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Adopting agricultural technologies is crucial to improve productivity and livelihoods in developing countries. While much research has focused on adoption decisions, understanding dis-adoption, when farmers stop using technology, is equally important. Studies on agricultural technology adoption often treat dis-adopters (those who initially adopted but later discontinued to use) and never-adopters (those who never adopted) as the same, using binary models to analyze farmers' decisions. We argue that a better understanding of these decisions can be achieved by separately analyzing 'never-adoption', 'dis-adoption', and 'adoption.' Using nationally representative data from three African countries, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, we developed a multinomial logit model to analyze the adoption of improved chicken breeds. Our findings show that dis-adopters of improved chicken are different from never-adopters. Factors associated with dis-adoption include gender and education of household heads, access to training and extension services, breeding and culling practices, access to markets, use of complementary inputs, production objectives, landholding size, income diversity, and access to finance. Policies and strategies that aim to enhance sustained adoption and use of improved chicken breeds should promote a bundle of technologies, including tailored training, women empowerment, locally adapted and farmer-preferred chicken breeds, complementary inputs and services, innovative marketing strategies, and delivery models for bundles of technologies., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Birhanu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Open defecation contributes to the spread of different feco-oral diseases. Therefore, access to a latrine is strongly recommended, as it considerably reduces the risks. Even though provision of latrine facilities alone does not guarantee the desired health benefits, they should be integrated with behavior change. In Ethiopia, efforts have been made to increase the coverage of latrine facilities. However, evidence on how consistently households use it is limited. Most prior studies focused on latrine utilization among households, and limited evidence is available about open defecation practices among households with latrines and associated factors. Thus, this study is critical for developing effective intervention approaches to prevent open defecation among households with latrines., Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the open defecation practice and associated factors among households with latrines in rural communities of Ararso District, Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia, 2023., Method: A community-based, cross-sectional study design was employed among households with latrines in the district. A total of 632 households latrines were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. The questionnaire was designed in KoboTool box, Humanitarian Response software, and the data were collected using the Kobo Collect version 2023.2.4 mobile application. The data were downloaded from the server in the Microsoft Excel format for data cleaning before being exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were employed to investigate the relationship between outcome and independent variables. Odd ratios with 95% confidence intervals were utilized to assess the association between the outcome and the predictor variables. A P-value of <0.05 was used as the threshold point for statistical significance., Result: In this study, the prevalence of open defecation practice among households with latrines was 32.4% (95% CI: 28.1, 35.9). Sex of the household (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.4), educational status (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.08, 5.53), family size (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.78), the presence of under-5-year-old children in the house (AOR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.75), the need for latrine maintenance (AOR = 2.37.95% CI: 1.62, 3.48), current status of the latrine (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.62, 3.48), and latrine cleanness status (being unclean) (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.29, 2.81) were significantly associated with open defecation practice among households with latrine., Conclusion: The study concluded that open defecation was significantly practiced by households with latrines. This revealed that the presence of a latrine alone was insufficient to considerably reduce open defecation. To alleviate this problem, the government and health workers, in collaboration with the health bureau, should promote frequent sanitation and hygiene education in the communities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ismail, Ibrahim, Abdi, Geremew, Mulugeta, Ayele and Cheru.)

Background: Delaying newborn bathing for 24 h after childbirth protects the baby from hypothermia, infection and hypoglycaemia and provides an opportunity for mother-baby emotional bonding. However, no previously published study has investigated the early newborn bathing practices of pastoral mothers in Ethiopia. This study aims to investigate early newborn bathing and associated factors among mothers in Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia., Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 386 mothers, and the data collection was performed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to examine the association between explanatory variables (including sociodemographic, obstetric, health service and health literacy factors) and early newborn bathing., Results: The overall prevalence of early newborn bathing among postpartum mothers was 73.1% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) from 68.4 to 77.5%. Mothers who attained college or higher education [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.21; 95% CI 0.06-0.66], those who were from urban areas (AOR = 0.19; 95% CI 0.09-0.42) and those who gave birth using operational delivery (e.g. caesarean section and instrumental delivery) (AOR = 0.01; 95% CI 0.01-0.04) were less likely to practice early newborn bathing., Conclusion: The practice of early newborn bathing was unacceptably high in pastoral communities of the Afar Region. There is a need for interventions specifically targeting at uneducated and rural mothers as part of the implementation to improve the essential newborn care practices of mothers in pastoral communities in Ethiopia., (© The Author(s) [2023]. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: Diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity, despite the global progression of eradicating the burden of diarrhea-related morbidity and mortality in the past two decades. In Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, there is inadequate supply and sanitation of safe water. However, there is a lack of literature that estimates the impact of drinking water and sanitation service on childhood diarrhea in Kersa Demographic and Health Surveillance. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the prevalence and effect of water supply and environmental sanitation on diarrhea among under-five children from 2017 to 2021 in Kersa Demographic and Health Surveillance, Eastern Ethiopia., Method: A prospective cohort study design was implemented among 6,261 children from the Kersa Health Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), Eastern Ethiopia, from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2021. STATA statistical software was used to extract data from the datasets. The binary logistic regression was used to identify the impact of water supply and environmental sanitation on diarrhea by controlling important confounders. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval measures this association., Result: The current study showed that among 6,261 under-five children, 41.75% of them had developed active diarrhea during the follow-up time. The final model depicted that having media exposure of 22% [AOR - 0.78 CI: (0.61, 0.98)], a protected tube well source of drinking water of 50% [AOR - 1.50, CI: (1.32, 1.71)], unprotected tube well source of drinking water of 66% [AOR - 1.66 CI: (1.27, 2.18)], having toilet facility of 13% [AOR - 0.87 CI: (0.78, 0.97)], and accessibility of source of water [AOR - 1.17 CI: (1.05, 1.30)] showed a significant association with diarrhea among under-five children., Conclusion: The prevalence of diarrhea is found to be high in the Kersa District. The main predictors of diarrhea under five were a lack of latrines, an unimproved source of drinking water, and a distance from access to drinking water. The study setting should focus on increasing the adequacy of safe drinking water and sanitation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mulatu, Ayana, Girma, Mulugeta, Daraje, Geremew and Dheresa.)

