Emerging trends in disaster management and the Ethiopian experience: genesis, reform and transformation

This paper aims to serve as a springboard for research in areas of disaster management in Ethiopia. While there have been critical issues that merit intellectual attention and resources, very little has so far been done in the area. This paper delved into the trajectories that Ethiopian disaster management has gone through. It reviews the checkered history of Ethiopian Disaster Management system (EDM) from circa mid-1970s. Having thrown some light on the lessons of experiences from other countries, it indicates the pitfalls EDM has recently faced, and suggests policy and institutional scenarios to overcome them. Key words: disaster management, drought, pre-disaster action, post-disaster action, hazards, disaster, Ethiopian disaster management system, Ethiopia

The joint project on Vertisols management retrospect and prospects

The Joint Vertisol Project which, by its nature and intention has dealt with natural resource research and development, has inherently addressed the complexity of factors and interactions among them. This has led to the two dimension strategy of choice or prioritisation: 1) issues related to research of the high-rainfall, low temperature and thus highly waterlogged Vertisols of the Ethiopian highlands, thereby providing a common denominator to collaborators for subsequent stages of research and development activities; and 2) high disciplinary priority to soil management related research; waterlogging and soil fertility being the most important constraints for Vertisols use high rainfall areas. Interinstitutional effort was therefore designed involving those in charge of training, research, development and extension. This would ensure more or less simulataneous design of both Vertisol - related management technologies and effective validation and transfer mechanisms commensurate with the constraints and opportunities of target farming systems. Seven years after its initiation, the Joint Vertisol Project has acquired a wealth of experiences which provide important lessons for future direction of its own programme and for similar activities elsewhere

Using Search Queries to Understand Health Information Needs in Africa

The lack of comprehensive, high-quality health data in developing nations creates a roadblock for combating the impacts of disease. One key challenge is understanding the health information needs of people in these nations. Without understanding people's everyday needs, concerns, and misconceptions, health organizations and policymakers lack the ability to effectively target education and programming efforts. In this paper, we propose a bottom-up approach that uses search data from individuals to uncover and gain insight into health information needs in Africa. We analyze Bing searches related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis from all 54 African nations. For each disease, we automatically derive a set of common search themes or topics, revealing a wide-spread interest in various types of information, including disease symptoms, drugs, concerns about breastfeeding, as well as stigma, beliefs in natural cures, and other topics that may be hard to uncover through traditional surveys. We expose the different patterns that emerge in health information needs by demographic groups (age and sex) and country. We also uncover discrepancies in the quality of content returned by search engines to users by topic. Combined, our results suggest that search data can help illuminate health information needs in Africa and inform discussions on health policy and targeted education efforts both on- and offline.Comment: Extended version of an ICWSM 2019 pape

Draft Genome Sequence of Photorhabdus temperata Strain Meg1, an Entomopathogenic Bacterium Isolated from Heterorhabditis megidis Nematodes

Photorhabdus temperata strain Meg1 is an entomopathogenic bacterium that forms a symbiotic association with Heterorhabditis nematodes. We report here a 4.9-Mbp draft genome sequence for P. temperata strain Meg1, with a G+C content of 43.18% and containing 4,340 candidate protein-coding genes

Comparative clinico-haematological analysis in young Zebu cattle experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax isolates from tsetse infested and non-tsetse infested areas of Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia, particularly in the Northwest region, is affected by both tsetse and non-tsetse fly transmitted trypanosomosis, with significant impact on livestock productivity. The aim of this study was to determine and compare clinical findings and haematological values between experimental infections induced by Trypanosoma vivax isolates from areas of either transmission mode. Sixteen young (aged between 6 and 12 months) Zebu cattle (Bos indicus), purchased from a trypanosome-free area and confirmed to be trypanosome-negative, were randomly assigned into four groups of four animals. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were infected with an isolate from a tsetse infested or one of two isolates from a non-tsetse infested area, and group 4 was a non-infected control. All animals in the infected groups were inoculated intravenously with 2 × 106 trypanosomes from donor animals. The experimental animals were monitored for eight consecutive weeks post infection for clinical signs, parasitaemia and haematological changes in packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hgb), total red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, differential WBC count and blood indices (mean corpuscular volume [MCV], mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration).<p></p> Results: Infection was characterized by reduced feed intake, weakness, pyrexia, parasitaemia, rough hair coat, enlarged prescapular lymph nodes, lacrimation, weight loss, pallor mucus membrane and dehydration. Body weight loss in all infected groups was significantly higher than in the non-infected control. Similarly, body weight loss was higher (P < 0.001) in animals infected with the tsetse infested isolate than with the non-tsetse infested isolates. The mean PCV, Hgb, total RBC and WBC counts were lower (P < 0.001), and mean MCV was higher (P = 0.01) in all infected groups than in non-infected control animals at different time points during the study period. Except for minor variations in haematological values, the overall changes were similar in all infected groups.<p></p> Conclusion: Clinical signs and significant reduction in haematological values in the infected groups indicated the pathogenicity of the T. vivax parasites. Pathogenicity of T. vivax from the non-tsetse infested area can be considered as nearly as important as that of its counterpart derived from the tsetse infested area

