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Summary: Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of microcytic hypochromic anemia, which predominantly affects pregnant women globally. Even though it is a public health problem, there is limited information on the pooled burden. Objective: To determine the global prevalence of iron deficiency among pregnant women and its variation with different gestational ages. Methods: To conduct this study, we followed the criteria on guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-analysis. We registered the study protocol on PROSPERO with the reference number CRD42024499368 and Relevant information was found by searching scientific databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, Web of Science, Wiley online library, Google Scholar, scientific information database, biomedical journal database, and the global medical article library. All population-based studies and national surveys with data on the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women globally that were published up to June 28, 2023, were included in the study. The inclusion criteria were applied to all relevant articles. STATA software (Ver. 11.1) was used to analyze the data using a random effect model. I2 test statistics were employed to ascertain the degree of heterogeneity. The Egger-weighted regression test and funnel plot analysis were employed to identify publication bias. Results: The thirty-nine articles with a sample size of 33869 were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among pregnant women was 18.98% (CI: 95%; 18.15–19.81%) with highest magnitude in North Africa region (36.68% (95% CI 35.76, 37.60). The burden was highest during the second trimester (27.8%) followed by the third (5.44%) and the first trimesters (2.34%). Conclusions and recommendation: Iron deficiency anemia is a public health problem among pregnant women especially North African region, even though its magnitude is decreased years after 2015. As a result, every stakeholder should implement preventative measures, and intervention strategies like iron supplementation and nutritional support, particularly during the second trimester.

BackgroundIntestinal parasitic infections continue to pose a major threat to human health globally, with a particularly high prevalence in developing countries. Soil-borne helminthiasis and schistosomiasis are notably widespread.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and contributing factors of intestinal parasites infection among participants aged 7–14 years.MethodsCommunity-wide prevalence study was undertaken from 30 August to 30 September 2021 in Mizan Aman Town. Socio-demographic information was collected using questionnaires. Three of the five kebels were randomly chosen. Households with children aged 7–14 were gathered from the chosen kebels and health post to recruit one eligible subject. Allocation of study subjects to each of the chosen kebels was computed proportionally. Two thick smear of Kato Katz technique was applied to examine stool samples. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. To investigate the association between the dependent and independent variables, a logistic regression analysis was conducted. Statistics were considered significant for p-values under 0.05.ResultsThe overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 64.6% (215/333). Of these, 51.05% (170/333) were infected with STHs, while 13.5% (45/333) had S. mansoni. T. trichiura was the most prevalent helminth. Infection intensity ranged from light to moderate was observed. Prior information about STHs (aORr:2.022 = CI:1.222–3.340), poor knowledge about STHs (aOR:1.677 = CI:1.057–2.660), unaware of deworming as prevention method of S. mansoni (aOR:2.620:CI:1267–5.418), swimming (aOR:0.448:CI:0.176–0.992) and contact with water (aOR:0.402:CI:0.169–0.957) were significantly associated with the S. mansoni infection.Conclusion and recommendationThe prevalence of intestinal parasite was high. Heavy infection was not recorded. Beyond mass deworming, the report emphasizes the necessity of ongoing public health interventions to address the high prevalence of these intestinal helminths.

BackgroundIntestinal parasitic infections remain very common, particularly in areas with a high prevalence of immune-compromised patients, such as HIV/AIDS patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors in people living with HIV/AIDS at an ART clinic in Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, southwest Ethiopia.MethodA cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to September 2021. A total of 191 adult people living with HIV/AIDS participated in this study. Data on socio-demographic, clinical, and other risk factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Stool samples were collected and processed using a direct wet mount, formol-ether concentration, and modified Ziehl-Nelson staining techniques. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 25 software.ResultsAmong 67 adult individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the prevalence of intestinal parasites was 35.1%. Specifically, 31.5% (45/143) of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 45.8% (22/48) of ART-naïve patients were infected. The distribution of intestinal parasites was as follows: protozoa were found in 14.7% of ART-treated patients and 22.9% of ART-naïve patients; helminths in 15.4% of ART-treated patients and 16.7% of ART-naïve patients; and opportunistic parasites in 1.4% of ART-treated patients and 6.25% of ART-naïve patients. Significant associations with a higher prevalence of intestinal parasites were observed for a CD4 count

