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This paper aims to identify the factors influencing companies' performance of Textiles and Apparel Industries in Ethiopia, particularly, in the Eastern Industrial Zone. The researchers employed Maximum Likelihood with Robust (MLR) in Confirmatory Factor Analysis Model (CFA) for survey data gathered from the employees of the Textiles and Apparel industries operating in the Eastern Industrial Zone in Ethiopia which took place from 2020-2021. Main findings of this study indicate that (i) one-unit enhancement in Companies' Performance yields a favorable impact on raw materials & financial situation; (ii) human capital experiences a rise in the expected units followed, (iii) competitive environment displaying an increase of the units as well, (iv) policies environment demonstrates an improvement, finally (v) organizational development exhibits growth of the expected units as well. This study has identified that these five endogenous latent variables are positively influenced by exogenous latent variable, Companies' Performance because all have shown the results above the expectation. This study brings insight to investors how they boost their companies' performance and develops the best strategies for the success of their companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the spatial variation in variety of manufactured consumer goods to study how choice fades across space. We use data on 132 consumer goods and over 800 brands available from a purpose‐designed survey of fixed shops and periodic market stalls in towns and villages in Ethiopia. We find that local consumer choice fades, with fewer varieties in remoter villages. On average, these villages have approximately half the number of available items compared to their nearest market town. A fall in travel time of a half‐hour is associated with 4 extra goods and 9 brands. Variety also increases with inequality and market size. Furthermore, we estimate a model of heterogeneous consumers with a preference for variety and monopolistically competitive traders to disentangle the role of transport costs from the taste for variety, and to assess the consequences for prices. Our model estimates suggest that local consumer prices contain a markup of 8% above source town prices and transport costs. We demonstrate the significant costs to consumers from both low variety and high trade costs. Ignoring such costs means that poverty is underestimated in remote places. In turn, when infrastructure investments raise variety, the likely fall in poverty will be underestimated too. This paper is part of the Economica 100 Series. Economica, the LSE "house journal" is now 100 years old. To commemorate this achievement, we are publishing 100 papers by former students, as well as current and former faculty. Andualem Mengistu is a researcher at the IGC, LSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of Islamic microfinance services (IMFS) on poverty reduction in the eastern part of Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach: A binary logistic regression model was used to analyze poverty reduction and income, education, household size, age and saving of IMFS through a semi-closed questionnaire by using a purposive sampling technique. A semi-closed interview with higher officials from an Islamic microfinance service was also used. Findings: The study results show that the income, education, household size and age of the IMFS' clients are the major influencing factors that affect poverty reduction in Ethiopia. Practical implications: The study's findings provide insights for policymakers to revise intensively their regulations and directives for Islamic microfinance operators. It emphasizes the government's role in serving the community's interests through financial inclusion and in developing programs to enhance the effectiveness of Islamic microfinance operations in the poverty reduction process. As a social implication, Islamic microfinance service providers gain insights into how beneficiary-side variables contribute to the country's poverty reduction after offering Islamic microfinance products to them. Originality/value: The results of this study are distinctive because they show how poverty reduction in Ethiopia is influenced by how income level is increased, how better educational level is attained, how household size is managed and how well the age of the client is effectively used for productivity. The paper also provides a new view of Islamic microfinance in Ethiopia, its influencing factors for poverty reduction and challenges with the operating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides evidence on whether the relationship between imported inputs and productivity in Ethiopia depends on foreign ownership. The study uses a nationally representative firm-level unbalanced panel dataset for the period 1996–2016. Methodologically, this paper adopts two complementary empirical approaches: the Gandhi, Navarro, and Rivers (2020; henceforth GNR) two-step approach for estimating the gross output production function and the system GMM approach for estimating the gross output production function. Our results indicate that the use of imported inputs enhances productivity among manufacturing firms with foreign ownership. For domestically owned firms, the effect of imported inputs is relatively small and marginally significant. We thus find evidence that foreign-owned firms have a premium in terms of productivity gains from the use of imported inputs, compared to domestically owned firms. Our results suggest that reducing trade barriers for imported inputs will benefit foreign-owned firms more than domestically owned firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to highlight developments in the banking sector and to assess the status, trends and determinants of financial inclusion in Ethiopia. The study used data from the World Bank Findex Database, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Development Bank of Ethiopia and National Bank of Ethiopia annual reports. The Ethiopian banking sector, once dominated by public banks before the reform, showed a new era following the 1994 reform. The reform paved the way for the licensing of some private commercial banks. As a result, the market share of public banks declined significantly after the reform and vice versa for private banks. The level of financial inclusiveness in Ethiopia is extremely low even though the government has given a policy priority since 2016 onwards. Gender, age, education, financial literacy, residence, income, religion, preferring formal financial services, distance, GDP and trust in financial service providers were found to be the main financial inclusion determinants. Given that financial inclusion has been greatly improved after the financial reform, the government has to unlock the banking sector to foreign investors as it will further enhance the level of financial inclusiveness. Banks should also provide innovative financial products to customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has brought ease in managing the operations of organizations in the world. However, education and digital literacy become hurdles for involving marginalized people. The participation of women is crucial for the overall development of humankind. "Gender equality and women's empowerment are essential for achieving sustainable development and creating a more just and equitable world"[1]. Indeed, greater women's participation can significantly boost qualitative and quantitative output in all fields. Promoting women's participation in rural areas can significantly impact agricultural economies, including increasing food production and dairy output. However, the participation of women in decision-making, particularly in rural areas, is often limited. This paper focuses on Identifying and analyzing the factors that prevent women from playing a more significant role in rural economies, which is an essential step towards promoting women's economic empowerment and achieving more equitable and sustainable development outcomes in the digital era. The study's finding suggests that education levels, lack of adequate training, and household work are key factors that limit the participation of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012, Tigray orthohantavirus was discovered in Ethiopia, but its seasonal infection in small mammals, and whether it poses a risk to humans was unknown. The occurrence of small mammals, rodents and shrews, in human inhabitations in northern Ethiopia is affected by season and presence of stone bunds. We sampled small mammals in two seasons from low- and high-density stone bund fields adjacent to houses and community-protected semi-natural habitats in Atsbi and Hagere Selam, where Tigray orthohantavirus was first discovered. We collected blood samples from both small mammals and residents using filter paper. The presence of orthohantavirus-reactive antibodies in blood was then analyzed using immunofluorescence assay (human samples) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (small mammal samples) with Puumala orthohantavirus as antigen. Viral RNA was detected by RT-PCR using small mammal blood samples. Total orthohantavirus prevalence (antibodies or virus RNA) in the small mammals was 3.37%. The positive animals were three Stenocephalemys albipes rats (prevalence in this species = 13.04%). The low prevalence made it impossible to determine whether season and stone bunds were associated with orthohantavirus prevalence