Fertility Desire and Contraceptive Utilization among People Living With HIV/AIDS on ART in Hosanna Town, Southern Ethiopia

HIV positive individuals may or may not have intention to have children. They could also have different degrees of utilization and demand for contraception. The desire of HIV infected persons to have children in the future has implication for the transmission of HIV to sexual partners or newborns. The study was designed to assess the fertility desire and contraceptive utilization among PLWHAs on ART in Hossana town. institutional based cross sectional study supplemented by in-depth  interview was conducted from January to March 2010 on total sample of 321 who were on ART. Women 18-49 years and men 18-59 years were included. Data was entered by using EPI info 2000 then exported and  analyzed by SPSS 17.0. Total of 117 (36.45%) of respondents were   desiring children. Respondents with no children (AOR 60.89, 95% CI  8.02-462.05), those who intended to use family planning in the future (AOR 4.35, 95% CI 1.61-11.73) were more likely to desire children. 102(31.8%) were using family planning. Being married (AOR 7.83, 95% CI 1.08-56.79), having three or more children (AOR 4.54, 95% CI  1.12-18.48), and having knowledge on mother to child transmission (AOR 4.29, 95% CI 1.98-9.26) plan to have children in the future (AOR 0.29, 95% CI 0.1-0.82) were significantly associated with family planning. A highproportion of HIV positive individuals desired children. A better and   evidence based understanding of fertility intentions and demand for contraception was needed to promote and protect women and men living  with HIV/AIDs to make informed decisions about reproduction and to have access to appropriate sexual reproductive health services

Radiological Features and Postoperative Histopathologic Diagnosis of Intracranial Masses at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and MCM Hospital

Background: Intracranial mass lesions are common causes of neurological morbidity and are detectable by cranial imaging. Given the wide range of pathological processes that can present as intracranial mass lesions, the radiologist can limit the differential diagnosis to inform clinical decision-making. The main objective of this review was to analyze radiologicfeatures and postoperative histopathology diagnosis of intracranial mass lesions.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 96 patients who underwent surgery for intracranial mass lesions at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) and Myungsung Christian Medical Center (MCM) in a period of 3 years (Feb 2009-Dec 2011). Patients werelimited to those who had histopathologic result and either CT (n=67), MRI (n=14) scan report or both (n=15).Results: Histopathologically confirmed intracranial masses constituted meningioma = 32 (39%), glioma =15 (18.3%), pituitary adenoma = 14 (17%), and tuberculoma = 6 (7.3%).The CT scan sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in differentiating meningiomas from other intracranial masses, taking the first differential as most likely diagnosis, was 80%, 95% and 88.6% whereas for gliomas it was 71%, 85.7% and 83% respectively. The higher rate of meningiomas found in this study may result from surgeons bias toward preference of resection of extra axial tumors or longer survival of meningioma patients.Conclusion: Meningiomas were the commonest histologically diagnosed intracranial mass lesions followed by glioma, but their prevalence may have been overestimated in this study because surgeons are more likely to resect them and confirm their diagnosis. Tuberculoma was the commonest non-tumor lesion. CT scan was more accurate, sensitive and specific in diagnosing benign than malignant masses

Permanent Draft Genome Sequence of Photorhabdus temperata Strain Hm, an Entomopathogenic Bacterium Isolated from Nematodes

Photorhabdus temperata strain Hm is an entomopathogenic bacterium that forms a symbiotic association with Heterorhabditis nematodes. Here, we report a 5.0-Mbp draft genome sequence for P. temperata strain Hm with a G+C content of 44.1% and containing 4,226 candidate protein-encoding genes