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that causes hyperglycemia and various life-threatening health problems. Although hematological parameters play a significant role in the progression and pathogenesis of diabetes, many studies have explored contradictory findings. Therefore, this evidence-based study aimed to determine the pooled mean difference of white blood cell and red blood cell parameters in diabetic patients in order to investigate hematological dysfunctions in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsArticles were extensively searched in bibliographic databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, online archives and university repositories) using appropriate entry terms. For studies meeting the eligibility criteria, the first author’s name, year of publication, study design and area, type of diabetes mellitus, sample size, and mean and standard deviation of hematological parameters were extracted using Microsoft Excel and exported to Stata 11 for meta-analysis. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) was determined using the random effects model, and heterogeneity was quantified using Higgins’ I2 statistics. Egger’s test and funnel plot were performed to measure bias. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the small study effect.ResultsInitially 39, 222 articles were identified. After screening of the entire methodology, 22 articles with 14,041 study participants (6,146 T2DM, 416 T1DM patients and 7,479 healthy controls) were included in this study. The pooled SMD in TLC (109/L) was 0.66 and −0.21, in T2DM and T1DM, respectively. Differences in absolute differential WBC counts for neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and monocytes in T2DM were 0.84, −1.59, 3.20, 0.36 and 0.26, respectively. The differences in relative differential counts (%) in T2DM were as follows: neutrophils: 1.31, eosinophils: −0.99, basophils: 0.34, lymphocytes: −0.19 and monocyte: −0.64. The SMD of differential counts of WBC (109/L) parameters; neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and basophils in T1DM were −0.10, −0.69, 0.19, and −0.32, respectively. The pooled SMD in RBC parameters in T2DM were as follows: RBC: −0.57 (106/μL), Hb: −0.73 g/dL and HCT: −1.22%, Where as in T1DM RBC, Hb and HCT were −1.23 (106/μL), −0.80 g/dL and −0.29%, respectively.ConclusionPatients with T2DM had significantly increased TLC counts, absolute neutrophil, basophil, lymphocyte, monocyte counts and relative counts of neutrophils and basophils in comparison to controls. On the contrary, the absolute eosinophil count and relative lymphocyte, eosinophil and monocyte counts were decreased. In T1DM, WBC parameters were significantly decreased except monocytes. RBC parameters were found to be significantly decreased in T2DM patients. In T1DM, Hb and HCT were significantly decreased. However, there is no significant difference in RBC as compared with non-diabetic controls. The findings indicated a significant alteration of WBC and RBC parameters in both diabetic patients suggesting the considerable metabolic effect of diabetes on hematologic parameters.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/export_details_pdf.php, identifier [CRD42023413486].