in the small mammals. In humans, we report the first detection of orthohantavirus-reactive IgG antibodies in Ethiopia (seroprevalence = 5.26%). S. albipes lives in close proximity to humans, likely increasing the risk of zoonotic transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In low-resource settings, patient referral to a hospital is an essential part of the primary health care system. However, there is a paucity of study to explore the challenges and quality of referral coordination and communication. Objective: The purpose of this research was to analyze the existing paper-based referral registration logbook for maternal and child health in general and women of reproductive age in particular, to improve referral coordination and evidence-based services in Low-Resource Settings. Methods: This study analyzed the existing paper-based referral registration logbook (RRL) and card-sheet to explore the documentation of the referral management process, and the mechanism and quality of referrals between the health center (Jimma Health Center-case, Ethiopia) and the Hospital. A sample of 459 paper-based records from the referral registration logbook were digitized as part of a retrospective observational study. For data preprocessing, visualization, and analysis, we developed a python-based interactive referral clinical pathway tool. The data collection was conducted from August to October 2019. Jimma Health Center's RRL was used to examine how the referral decision was made and what cases were referred to the next level of care. However, the RRL was incomplete and did not contain the expected referral feedback from the hospital. Hence, we defined a new protocol to investigate the quality of referral. We compared the information in the health center's RRL with the medical records in the hospital to which the patients were referred. A total of 201 medical records of referred patients were examined. Results: A total of 459 and 201 RRL records from the health center and the referred hospital, respectively, were analyzed in the study. Out of 459, 86.5% referred cases were between the age of 20 to 30 years. We found that "better patient management", "further patient management", and "further investigation" were the main health-center referral reasons and decisions. It accounted for 40.08%, 39.22%, and 16.34% of all 459 referrals, respectively. The leading and most common referral cases in the health center were long labor, prolonged first and second stage labor, labor or delivery complicated by fetal heart rate anomaly, preterm newborn, maternal care with breech presentation, premature rupture of membranes, malposition of the uterus, and antepartum hemorrhage. In the hospital RRL and card-sheet, the main referral-in reasons were technical examination, expert advice, further management, and evaluation. We found it overall impossible to match records from the referral logbook in the health center with the patient files in the hospital. Out of 201, only 13.9% of records were perfect matching entries between health center and referred hospital RRL. We found 84%, 14.4%, and 1.6% were appropriate, unnecessary and unknown referrals respectively. Conclusion: The paper illustrates the bottlenecks encountered in the quality assessment of the referrals. We analyzed the current status of the referral pathway, existing communications, guidelines and data quality, as a first step towards an end-to-end effective referral coordination and evidence-based referral service. Accessing, monitoring, and tracking the history of referred patients and referral feedback is challenging with the present paper-based referral coordination and communication system. Overall, the referral services were inadequate, and referral feedback was not automatically delivered, causing unnecessary delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Ethiopia has made significant efforts to enhance family planning services despite variations in the community's use of modern contraception in different parts of the country. Various studies have reported the proportion and determinant factors of adolescents' contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. These studies are not consistent in terms of size, scope, and geographic coverage, and the results need to be systematically collated to inform policies. Therefore, this review was aimed at analyzing the findings of those primary studies to obtain more representative evidence of adolescents' contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. Methods. Five databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL) were searched for papers published from January 2000 up to June 2022 in English. Of thirty eligible studies, eight papers were included in this meta-analysis. Between-study heterogeneity was evaluated by the forest plot and inconsistency index ( I 2 ). A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled estimates of adolescents' contraceptive uptake. Results. The overall pooled proportion of adolescents' contraceptive uptake was 40% ( I 2 = 99.70 , p ≤ 0.001 ; 95 % CI = 19 , 61). Adolescents' usage of contraception was influenced by a number of factors: individual-, sociocultural-, knowledge- (about contraceptive methods), and healthcare service-related factors. Individual-related factors include the educational status of adolescents, being of young age, and the income status of adolescents' families. Sociocultural-related factors comprise discussion with the family/relatives, parent disapproval and pressure from partners, and being married or having a partner. Healthcare service-related factors include the availability of youth clubs and inconvenient service hours for SRH services. Knowing contraceptive methods and SRH services was also positively associated with adolescents' contraceptive utilization. Conclusions. The proportion of adolescents who used contraception in Ethiopia was 40%. Adolescents' use of contraceptives was influenced by a variety of factors: individual-, sociocultural-, healthcare-, and knowledge-related factors. Hence, integrated interventions targeted at tackling barriers to contraceptive uptake may be helpful to improve adolescents' contraceptive utilization in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, international communities have developed poverty measures to inform needs assessment and aid allocation. Building on these efforts, this paper examines the discrepancies between global poverty measures and brings that analysis to bear on identifying the salient dimensions of poverty. First, a comparison is made between the monetary and capability approaches to poverty and identifies comparable indices: the poverty headcount ratio (P0) and the multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (H), respectively. The paper then describes the degree of discrepancy between P0 and H for 102 developing countries from 2010 to 2019, synthesizing data from the Multidimensional Poverty Index, the World Development Indicators, and OECD aid activity. Next, the position of countries are analyzed with respect to the fitted line of the two measures, classifying countries into either income-poor or capability-poor categories. Findings suggest that countries such as Pakistan and Ethiopia, for example, experience capability poverty while Malawi and Mozambique experience income poverty. Finally, I examine whether sector aid composition corresponds to a country's relative income and poverty status, finding that capability-poor countries receive marginally higher social sectoral aid compared to economic sector aid. This study suggests that the discrepancies between measures of international poverty can be used to target, monitor, and evaluate global aid distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper navigates Ethiopia's history of resistance against Italian colonial aggression as reported by New Times and Ethiopia News (NTEN) founded and edited by Sylvia Pankhurst in defence of Ethiopia. Her London-based weekly, which started the day fascist forces took control of Addis Ababa, was in the years to come to step up discursive pressure on Italy and the big powers for the salvation of the Eastern African nation. The paper reported on the freedom fighters' victories in the antifascist resistance through the empire as well as the diplomatic and activist crusades in Geneva, London and the United States by the government in exile as well as friends of Ethiopia. Using a sample of archival corpus of the newspaper and employing rhetorical methods, the study examines narratives of victimhood, resistance and victory as carried in headlines covering the period 1936–41. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the germination affecting factors, germination ecology (GME) and seed cleaning stage (SCS) are not well investigated. Hence, this study was initiated to evaluate the GME and SCS effect on the seed germination performance of two indigenous bamboo species. Pure and impure seed samples were taken from the cold room which is adjusted to 5 °C. Then they were sown on prepared media under different conditions. Then the GP, MGT, and PV data were computed and then subjected to ANOVA. The ANOVA showed that the interaction effect of genotype, GME treatments, and SCS was very high (P = 0.0001) significant for all studied parameters. The germination pattern differences were also observed in SCS and GME treatments for both species. Significantly higher GP (59%) and PV (8.4) were recorded in pure seeds sowed on paper at ambient temperature (T1) for O. abyssinica. On the same GME, Y. alpina gave the maximum GP (38%) and PV (2.3) using pure seed. However, significantly higher MGT (9) was recorded on GME T1 and T2 using impure seed. Hence, pure seed sowed on paper at ambient temperature is advisable for in vitro germination test. However, GME having sand media at optimum temperature is recommended due to cost-effectiveness and is applicable at the community level for seedling production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: In this story, I trace how the compulsion to work has shaped the lives of Elias and Biruk, two men who left their home country, Ethiopia, and now live in the US. Despite working hard at multiple jobs, work was not something they celebrated. Working hard was the embodiment of their precarity, simply the main currency in their lives of mobility. Were Biruk and Elias refugees? Undocumented migrants? Alien residents? What they told me about their lives over the phone did not help me understand their status in the US. Face to face, I had a chance to ask them a straightforward question, but Biruk and Elias did not reply by saying: "I am this, not that." Their status would be stable and definable only when they got a paper recognizing they had a right to be in the US. Before that all‐important scrap of paper, they were in a state of constant becoming. All they could do in the meantime was work and work. Because "if you do not work, what the hell are you in the USA for?" Elias said. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Field & Vegetable Crops Research / Ratarstvo i povrtarstvo is the property of Institute of Field & Vegetable Crops and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: The Health Extension Program (HEP) was introduced in 2003 to extend primary health care services by institutionalizing the former volunteer-based village health services. However, this program is not comprehensively evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 2019 comprehensive national assessment of HEP involved (1) assessment through quantitative and qualitative primary data, (2) a thorough systematic review of the HEP literature, and (3) a synthesis of evidence from the two sources. The assessment included household survey(n=7122), a survey of health extension workers (HEWs) (n=584)_, and an assessment of health posts (HPs)(n=343) and their supervising health centers (HCs)(n=179) from 62 randomly selected woredas. As part of the comprehensive assessment. OUTPUT AND RESULTS: The outputs were (a) full and abridged reports, (b) 40 posters, (c) seven published, three under review scientific papers and (d) seven papers in this special issue. During the one-year period preceding the study, 54.8% of women, 32.1% of men, and 21.9% of female youths had at least a one-time interaction with HEWs. HPs and HEWs were universally available. There were critical gaps in the skills and motivation of HEWs and fulfillment of HP standards: 57.3% of HEWs were certified, average satisfaction score of HEWs was 48.6%, and 5.4% of HPs fulfilled equipment standards. CONCLUSIONS: The findings informed policy and program decisions of the Ministry of Health, including the design of the HEP Optimization Roadmap 2020–2035 and the development Health Sector Transformation Plan II. It is also shared with global community through published papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the willingness to pay (WTP) of households for improved water supply services using a choice model (CM) in an urban area in Ethiopia. The study involves the measurement of economic welfare, particularly the compensating surplus (CS) which measures the change in income that reflects the willingness of individual to pay. It reveals that households are willing to pay 60% extra for improved water level and that women value the betterment of water quality.

Land degradation due to lack of sustainable land management practices are one of the critical challenges in many developing countries including Ethiopia. This study explores the major determinants of farm level tree planting decision as a land manage- ment strategy in a typical framing and degraded landscape of the Modjo watershed, Ethiopia. The main data were generated from household surveys and analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model. The model significantly predicted farmers' tree planting decision (Chi-square=37.29, df=15, P < 0.001). Besides, the computed significant value of the model suggests that all the considered predictor variables jointly influenced the farmers' decision to plant trees as a land management strategy. In this regard, the finding of the study show that local land-users' willingness to adopt tree growing decision is a function of a wide range of biophysical, institutional, socioeconomic and household level factors, however, the likelihood of household size, productive labour force availability, the disparity of schooling age, level of perception of the process of deforestation and the current land tenure system have positively and significantly influence on tree growing investment decisions in the study watershed. Eventually, the processes of land use conversion and land degradation are serious which in turn have had adverse effects on agricultural productivity, local food security and poverty trap nexus. Hence, devising sustainable and integrated land man agement policy options and implementing them would enhance ecological restoration and livelihood sustainability in the study watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to measure technical efficiency and examine its determinants while disentangling unobserved time-invariant heterogeneity from actual inefficiency using comprehensive household-level panel data. Design/methodology/approach: This paper estimates technical efficiency based on the true random-effects stochastic production frontier estimator with a Mundlak adjustment. By utilising comprehensive panel data with 4,694 observations from 39 districts of four major maize-producing regions in Ethiopia, the author measures technical efficiency and examine its determinants while disentangling unobserved time-invariant heterogeneity from technical inefficiency. By using competing stochastic production frontier estimators, the author provides insights into the influence of farm heterogeneity on measuring farm efficiency and the subsequent impact on the ranking of farmers based on their efficiency scores. Findings: The study results indicate that ignoring unobservable farmer heterogeneity leads to a downwards bias of technical efficiency estimates with a consequent effect on the ranking of farmers based on their efficiency scores. The mean technical efficiency score implied that about a 34% increase in maize productivity can be achieved with the current input use and technology in Ethiopia. The key determinants of the technical inefficiency of maize farmers are the age, gender and formal education level of the household head, household size, income, livestock ownership, and participation in off-farm activities. Research limitations/implications: While the findings of this study are critical for informing policy on improving agricultural production and productivity, a few important things are worth considering in terms of the generalisability of the findings. First, the study relied on secondary data, so only a snapshot of environmental factors was accounted for in the empirical estimations. Second, there could be other sources of unmeasured potential sources of heterogeneity caused by persistent technical inefficiency and endogeneity of inputs. Third, the study is limited to one country. Therefore, future research should extend the analysis to ensure the generalisability of the empirical findings regarding the extent to which unmeasured potential sources of heterogeneity caused by persistent technical inefficiency, endogeneity of inputs and other unobservable country-specific features – such as geographical differences. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature on agricultural productivity and efficiency by providing new evidence on the influence of unobservable heterogeneity in a farm efficiency analysis. While agricultural production is characterised by heterogeneous production conditions, the influence of unobservable farm heterogeneity has generally been ignored in technical efficiency estimations, particularly in the context of smallholder farming. The value of this paper comes from disentailing producer-specific random heterogeneity from the actual inefficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically analyses the case for the parliamentary model of government combined with proportional electoral design. Using Ethiopia's practice of parliamentary model of government, and its diverse social structures, as a case study, the paper examines the viability of parliamentary model of government for transition to democratic polity. The paper relies on the theory of consociational democracy that focuses on the role of social and political elites, their deliberations and cooperation, as the fundamental instrument to stable democratic polity. Methodologically, the paper employed interpretive and qualitative meta-analysis of relevant laws and the literature. As such, this article focuses on the link between the model of government and transition to a democratic polity in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society, more precisely, the risk that the presidential model dents transition to democracy in a multicultural and multi-ethnic society. I argue, therefore, in a social fabric