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Abstract Background The main elements of effective vaccine cold chain management at the immunization service delivery point are well-trained vaccine cold chain handlers, vaccine storage equipment, and appropriate vaccine management procedures. Vaccine cold chain handlers must have enough expertise to provide the correct vaccine at the right time, maintain vaccine potency, and minimize vaccination failures. The study assessed knowledge of vaccine cold chain handlers on vaccine cold chain management, adherence to the WHO vaccine storage codes and vaccine cold chain management practice at primary health facilities in Dalocha district of Silt'e zone. Method Institutional-based cross-sectional study was done at twenty-eight primary health facilities. One hundred forty primary health workers were drawn from four health centers and twenty-four health posts operating in Dalocha woreda of Silt'e zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. A self-administered questionnaires and on-spot observation checklists were adapted from the WHO and WHO-UNICEF-effective vaccine management assessment tools to collect data from cold chain unit of the primary healthcare facilities. Data were entered to EPI data version 3.1; exported and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Statistical analysis was carried out to determine the level of knowledge, adherence to WHO cold chain management guideline and vaccine handling practice. The relationship that the knowledge of primary healthcare workers, primary healthcare workers training status, primary healthcare facilities' adherence to WHO vaccine storage codes, and length of work experience of primary health care workers have with the vaccine management practice were also explored Result Above Half (54%) of the respondents have satisfactory knowledge of vaccine cold chain management. One hundred (71.4%) vaccine cold chain handlers did point correctly to the recommended range of temperature (2°C -8°C) for vaccine storage. Around two-thirds (63.6%) of them were aware of the twice-daily temperature recordings. Nearly half, (46.2%) of primary healthcare facilities have experienced poor adherence to the WHO storage practice codes. Around three-fifths of the observed primary healthcare facilities have registered undesirable vaccine management practices. The primary healthcare workers who received training on vaccine cold chain management (χ2 = 0.058, p=0.015), served at primary health care facilities for more five years (χ2 =18.545, p≤0.001), shown good adherence to WHO vaccine storage code (χ2 =18.545, p≤0.001), have sufficient knowledge on vaccine cold chain management (χ2=4.210, p≤0.031) were all significantly associated with desirable vaccine cold chain management practice. Conclusion There is a gap in vaccine cold chain handlers’ knowledge about vaccine cold chain management and less than desirable adherence to WHO vaccine storage codes at primary healthcare facilities in Dalocha district. The majority of the observed primary health facilities have registered poor vaccine management practices. Everyone who has a stake in the cold chain management of vaccines should do their share, individually and collectively, to guarantee that everyone reaps the benefits of an effective cold chain.

There is a paucity of evidence-based information regarding healthcare professionals’ awareness and views toward counterfeit medicines in developing countries. Therefore; this is aimed to assess health care providers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward counterfeit medicines in Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, South West Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among health care providers working in Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital from December 2020 to January 2021. A total of 171 health care providers participated in the study. Data were collected through self-administered structured questionnaires developed by reviewing similar surveys with some modifications. The data analyzed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 21). Variables with P value

Introduction: Traditional medicine has been used for the management of common mild conditions such as headache, diarrhea, and common cold as well as in the treatment of chronic diseases including hypertension. The usage of this medicine is regarded as acceptably safe with most Ethiopian people. Attitude and practices toward traditional medicine are crucial elements of hypertension control and its favorable outcome expectation. This study aimed at assessing the attitude and practice toward traditional medicine among hypertensive patients on follow-up at Mizan–Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. Method: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 st December 2020 to 30 th December 2020 among 173 hypertensive patients. A consecutive sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected through interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify the independent predictors of patients’ attitude toward traditional medicine and their traditional medicine use at a p value ⩽0.05. Results: Eighty-seven (50.29%) of the total 173 approached patients were found to have good attitude toward traditional medicine. Ninety-seven (56.07%) participants had used traditional medicine at least once in their lifetime and 45 (46.39%) patients used traditional medicine and modern medicine concomitantly. Participants’ residence (adjusted odds ratio = 2.79, confidence interval = 1.01–7.74, p -value = 0.049) and educational status (adjusted odds ratio = 1.76, confidence interval = 1.61–5.09, p -value = 0.032) had significant association with attitude toward traditional medicine, while patients’ age (adjusted odds ratio = 1.43, confidence interval = 1.32–4.96, p -value = 0.039), residence (adjusted odds ratio = 2.18, confidence interval = 1.10–4.32, p -value = 0.025), and occupation (adjusted odds ratio = 3.38, confidence interval = 1.55–7.38, p -value = 0.002) had significant association with their traditional medicine use. Conclusion: Half of the study participants had good attitude toward traditional medicine, and nearly, one-fourth of the participants had practiced traditional medicine along with modern medicine. Health service providers should be aware of traditional medicine use and advise patients on the dosing of traditional medicine.

Background. An adverse drug reaction (ADR) is harm that arises from the use of a drug. Adverse drug reactions have a huge impact on the health system since they result in drug-related morbidity and mortality as well as indirect costs such as loss of productivity at work. Reporting of adverse drug reactions to a relevant authority is one of the methods of enhancing medication safety; however, underreporting of adverse drug reactions by health workers is a major challenge in enhancing medicines safety. The aim of this study was to assess the willingness, attitude, and associated factors of healthcare providers towards ADRs reporting at Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital (MTUTH). Methods. A cross-sectional mixed method was conducted among healthcare providers working in Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital from August to September 2021. A total of 190 healthcare providers and five key informants were participated in the study. The quantitative data were collected using self-administered structured questionnaires, and for the qualitative study, data from the key informant interviews were collected using a semistructured questionnaire containing open-ended questions. The collected data were coded, entered, and analyzed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 21). Furthermore, the logistic regression model was fitted to see the association between attitude items and demographic characteristics. Variables with P value

Background. Effective and efficient cold chain management maximizes utilization of healthcare resources, reduces cold chain products wastage, and improves the quality of health services. It eventually guarantees that clients receive cold chain products they need at service delivery points. The objective of this study was to evaluate cold chain management performance for temperature-sensitive medicines at public health facilities in Southwest Ethiopia supplied by the Jimma Pharmaceuticals Fund and Supply Agency hub. Method and Materials. The study used an institution-based cross-sectional study design. Forty-seven (47) public health facilities in Southwest Ethiopia were evaluated using checklists adopted from the Logistic Indicators Assessment Tool, Vaccine Management Assessment Tool, and Logistic System Assessment Tool. Results. The study revealed that the mean availability of essential cold chain products was 72.1 ± 14.8% while the average stock-out rate was 26.2 ± 8.6%. The median stock-out duration was 23 ± 21 days for all visited public health facilities. Two hundred and sixty-three (43.06 ± 15.3%) of the public health facilities’ stock records were found accurate, and the wastage rate due to expiration was 9.2 ± 7.8% for all visited health facilities. Thirty public health facilities (63.8 ± 36.2%) had acceptable storage conditions. Conclusions and Recommendations. Supply chain performance at the study facilities was not adequate overall, and focused efforts need to be directed at managing the availability of critical cold chain medicines. Some cold chain management challenges demand the attention of the top management, while the rest can be addressed by operational management at the facilities through provision of appropriate training and supervision of the cold chain pharmaceutical handlers.