The proactive identification of asymptomatic patients and the mitigation of associated problems are essential to the elimination of malaria. For asymptomatic malaria and related variables among pregnant women in Ethiopia, there are no national pooled estimates. As a result, the goal of this study is to compile thorough and compelling data from several Ethiopian investigations. Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopes, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and African Journals Online were a few of the electronic resources that were accessed. The investigation included all observational studies. STATA version 15 was used to extract the data from the Microsoft Excel file and conduct the analysis. The estimated pooled prevalence of asymptomatic malaria among pregnant women was calculated using a random-effects model. An inverse variance index (I2) analysis was utilized to find heterogeneity. To assess the publication bias, funnel plots, and Egger's statistical tests were used. The study determined that the combined prevalence of asymptomatic malaria among pregnant women was 7.20 (95% confidence interval = 4.22, 10.18) and 4.69 (95% confidence interval = 2.77, 6.62) by microscopy and rapid diagnostic test, respectively. The presence of stagnant water near their home (odds ratio = 4.31; 95% confidence interval = 1.66, 11.20); not using insecticide-treated nets (odds ratio = 6.93; 95% confidence interval = 3.27, 14.71); the lack of indoor residual spray service (odds ratio = 2.68; 95% confidence interval = 1.63, 4.40); and the presence of pregnant women in their neighborhood (odds ratio = 3.14; 95% confidence interval = 1.4). This study showed that pregnant women have a high pooled prevalence of asymptomatic malaria. Women living in rural areas near stagnant water and those who never used insecticide-treated nets had a two-, four-, or six-fold higher prevalence of asymptomatic malaria, respectively. The use of advanced diagnostic techniques could produce a higher magnitude of the disease. For effective intervention toward elimination, active case detection at the community level is also advised.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023411385; identifier, CRD42023411385.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and became pandemic after emerging in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infections in districts of southwest Ethiopia. A study was conducted on COVID-19 surveillance data in the diagnostic center of the southwest district of Ethiopia from July 1, 2020, to February 30, 2021. A total of 10 618 nasopharyngeal specimens were tested for SARS-COV-2 using the detection of unique sequences of virus RNA by reverse transcriptase PCR. Data were entered into Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between COVID-19 and risk factors, with a significance level of P = 0.05. A total of 10 618 individuals were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 419 (3.9%) patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among a total of 419 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 80.2% were asymptomatic, 264 (63.0%) were males, and 233 (55.6%) were aged 19 to 35 years. Comorbidity was present in 37 (8.8%). The risk of getting SARS-CoV-2 infections was increased with male sex (AOR = 1.248; 95% CI: 1.007, 1.547), health workers (AOR = 3.187; 95% CI: 1.960, 5.182), prisoners (AOR = 2.118; 95% CI: 1.104, 4.062), and comorbid conditions (AOR = 2.972; 95% CI: 1.649, 5.358), such as diabetes (AOR = 4.765; 95% CI: 1.977-11.485) and other respiratory problems (AOR = 3.267; 95% CI: 1.146-9.317). Despite the fact that overall laboratories confirmed prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the study area was low and dynamic, it was spread to all zones of the study area. This highlights the importance of implementing the most effective public health strategies to prevent the further spread and reduce the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Background: Intestinal parasites are responsible for a significant amount of disease and mortality around the world. In developing nations, intestinal parasites are a severe public health issue. Intestinal parasite infections are one of the most common illnesses in the world. They're frequently linked to poor personal and environmental cleanliness, as well as low-quality drinking water. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasites and their shifting trends during a five-year period at Mizan-Tepi University of Teaching Hospital (MTUTH). Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective survey using the past five years' (2017 to 2021) clinical records obtained from MTUTH Mizan-Aman town Southern west Ethiopia. Patients with complete age, sex, and stool parasite examination (direct wet mount or concentration techniques) records on the parasitology registration book were included. Data were entered and analysed using a Microsoft Excel sheet. The parasite prevalence was calculated using frequency and percentages. Results: Overall, 17,030 patient records of the past five years were reviewed from the registration books of parasitology laboratory departments at MTUTH and only 546 records were taken for this study. Of these 336 (61.50%) were female and the rest 210 (38.50%) were males. One hundred eighty-two (182) 33.33% of patients had one or more intestinal parasites over five years from 2017 to 2021. From total of 546 patients’ records 17.77% in 2017, 18.89% in 2018, 23.44% in 2019, 19.96% in 2020 and 19.96% in 2021 had complete information. Conclusion: Intestinal parasite prevalence was high among patients who visited the Mizan-Tepi University of Teaching Hospital during the five-year period. Helminthes and protozoan parasites prevalence was higher in the 15–45 years age category. In order to avoid intestinal parasite-related disease, strategies other than mass drug administration are required.