where ethnic and cultural diversity is the basic defining tenet of the social order, parliamentary model of government combined with proportional electoral design offers better flexibility in the process of transition to consolidated democratic polity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses religious conversion in Sidaama, Ethiopia, 1891-1974. The Sidaama area is in Southern Ethiopia, southeast of Lake Hawassa and northeast of Lake Abaya in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Most of the population belongs to the ethnic group Sidaama, speakers of the Cushitic language Sidaamu Afoo. The region became incorporated into the Ethiopian Empire during the twentieth century. The article will first provide a historical overview of religious change in the area. Next, the paper will present theoretical approaches to religious conversion. The article's main content focuses on the interreligious encounter between the indigenous Sidaama religion and varieties of Christianity. The paper will discuss how the interreligious encounter initiated a process of conversion to Christianity. The conversion process occurred at the intersection between indigenous Sidaama converts and various forms of Christianity and was influenced by internal social tensions and inequalities in Sidaama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite significant advances in synthetic medicine, medicinal plants are still widely utilized to treat peptic ulcer disease. This study synthesized evidence on commonly used medicinal plants to manage peptic ulcer disease in Ethiopia. Methods: The evidence was synthesized using electronic databases such as PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Hinari, and Google Scholar. This review considers all controlled in vivo and ex vivo anti-ulcer studies evaluating Ethiopian medicinal plants with regards to phytochemistry, efficacy, and safety. The search technique covered all published papers using descriptors like Ethiopia, medicinal plants, and anti-ulcer until January 30, 2022. The percentage of ulcer reduction was used to measure the success of the treatment. Results: Anti-ulcer properties were investigated in 13 papers. Twelve in vivo and one ex vivo study were retrieved. Osyris quadripartita, Plantago lanceolata, Ensete ventricosum, Taverniera abyssinicia, Crotonmacrostachyus Persea Americana and Moringa stenopetala showed effect close to a standard control in difference ulcer induced model. Osyris quadripartite in the dose of 200 mg/kg, Ficus thonningii in dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg, Plantago lanceolata in dose of 400 mg/kg, Trigonella feonum-gracum in dose of 500 and 1000 mg/kg, Linum ussitatissimum in dose of 1000 and 1500 mg/kg, Urtica simensis 400 mg/kg have higher activity compared with standard control in difference different models. Phytochemistry studies revealed presence of numerous components, including flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and saponins, which may be responsible for the anti-ulcer activity. Conclusion: This study revealed that there are some promising medicinal plant extracts that have been used in Ethiopia for centuries that could be used as anti-ulcer agents. The most effective anti-ulcer agents in animal models are Indigofera spicata Forssk, Thymus schimperi, and Urtica simensis. Identification of most active pharmacological agents and clinical evaluation of Ethiopian medicinal plants used to treat peptic ulcers are worthy of further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Indonesian Journal of Forestry Research is the property of Indonesian Journal of Forestry Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Inappropriate prescription of antibiotics is a global public health challenge. Widespread use, misuse, or inappropriate prescribing has resulted in unnecessary expenditure on drugs, raised risk of adverse reactions, the development of antimicrobial resistance, and increment in health care costs. There is a limited practice in rational prescribing of antibiotics in the management of Urinary tract infection (UTI) in Ethiopia. Objective: To assess antibiotic prescribing practice in the treatment of patients with UTI at outpatient department (OPD), Dilchora referral hospital, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 7 to March 14, 2021. Data were collected from 600 prescription papers using systematic random sampling method. World Health Organization's standardized core prescribing indicators was used. Results: A total of 600 prescriptions containing antibiotics prescribed for patients with UTIs were observed during the study period. Of these, 415 (69.19%) were females and 210 (35%) were in the age group of 31–44 years. The number of generic drugs and antibiotics prescribed per encounter was 1.60 and 1.28, respectively. The percentage of antibiotics per prescription was found to be 27.83%. About 88.40% of antibiotics were prescribed by generic names. Fluoroquinolones were the most frequently prescribed class of drugs for the treatment of patients with UTIs. Conclusion: The prescribing practice of antibiotics in patients with UTIs was found to be good as the drugs were prescribed in generic name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Social resources have gained considerable interest from scholars for their effect on youth's labor market outcomes. The available evidence indicates that social capital is a crucial factor in determining youth's labor force status. This paper examines the effect of social capital components on youth self-employment in Holeta town, Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach: Using youth survey data, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on social capital components datasets. This provided the construction of composite indicators for measuring social capital component, which are robust and exhibited construct validity. Following this, the effect of social capital component on youth self-employment was examined using Logit model. Findings: The results show that institutional trust positively affects the likelihood of young people's decision to be self-employed. Practical implications: The finding reveals a need to improve the transparency of the institutions' resource delivery, the competency of the institutions' workforce, communication, and information sharing of the institutions with the youth. Originality/value: Looking at different social capital components simultaneously, the paper provides insight into the wide range of effects of social capital on youth self-employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Routine vaccination annually prevents millions of deaths worldwide but is underutilized in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The complexity of socio-cultural factors impacting vaccine uptake is not well understood. Hence, this paper aims to review the socio-cultural determinants of vaccine uptake and visualize their interrelationships. We conducted a literature search using Pubmed and Embase databases, including articles published from 2000 to 2019 describing socio-cultural demand-side determinants for vaccine uptake. Using the Andersen and Newman Framework of Health Services Utilization, demand-side determinants were categorized as predisposing, enabling or need factors. A qualitative system dynamics approach was employed to visualize how these factors and their dynamic interrelationships influence vaccine uptake. This visualization, by means of a causal-loop diagram (CLD), was mostly based on a qualitative input, with the majority being statements of the authors. These statements were abstracted from the papers found in the review. Quantification was done by counting direct (statistical) associations between each determinant and 'timely and full routine immunization coverage'. A total of 90 articles, primarily from Nigeria (n = 23), Ethiopia (n = 17) and Kenya (n = 11), met the inclusion criteria. We find that maternal autonomy and the perceived benefits caregivers attach to vaccination and exert their influences on many other factors through several feedback loops, thereby influencing timely and full routine immunization coverage. Utilization of health services (supply-related) and access to information (demand-related) were considered as high-potential leverage points. Quantification has shown that maternal autonomy and perceived benefit have an unclear evidence base. Future research should focus on these key players as they play a central role in multiple complex pathways, through which they could influence the uptake of vaccines in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nile River has been both an engine of development and a cause of controversy among its riparian states for millennia. This paradox took on an international dimension with the inception of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Using a qualitative research method, this paper investigates the GERD controversy and the role of a benefit-sharing approach in the Nile Basin. The dam negotiations have been hampered by unjust colonial treaties, the hardline interests of Egypt and Ethiopia, politicisation, uncertainty about the consequences of the dam’s use and lopsided third-party intervention. The paper argues that the adoption of a benefit-sharing approach in the basin can sustain the Nile ecosystem, promote regional peace, increase water flow and decrease unnecessary expenses through modest intraregional cooperation. The resolution of the Nile Basin conflict thus relies on identifying the potential