregnant women from a rural area of southern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 202 rural women of reproductive age in southern Ethiopia. Anthropometrics and socio-demographic data were collected. A venipuncture blood sample was analyzed for hemoglobin (Hb) and for biomarkers of iron status. Biomarkers were skewed and were log transformed before analysis. Mean, median, Pearson\u27s correlations and ordinary least-squares regressions were calculated. Results Median (IQR) Hb was 138 (127, 151) g/L. Based on an altitude-adjusted (1708 m) cutoff of 125 g/L for Hb, 21.3% were anemic. Plasma ferritin was \u3c15 μg/L in 18.6% of the women. Only one woman had α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) \u3e1.0 g/L; four women (2%) had \u3e 5 mg/L of C-reactive protein (CRP). Of the 43 women who were anemic, 23.3% (10 women) had depleted iron stores based on plasma ferritin. Three of these had elevated soluble transferring receptors (sTfR). Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was negatively correlated with sTfR (r = -0.24, p = 0.001), and positively correlated with ferritin (r = 0.17, p = 0.018), plasma iron (r = 0.15, p = 0.046), transferrin saturation (TfS) (r = 0.15, p = 0.04) and body iron (r = 0.14, p = 0.05). Overall prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was only 5%. Conclusion Iron deficiency anemia was not prevalent in the study population, despite the fact that anemia would be classified as a moderate public health problem

Intimate partner violence against women in western Ethiopia: prevalence, patterns, and associated factors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intimate partner violence against women is the psychological, physical, and sexual abuse directed to spouses. Globally it is the most pervasive yet underestimated human rights violation. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence, patterns and associated factors of intimate partner violence against women in Western Ethiopia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional, population based household survey was conducted from January to April, 2011 using standard WHO multi-country study questionnaire. A sample of 1540 ever married/cohabited women aged 15-49 years was randomly selected from urban and rural settings of East Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia. Data were principally analyzed using logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Lifetime and past 12 months prevalence of intimate partner violence against women showed 76.5% (95% CI: 74.4-78.6%) and 72.5% (95% CI: 70.3-74.7%), respectively. The overlap of psychological, physical, and sexual violence was 56.9%. The patterns of the three forms of violence are similar across the time periods. Rural residents (AOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.34-0.98), literates (AOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.48-0.88), female headed households <b>(</b>AOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.27-0.76) were at decreased likelihood to have lifetime intimate partner violence. Yet, older women were nearly four times (AOR 3.36, 95% CI 1.27-8.89) more likely to report the incident. On the other hand, abduction (AOR 3.71, 95% CI 1.01-13.63), polygamy (AOR 3.79, 95% CI 1.64-0.73), spousal alcoholic consumption (AOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.21-3.22), spousal hostility (AOR 3.96, 95% CI 2.52-6.20), and previous witnesses of parental violence (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.54-2.56) were factors associated with an increased likelihood of lifetime intimate partner violence against women.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In their lifetime, three out of four women experienced at least one incident of intimate partner violence. This needs an urgent attention at all levels of societal hierarchy including policymakers, stakeholders and professionals to alleviate the situation.</p