Background. In regions of the world with low resources, such as Ethiopia, intestinal parasite diseases are still highly prevalent, especially in children. Poor personal and environmental hygiene, as well as unsafe and low-quality drinking water, are the main causes of this. This investigation aimed to determine the frequency of intestinal parasites and risk factors among children under 5 years age at Bachuma Primary Hospital in 2022. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from October 2022 to December 2022 at Bachuma Primary Hospital, West Omo Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Stool sample was collected from randomly selected children who were ordered to have their stool examined at the hospital laboratory and wet mount was prepared using normal saline to detect the different stage of intestinal parasites microscopically. Moreover, data related to the sociodemographic and associated risk factors was collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the characteristics of the study participants and determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Data were entered into Epi-data manager and analysed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, with variables with a p value of

Background. Malaria remains a serious public health problem, particularly in resource scarce areas of the world. The number of malaria cases has dropped remarkably in Ethiopia over the last decade, and efforts to eliminate the disease are underway. Asymptomatic infections may pose significant challenges to the elimination program. The essence of this study was to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection and the associated factors among communities of the selected districts in the Kaffa zone. Materials and Methods. April to May and September to October 2021, were the two seasons in which the community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted. Capillary blood from a finger prick was examined by light microscopy (LM) and screened using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and malaria prevention measures were collected using a pretested semistructured questionnaire. Data entry and analyses were carried out using EpiData and SPSS version 25.0. Logistic regression (bivariate and multivariable) analyses were carried out to assess the possible associations between the dependent variable and the associated factors. Results. 566 study participants were involved in the two cross-sectional surveys, including 234 male and 332 female subjects with a mean age of 18.486 (SD ± 15.167). Thirty-eight blood samples (6.7%) were found to be positive for Plasmodium species tested by both LM and RDT. Last night’s use of long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) (AOR = 2.448, 95% CI: 1.009 5.938, p=0.048), presence of eave (AOR = 4.144, 95% CI: 1.049–16.363, p=0.043), and house sprayed in the last year (AOR = 5.206, 95% CI: 2.176–12.455, p

This study was designed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with poor clinical outcome of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) among children less than five years of age at Mizan-Tepi university teaching public hospital in southwest district of Ethiopia. A prospective observational cohort study design was conducted from 01 June to August 30, 2020. Data related to socio-demographics, child nutritional status, clinical and environmental characteristics of patients were collected with structured questionnaire. Follow-up data were gathered from patient’s medical records using standard data collection tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS versions 25.0. In this study, 305 children of age less than five years were included. Of these, 124 (40.7%) of children were diagnosed with ARIs, of which 66 (53.2%) were female and 69 (55.6%) were age of 24–59 months. Of children diagnosed with ARIs, 21 (16.9%) were ended with poor clinical outcomes after completion of their treatment. In the multivariate analysis, age of children and presence of any other disease conditions (OR = 0.331; 95% CI: 0.123– 0.880; p = 0.024), exposure to indoor air pollution (OR = 0.344; 95% CI: 0.128– 0.925; p = 0.030), malnutrition (OR = 0.175; 95% CI: 0.058– 0.523; p = 0.002) and end point pneumonia (OR = 0.305; 95% CI: 0.113–0.821; p = 0.015) were found to be independent factors for poor outcome of under-five children with ARIs. Our findings highlight that timely detection, proper management and treatments as well as addressing other contributing factors are essentials in order to reduce prevalence and poor clinical outcomes of under five children with ARIs.

BackgroundEthiopia is among sub-Saharan African countries with a high number of malaria cases each year, with most of the landmass favoring the breeding of the vectors. There have been extensive efforts to control and prevent the transmission of malaria, which is part of the country's prevention-based health policy.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine malaria prevalence and associated risk factors among patients visiting Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital (MTUTH).Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2021 among patients visiting MTUTH, Southwest Ethiopia. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, and a capillary blood sample was collected after obtaining written informed consent from the study participants. The data were entered into Epi-data manager (v4.0.2.101) and analyzed with SPSS version 25.0, with a P-value of < 0.05 set as a significance.ResultsA total of 439 patients participated, of which 20.7% (91) were positive for malaria parasites, with a higher prevalence observed among the age group interval of 25-34 years (5.5%). Inadequate access to insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) 23.9% (105) and a low level of ITN usage 20.5% (90) were recorded. Patients living in areas of stagnant water were more likely to get infected with the malaria parasite (AOR = 16.191, 95% CI: 9.137, 28.692) compared to those who live away from stagnant water, and individuals living in houses not sprayed with insecticides were more susceptible to malaria infection (AOR = 0.215, 95% CI: 0.128, 0.360).ConclusionThe overall malaria prevalence in this study was 20.7% (91), which proves that malaria remains a major threat to the communities in the study area, with Plasmodium falciparum contributing to most of the cases. Improving the habits of ITN usage and indoor residual spray through health education may help to reduce the impact of malaria in the study area.