of the basin and on integrated cooperative frameworks adopted by the technocrats of its riparian states and international experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the substantive impact of educational reforms on school and classroom organization worldwide, noting that many reforms have been more rhetorical than practical in enhancing educational quality. It highlights the crucial role of school principals in driving changes to improve student learning, despite the challenges of implementing reforms that have historically not led to significant increases in student achievement. Focusing on the General Education Quality Improvement Programme (GEQIP) in Ethiopia as a case study, this research aims to assess the extent of reform implementation across schools by identifying variations in the level of implementation. Through a quantitative approach using school principal surveys, the study employs a range of methodological strategies--including principal component analysis (PCA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), hierarchical cluster analysis, and K-means cluster analysis--to develop scales and indicators that classify schools into high or low categories of policy implementation. The findings reveal a partial and uneven implementation of GEQIP across Ethiopian schools, with notable disparities in reform adoption levels. This paper concludes by discussing the effectiveness of the methodologies used to categorize schools based on reform implementation and the implications of these findings for the successful execution of educational reforms in Ethiopia and similarly situated contexts. The study underscores the necessity of devising targeted strategies to assist principals and schools in fully achieving the goals of educational reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teenage childbearing is a common issue for young people's sexual and reproductive health in the world, particularly in low-income countries, and affects teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19. According to several academics, adolescent pregnancy accounts for the majority of Ethiopia's population increase, and there has been little effort to address this threat. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of the time to teenage childbearing in Ethiopia. Method: This paper compares the results of the semi-parametric proportional hazard (PH), parametric PH, and accelerated failure time (AFT) models to find the model that best fits the data. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to evaluate the performance of models examined in this investigation. Time to teenage childbearing was the study's outcome variable, while the analysis considered various independent variables. We analyze data from the 2016 National Demographic Health Survey to assess the influence of different risk factors on teenage pregnancy among Ethiopian women. Results: Out of the 10,274 teenagers (aged between 13 and 19) who participated in the 2016 survey, 6,430 (62.59%) were parents. The study findings revealed that these teenage parents were influenced by various time-related factors before becoming parents. The log-normal AFT model has the lowest AIC value and hence it is the best fit for this data. Results from this model indicated that significant factors influencing the time to teenage childbearing include the age of the household head, current age of the respondents, region, religion, educational attainment, wealth status, intention to use contraception, and recent sexual activity. Conclusion: This study reveals that 62.59% of surveyed teenagers aged 13 to 19 were parents. Various factors at both the individual and community levels: including the age of the household head, regional differences, religious affiliation, educational level, economic status, contraceptive intentions, and recent sexual activity, determine the time to teenage childbearing. Targeted interventions addressing these factors are essential for reducing teenage pregnancies and supporting adolescent parents effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper theorizes the gendered consequences of refugee dispossession for social reproduction, focusing on Ethiopian refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. We analyze the Kenyan refugee regime as structured by colonial legacies of racialization and by neo-colonial global political economy strategies of managing 'surplus' populations. We demonstrate that refugees' ongoing experiences of interpersonal and structural violence constitutes an attack on their capacity for social reproduction and argue the 'feminization of refugee survival' is an important gendered consequence. We identify two transnational displacements that produce a new form of racialized enclosure and the alienation of refugees from the means of social reproduction. The first transnational displacement occurs due to their dispossession from support infrastructure for social reproduction in their origin country, and in the host country. A second, invisible but racialized transnational displacement is the refusal of global North countries to take on the anticipated welfare costs of refugee social reproduction. Transformative and re-generative approaches to refugee social reproduction would need to address both forms of displacement. The paper thus urges IPE scholarship to recognize that the crisis of refugee social reproduction is not only produced by global capitalist regimes, but also deeply structured by gendered, racialized, and colonial hierarchies of inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through critical discourse analysis of widely circulated and debated video speeches by three selected religious authorities in Ethiopia—representing the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), Islam, and Protestantism—this paper examines how religious authority and social media complimentarily help to reach geographically and religiously diverse audiences and to draw politico-religious boundaries. It shows how the politicisation of religion, mainly by a supportive Protestant and calculative Muslim groups, with different intentions, on the one hand and a religiously motivated and repressive government on the other have created a "religious other" (i.e., the EOTC). Perceived discourse of historical marginalisation is used to justify both supportive and calculative tendencies of continued religious repression in the reconstructed new Ethiopia. On the other hand, a struggle for justice to curb this development is religiously justified by the EOTC, which elevates tensions to the level of a holy war against the religious other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the strategies employed by the peasantry to defend their established rights and privileges against a dominant state. A careful analysis of archival and oral sources revealed that despite having common grievances, the peasants in northwestern Ethiopia have adopted a distinct approach to resistance that aligns with their local circumstances. Thus, this paper argues that local factors play a crucial role in determining the nature, content, and duration of resistance movements. Besides, it provides an opportunity to examine the central role played by the peasantry in shaping the course of history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memnon, the mythic king of Ethiopia killed by Achilles during the Trojan War, had a double or fused identity in classical antiquity: both Asian and African for Greek and Roman writers because of his parentage and because of the geographical indeterminacy of 'Aithiopia' and of 'India', but definitely black-skinned for Roman writers. How was this figure received in medieval texts and images? This paper tracks Memnon through three textual genres from the twelfth to the fifteenth century – commentaries on Ovid, catalogues of famous men, histories of the Trojan War – and charts the ways in which his classical identity was overlaid and transformed by pro-Trojan sentiment, chivalric heroization and Christian sacrificial thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to extend the knowledge of the measurement of dimensions of social capital in cooperatives. The paper draws on data collected in a survey of 154 members in dairy cooperatives to develop and test composite indicators for measuring dimensions of social capital: structural, relational, and cognitive. Principal component analyses (PCAs) were performed on the data sets of indicators of dimensions of social capital. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of Sphericity supported the appropriateness of performing PCAs. After the extraction of the principal components, intermediate composite indicators were computed for the dimensions of social capital. Finally, the composite indicators were computed as linear weighted aggregations of the intermediate composite indicators. The internal consistency of the composite indicators was verified using Cronbach's alpha. The method provided single, synthetic measures for the dimensions of social capital, which are robust and exhibit construct validity. The paper provided practical knowledge that can be applied to measuring dimensions of social capital in cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, on-farm agrobiodiversity and the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) play a key role in building smallholders' resilience. However, the impact of PSNP on on-farm agrobiodiversity is not yet well investigated. In this paper, we develop an analytical framework that links PSNP participation to on-farm agrobiodiversity. Both diverse farming systems and PSNP require labour inputs while providing income stabilization, which might result in a negative relationship between the two. Conversely, higher income from PSNP might allow farmers to increase their long-term on-farm investments, as opposed to the strategies oriented toward the highest immediate profit or calorie intake outcome. We base our empirical analysis on the World Bank's Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey, a panel dataset encompassing nearly 3000 respondents and a Tobit model, based on Difference-in-Difference and the Propensity-Score Matching methods. We find that Ethiopia's PSNP has a negative impact on farm labour input, both in terms of labour intensity and duration. Furthermore, our results show that participation in the program is associated, on average, with lower on-farm crop diversity. We conclude that the PSNP participation may be crowding-out production stabilizing farming activities, such as intercropping or cover cropping, that are more labour intensive. Our findings call for embedding tools in the new phase of the PSNP (2021–2025) that could incentivise on-farm resilience-oriented investments, in particular leading to higher crop diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is one of the major challenges causing food insecurity and instability in Ethiopia. A comprehensive study on trends and drivers of land degradation and, socioeconomic and ecological impact of land degradation is necessary for an effective and sustainable mitigation measures. This study reviewed the drivers, trends and impacts of land degradation, existing sustainable land management (SLM) practices, and policies for land use and resources management. We employed the keyword research acquisition approach to review 122 scientific papers, reports, and other documents. The scientific literatures in the study were accessed through as the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar search engines, while reports and other additional materials were sourced from a variety of repositories and governmental offices. There has been a substantial increase in soil erosion since the 1980s in the highlands of Ethiopia. Illegal logging, poor land management system, overgrazing of pasturelands, population growth, insecure land tenure, war and conflict, poverty, ineffective government policies and programs, institutional issues, poor rural markets, and low agricultural inputs remained the major drivers for land degradation in Ethiopia causing huge loss of agricultural production and environmental unsustainability. Biological and physical soil and water conservation measures, exclosure establishment, afforestation, and reforestation programs are the most common intervention measures of preventing and restoring degraded lands. SLM practices such as intercropping systems, composting, crop rotation, zero grazing, minimum tillage, agroforestry and rotational grazing has been implemented across the country. However, land security and the absence of clearly defined property rights are the major factors that influence farmers' decisions for a long-term investment on land resources. Thus the SLM practices and various restoration interventions remain a critical requirement to address the growing concerns of land degradation in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Women's Health Needs Study (WHNS) collected information on the health characteristics, needs, and experiences, including female genital mutilation (FGM) experiences, attitudes, and beliefs, of women aged 18 to 49 years who were born, or whose mothers were born, in a country where FGM is prevalent living in the US. The purpose of this paper is to describe the WHNS design, methods, strengths and limitations, as well as select demographic and health-related characteristics of participants. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from November 2020 –June 2021 in four US metropolitan areas, using a hybrid venue-based sampling (VBS) and respondent-driven sampling (RDS) approach to identify women for recruitment. Results: Of 1,132 participants, 395 were recruited via VBS and 737 RDS. Most were born, or their mothers were born, in either a West African country (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, The Gambia) (39.0%) or Ethiopia (30.7%). More than a third were aged 30–39 years (37.5%) with a majority who immigrated at ages ≥13 years (86.6%) and had lived in the United States for ≥5 years (68.9%). Medicaid was the top health insurer (52.5%), followed by private health insurance (30.5%); 17% of participants had no insurance. Nearly half of women reported 1–2 healthcare visits within the past 12 months (47.7%). One in seven did not get needed health care due to cost (14.8%). Over half have ever used contraception (52.1%) to delay or avoid pregnancy and 76.9% had their last pelvic and/or Papanicolaou (pap) exam within the past 3 years. More than half experienced FGM (55.0%). Nearly all women believed that FGM should be stopped (92.0%). Conclusion: The VBS/RDS approach enabled recruitment of a diverse study population. WHNS advances research related to the health characteristics, needs, and experiences of women living in the US from countries where FGM is prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Collaboration is gaining prominence in the priority setting of Health Policy And System Research (HPSR). However, its practice and challenges are not well explored in Ethiopia. Understanding the practice and barriers of collaborative Health Policy and System Research will help design approaches and platforms for setting inclusive and participatory policy and system-level health research topics. This paper explores the practice and barriers of collaborative HPSR-priority setting exercise in Ethiopia. Methods: This study investigates the practice and barriers of collaborative health policy and system research priority-setting exercises in Ethiopia. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and an online self-administered survey with open-ended questionnaires to capture diverse perspectives from stakeholders involved in the research priority-setting process. Through conventional content analysis, we identified key contents related to current practices, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing collaboration in health policy and system research prioritization. Results: Our findings reveal a complex landscape characterized by varying levels of stakeholder engagement, institutional capacity constraints, and competing priorities within the health research ecosystem. Despite notable efforts to foster collaboration, stakeholders identified persistent challenges such as limited resources, institutional fragmentation, and inadequate coordination mechanisms as barriers to effective priority-setting processes. The implications of our research extend beyond academic discourse, with direct relevance to health policy and system research practice in Ethiopia. By shedding light on the dynamics of collaborative priority-setting exercises, our findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of health research prioritization processes. Addressing the identified barriers and leveraging existing strengths in the research ecosystem can contribute to more evidence-informed health policies and programs, ultimately improving health outcomes for Ethiopian populations. Conclusions: Most institutions do not apply health policy and system research-priority setting to conduct informed decision-making. The barriers explored were weak integration, lack of knowledge, system, and platforms for the priority setting of Health Policy and System Resreach. So, it is recommended to build skills of different actors in the Health Policy and System Research-priority setting exercise and design a system and platform to integrate different stakeholders for collaborative research topics priority setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary source of soil compaction is weight bearing down on the soil, which occurs frequently on agricultural land due to foot movement, livestock tramples, or the heavy weight of farm equipment. The primary cause of significant soil compaction is the driving of heavy machinery over moist soils. In this paper, the negative side of soil compaction and its influence on soil physical and chemical characteristics at the Awash Melkassa farm field located in Ethiopia were investigated. Compaction of soil test was taken at three different depths which are 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm with the help of a hydraulically operated cone penetrometer integrated into the tractor. The three depths were expanded into 15 sample locations (designated as point A to point O) to collect 35 data points on soil compaction using a hydraulic-powered Spot-on digital soil cone penetrometer across a 0.6-hectare farmland area. A correlation analysis was conducted on the 15 sample points (A to O) to assess soil compaction in the field. In addition, soil samples were collected from specific farm locations at depths ranging from 0 to 10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm for subsequent physical and chemical tests in the laboratory. During the harvesting season, sample location A exhibited the highest soil compaction values, reaching 6,159 kPa, while the lowest values were observed at sample point F, measuring 327 kPa. For the seeding season, the sample point B showed the highest soil compaction values at 6,052 kPa, while the