Background. Ethiopia is a Sub-Saharan African country with a high annual malaria case count, owing to the majority of the country’s geography favoring vector rearing. As part of the country’s prevention-based health policy, substantial efforts have been made to control and prevent malaria transmission. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of malaria and the associated factors in the community of Mizan-Aman and its catchment. Materials and Methods. From September to October 2021, a community-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken among the communities of Mizan-Aman town and its catchment area in Southwest Ethiopia. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, as well as a capillary blood sample from each study participant. Epi-data manager (v4.0.2.101) was used to enter the data and analyzed by SPSS version 25.0. A statistical significance was set at a P value of

Background. Malaria remains one of the world's major public health issues, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, cases have declined over the last decade, and attempts to eradicate the illness are underway. The purpose of this study was to determine trends in malaria prevalence in selected areas of the Kaffa zone during the last five years (Decha and Gimbo districts). Methods. All malaria cases registered from 2017 to 2021 were reviewed to assess the trends of malaria prevalence. A checklist was used to collect the secondary data from registers and entered it into an Excel spreadsheet, which was then exported to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for analysis. The malaria incidence rate was calculated with the total number of person-years as the denominator and the number of new cases as the numerator. Seasons, years, gender, age, and malaria parasite species were all used to show trends in malaria transmission in the areas. Tables and figures were used to present the data. Results. Out of 20,045 individuals screened for malaria, 13.6% (2,732/20,045) of them were recorded to have Plasmodium species tested using microscopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and mixed infections (Plasmodium falciparum + Plasmodium vivax) accounted for 1200 (5.9%), 1114 (5.56%), and 418 (2.09%) of the confirmed malaria cases, respectively. Overall, malaria incidence decreased with an interannual variation, from 4.08 cases per 1000 person-years in 2017 to 3.62 cases per 1000 person-years in 2018, then increased to 4.94 cases per 1000 person-years in 2021. Conclusion. The malaria trend over the last five years has revealed a nonconsistent pattern of cases in different years. The number of malaria cases has shown an increase over the period of 2017 to 2021. Interannual and intra-annual variations have been observed in the transmission of the disease.

BackgroundWaiters working in different food and drinking establishments have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and transmitting the infection to others because they interact with many people. Most COVID-19 related studies in Ethiopia mainly focused on the general population, whereas, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of COVID-19 and preventive behaviors among waiters in Southwest Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to June 15, 2020, among waiters working in food and drinking establishments found in Mizan-Aman, Jemu, and Masha towns in Southwest Ethiopia. A total of 422 waiters were selected using a simple random sampling technique, and the data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The data were entered into Epi-data manager version 4.0.2 and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify predictors of good preventive behaviors at a p-value of less than 0.05.ResultsFour hundred and sixteen respondents participated in this study, with a response rate of 98.6%. A significant proportion of participants know the cause, route of transmission, symptoms, and prevention methods of COVID-19 virus. However, very few (21.2%) had good preventive behaviors. The study showed that good preventive behavior was positively associated with female sex (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.38-3.94), higher schooling (AOR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17-0.88), high-risk perception (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.51-4.32), and high perceived self-efficacy (AOR = 1.1.75, 95% CI: 1.05-2.90).ConclusionsA significant proportion of waiters know common symptoms of COVID 19, route of transmission, and its prevention methods. However, the preventive behavior was very low. Thus, all concerned bodies working on the prevention and control of COVID-19 should give attention to this population group to enhance compliance with recommended preventive behaviors.