lowest values were recorded at sample point K, measuring 563 kPa. Moreover, the data indicates a consistent increase in soil compaction with depth during both experimental seasons. The laboratory test for soil texture revealed that the soil composition was classified as a clay loam, consisting of 36.7% sand, 30.3% clay, and 33% silt. The moisture content ranged from a high of 16.04% to a low of 13.97%. In addition, it was observed that total organic carbon, organic matter, and total nitrogen levels tend to rise with increased soil compaction, and conversely, decrease as soil compaction decreases. This study's insights are invaluable for agricultural mechanization. Given the substantial weight of farm machinery, comprehending soil properties and their correlation with compaction rates is imperative for optimizing farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the main factors contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality is induced abortion. The WHO estimates that over 44 million induced abortions take place annually around the world. The majority of these abortions—about 50%—are unsafe, significantly increasing maternal morbidity and contributing to 13% of maternal deaths. Thus, this review aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of induced abortion and its associated factors in Africa. Methods: To find literature on the prevalence of induced abortion and its associated factors, a thorough search of the internet databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar was conducted. The data were extracted using a structured method of data collection. Software called STATA 14 was used to do the analysis. funnel plot and Egger regression test were used to evaluate potential publication bias. I2 statistics and Cochrane's Q were used to measure the heterogeneity at a p-value < 0.05. Results: 976 studies were found through a thorough search of electronic databases. Finally, 46 full-text abstract papers were included in this study. The estimated pooled prevalence of induced abortion was 16% (95% CI: 13%-19%). According to the sub-group analysis, most studies were conducted in Ethiopia, and the pooled prevalence was 19% (95% CI: 10%–30%). Similarly, the subgroup analysis by year of study showed that the prevalence of induced abortion was 39% (95% CI: 17%–64%) among studies conducted in 2019. Conclusion: The results of this study thus imply that the pooled prevalence of induced abortion is higher than that of earlier studies that were published in some nations. the data from this study are needed to support reproductive and adolescent health programmers and policymakers and to formulate recommendations for future clinical practice and guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power transmission lines in Ethiopia are experiencing an alarmingly high frequency of unexplained outages triggered by environmental factors, which significantly undermine the reliability of the country's power system. This paper presents investigations aiming to identify those among the unexplained fault records that have been caused by pollution induced flashovers. An identification method is developed, which associates the contextual fault features, such as information about the characteristics of the fault, fault location, and time of day, as well as month of its occurrence with local meteorological/climatic and environmental conditions. A total number of 4231 unexplained faults, recorded between 2015 and 2022, were analyzed. Among them, 1045 faults (24.7%) were identified as being most likely caused by pollution induced flashovers. The entire network suffered from more than 130 pollution-induced flashovers annually with a frequency of about 0.8 faults/100 km/year. The fault frequency strongly differed among the grid regions, being highest in the Northeast and lowest in the Southwest region. Moreover, the performed analyses also concentrated on the evaluation of the pollution performance of various insulator types employed in the network. The results indicate that porcelain insulators have the highest pollution-induced flashover intensity of 1.47 faults/year/1000 units, followed by silicone rubber polymeric composite insulators and glass insulators with the respective intensities of 1.21 and 0.83 faults/year/1000 units. These results indicate that despite the high expectations towards the pollution performance of silicone rubber polymeric insulators, their use in the Ethiopian climatic and environmental conditions appears to be unsatisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia, a diverse array of cereal‐based alcoholic beverages is being prepared and consumed. These traditional fermented drinks are distinct to specific regions and are prepared by locals using locally available raw materials according to cultural traditions. Notable among these are Tella, Areki, Keribo, Borde, and Shamita, renowned for their nutritional benefits and their role in ensuring food security. This paper explores existing literature regarding the production, quality, and safety of traditional cereal‐based alcoholic beverages in Ethiopia. Despite the widespread consumption of these beverages, they have yet to be commercialized, mainly due to their perceived low quality. The uncommercialized processes and products demand more attention, particularly in light of the country's inflationary pressures. Additionally, these traditional fermented beverages significantly enhance health due to the presence of bioactive compounds and their nutritional value. Standardizing and modernizing production methods by integrating scientific knowledge, such as optimizing fermentation practices, is essential to fully capitalize on these traditional beverages. Equipping local producers with this knowledge can facilitate the transition to larger scale production. Furthermore, continued research is essential to maintaining overall quality and safety standards. Therefore, it is crucial to concentrate on enhancing the nutritional value and quality of traditional cereal‐based beverages in the future. By illuminating these aspects, this review aims to enhance understanding of the traditional Ethiopian alcoholic beverage industry and its potential for elevating quality and safety standards. Moreover, the review explores these beverages' cultural significance, consumption patterns, and associated health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sample surveys are extensively used to provide reliable direct estimates for large areas or domains with enough sample sizes at national and regional levels. However, zones are unplanned domains by the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) program and need more sample sizes to produce direct survey estimates with adequate precision. Conducting surveys in small areas (like zones) is too expensive and time-consuming, making it unfeasible for developing countries like Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to use the Hierarchical Bayes (HB) Small Area Estimation (SAE) model to estimate the Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) coverage at the zone levels in Ethiopia. To achieve this, we combined the 2019 Ethiopia Mini-Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS) data with the 2007 population census data. SAE has addressed the challenge of producing reliable parameter estimates for small or even zero sample sizes across Ethiopian zones by utilizing auxiliary information from the population census. The results show that model-based estimates generated by the SAE approach are more accurate than direct survey estimates of CBHI. A map of CBHI scheme coverage was also used to visualize the spatial variation in the distribution of CBHI scheme coverage. From the CBHI scheme coverage map, we noticed notable variations in CBHI scheme coverage across Ethiopian zones. Additionally, this research identified areas with high and low CBHI scheme coverage to improve decision-making and increase coverage in Ethiopia. One of the novelties of this paper is estimating the non-sampled zones; therefore, the policymakers will give equal attention similar to the sampled zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As one of the agglomeration models targeting cluster-based rural development, cluster farming has been promoted in Ethiopia and it is already reported to have significant welfare implications, but participation rates are not as high as expected. This study examines the role of land as a constraint to the development of cluster-based development in Ethiopia both using extensive and intensive measures of cluster farming. The study further disaggregates farm households based on their farm size to better understand potential heterogeneities in the relationship between farm size and cluster farming. The paper also documents other household socio-economic and network characteristics that may matter in cluster farming. Methods: We use a large-scale farm household data from 3,969 households coupled with some expert insights on cluster farming in Ethiopia. Households in the study areas grow major staples such as maize, wheat, teff, malt barley, and sesame in four main regions of Ethiopia. We employ a double hurdle model to examine both the decision to participate and the extent to which households participate in cluster farming. By extent of participation, we refer to the amount of land and share of land farm households contribute to cluster farming. For robustness purposes, we also estimate the Tobit and Linear Probability Models. Results: We show a positive association between farm size and cluster farming both at the extensive and intensive margins. This relationship turns negative for large amounts of land. This shows that cluster farming increases with farm size up to a threshold beyond which it declines. We also find suggestive evidence that participation rates are lower for small-scale farms, but also declines for large-scale farms. In addition, we show that access to information and network characteristics also matter in enabling cluster farming. Conclusion: The findings of this study are relevant in the framework of plans to upscale the cluster-based development initiative in Ethiopia. Attention to landholding issues is key and may be an important area where policy action can be geared to boost cluster farming. Moreover, our results inform potential targeting plans that aim to increase the participation of small-scale farmers who are usually the intended targets of such programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether faculties' affective professional commitment mediates the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors of university management, perceived organizational support, and faculties' institutional citizenship behavior. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from a total of 220 full-time academicians teaching in Debre Berhan University of Ethiopia. The mediating role of affective professional commitment in promoting faculties' institutional citizenship behaviors has been overlooked in the existing literature and this paper is original. Particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia, this investigation brings a paramount contribution to curtailing the resignation of academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important cause of stunting is limited consumption of complementary foods, in terms of both quantities and nutrients. Although existing studies show a positive association between fathers' engagement and children's diet, programmes designed to improve complementary feeding practices often only target mothers. In response to this, maternal behaviour change communication (BCC), paternal BCC and food voucher programmes were designed and implemented in Ethiopia using a clustered randomized controlled trial design. The paternal BCC programme included gender‐equal messages to increase fathers' participation in childcare, household labour and decision making. The research reported in this paper is an examination of the BCC programmes, characterizing the behavioural, normative and control beliefs of both mothers and fathers in BCC households compared to those in control households. In this study, a total of 40 participants were included, with 13 mother–father pairs in the BCC + food voucher group, and seven pairs in the control group. Each participant was interviewed separately. We found that BCC mothers showed more gender‐equal tendencies than the control mothers despite being more rural in location. By contrast, the beliefs of BCC and control fathers were similar overall, suggesting men are more resistant to gender‐equal BCC. More work is needed to develop and test effective methods for changing fathers' beliefs and practices. Key messages: Mothers in behaviour change communication (BCC) group mothers held more gender‐equal beliefs than control mothers, while BCC and control fathers shared similar views, suggesting a male resistance to gender equality.Mothers found fathers' involvement in childcare socially acceptable but often perceived them as inexperienced, which limited their participation.Control mothers' traditional view on household chores maintained the conventional labour division, influencing fathers' involvement.Fathers typically resisted maternal control of resources; however, they agreed that the more knowledgeable should lead decision‐making. BCC mothers showed greater confidence in making household decisions as effectively as fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the digitalization of higher education in Ethiopia. It mainly focuses on better understanding the policies, practices, and challenges of digitalization of higher education in the country. The necessary data were mainly generated from continental, national, and institutional policy and strategy documents. Publicly available transnational and national reports and other documents and the author's views and lived experiences were also used to substantiate data generated through policy review. The data were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. The themes were mainly developed based on prior research and existing literature. The findings indicate that there are sufficient and feasible policies and strategies to promote and ensure the digitalization of higher education in Ethiopia. The findings also reveal that there are initiatives that promote the practice of digitalization of higher education. However, poor internet connection, lack of adequate ICT infrastructure, lack of skilled human resources, and staff resistance to change were found to be the major barriers to enhancing the digitalization of higher education in Ethiopian higher education. The results imply that having feasible policies and strategies is a necessary but insufficient condition to ensure effective implementation of digitalization of higher education. It necessitates the government's commitment as well as a shift in focus from the expansion of HEIs, which was the case in the last two decades, to ensuring the quality and relevance of HEIs through digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Organizational justice and its impact on employee commitment have received a lot of attention these days. The objective of this study is to see the effect of job satisfaction as a mediator in the relationship between organizational justice and employee commitment. Also, the role of academic rank as a moderator in the model is probed. Design/methodology/approach: A moderating mediation structural equation model was used for randomly collected cross-section data on 285 employees from public universities in Ethiopia. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was employed to check the importance of the variables. The Gaussian copula approach was used to check endogeneity in the structural model. Findings: NCA confirms the importance of organizational justice and employee satisfaction as the independent variables. The Gaussian copula approach reveals no endogeneity problems in the structural model. The results supported the partial mediating role of job satisfaction in organizational justice and academic staff's commitment. Moreover, though staff rank is not a necessary condition, it plays the role of moderator in the relationship between academic staff's job satisfaction and commitment. Practical implications: This paper affirms that public institutions must implement fair initiatives and procedures to promote academic staff satisfaction and commitment. Originality/value: This is the first study to check the job rank as a moderator in the model comprising organization justice, employee commitment and satisfaction. Moreover, application of NCA and Gaussian copula adds to methodological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-borne diseases pose a significant challenge to the sustainability of healthcare in developing countries like Ethiopia. While wireless sensor networks (WSN) address many environmental and societal issues through various applications, energy harvesting approaches extend the network's life. The paper describes a water quality monitoring system (WQM) using energy-harvesting wireless sensor networks. The paper identifies the considerations and trade-offs of various energy harvesting methods and WSNs solutions for WQM. In addition to presenting a real-time system for monitoring water quality, the paper examines the system's lifetime with a solar energy harvesting circuit. In addition, the paper discusses the problems encountered during system installation in the field. The field test is currently underway, but the prototype that has been implemented and tested shows that the system produces close to accurate values in various scenarios and can operate continuously without power outages. As a result, the energy harvesting technique ensures an indefinite lifetime for an economically viable water quality monitoring using WSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting the inception of the 2010s, Ethiopia's relations with Egypt have been experiencing one of the deepest crises in the relationship of the two countries' history. Ethiopia, one of the upper riparian states of the Nile River not only theoretically challenged the exclusive veto power of Egypt over the Nile River but also practically start constructing one of Africa's largest hydropower dams on the Blue Nile since 2011. The challenging behavior of Ethiopia over the Nile River worried the long-standing regional hegemon, Egypt. Against this background, this paper aims to forward a new insight into how and why Ethiopia challenged the long-standing superior-subordinate Egypt-led order over the Nile River. Moreover, in its discussion, the paper tries to address key drives, challenges, and prospects of Ethiopia-Egypt water diplomacy. The paper also illustrates how and why the Ethio-Egypt water diplomacy strain becomes a cross-cut on the two nation's foreign policy matters. The paper has also attempted to understand how the superior-subordinate power duality approach works over the Nile River against the new balancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]