Introduction: Rabies remains a global threat, killing approximately 60,000 people every year. In Ethiopia, dogs are the main reservoir of the disease. Animals also estimate the burden of the disease., Methodology: Data from 2016 to 2020 were extracted from a rabies cases recording book of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. Proportions and trends over time were analyzed. Brain samples of dogs were diagnosed with a Fluorescent Anti Body test., Results: A total of 6,001 dogs inflicting bites were brought to the laboratory. A high proportion of dogs 4,389 73.14% were not vaccinated. The total number of dogs brought to the laboratory was decreasing over the last five years. Among 1,216 dog brain samples examined 855 (70.3%) confirmed rabies. The proportion of rabies cases was increasing from 8.5% in 2016 and 32.6% in 2020. The highest rabies proportion (33.8%) was reported in 2018. Out of the total (2,156) dogs inflicting bites and observed for 10 days, only 468 (21.7%) of the observation report was tracked and reported., Conclusions: There is a high proportion of rabies in dogs inflicting bites in Addis Ababa. The findings are alarming with seven out of ten dogs diagnosed being infected with rabies. Only two dogs were vaccinated out of ten dogs inflicting bites. Rabies became a serious public health problem in the city that needs urgent health action from all sectors including the city administration., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2022 Sintayehu Abdella, Khogali Ahmed, Bienvenu Salim, Baye Ashenefe, Yimere Mulugeta, Endalkachew Girma, Mesefin Aklilu, Abebe Getachew, Gutu Kitila, Garuma Getahun, Endalkachew Berihanu, Ibsa File, Edward Mberu, Zeyede Zeleke, Desalegn Getahun.)

Background: Ethiopia is one of the economically fastest growing countries in the world. Industries in Ethiopia are booming, and Bahir Dar is one of the industrial zones in the country. The city administration is planning to recruit the majority of the workforce in these industries. However, injuries related to occupations in the industries are not that much studied yet. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational injury and its associated factors among industrial workers in the Bahir Dar city of Northwest Ethiopia., Methods and Materials: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was used. Multistage stratified random sampling technique was employed to select 846 study participants from each stratum (small-, medium-, and large-scale industries). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21. Binary logistic regression was employed to determine the existence of an association between dependent and independent variables., Result: A total of 803 participants were included in the study with a response rate of 95%. The mean age of respondents was 28.9 years (SD ± 8 years). Five hundred nine (63.4%) were occupationally injured in the last 12 months. Sex (AOR = 3.66, 95% CI = (2.53-5.29)), employment status (AOR = 7.33, 95% CI = (3.31-16.22)), regular health and safety supervision (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI= (1.79-3.96)), training prior to entry to actual work (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI= (2.14-4.74)), and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI= (1.74-3.56)) were significantly associated with occupational injury., Conclusion: The prevalence of occupational injury in this research is found to be very high. It is advisable to provide sustainable training and regular occupational health and safety supervision for industrial workers in the city. Moreover, research has to be conducted to know the reasons for the difference in the prevalence of occupational injury between large-, medium-, and small-scale industries., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Berhanemeskel Hunegnaw et al.)

Background: The global burden of cancer continues to increase largely because of the aging and growth of the world population alongside an increasing adoption of cancer-causing behaviors. Hence, the purpose of this study was to identify determinants of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer among individuals who diagnosed at the Felegehiwot specialized hospital, North West Ethiopia, 2019., Methods: An institution-based unmatched case-control study was conducted at the Felegehiwot Specialized hospital from December 2018 up to June 2019. The sample size calculated using the two-population proportion formula. The final sample size was 486, (162 cases and 324 controls). The simple random sampling method was employed to catch up with the estimated samples. The collected data entered into the Epi-data version 3.1 software and analyzed using SPSS version 21 software. Descriptive statistics computed. Simple logistic analysis was run (at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05) to identify the determinants of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma., Result: A total of 486 patients participated. Nearly one-third of the cases and controls were in the age group of 46-60 years. About 90% of cases and 91% of controls were orthodox Christian. Monthly income of ≤28 dollars (AOR = 2. 73, 95%CI: 1. 8, 4.2), male sex (AOR = 1. 8, 95%CI: 1.2, 2.8), ever had chemical exposure, (AOR = 11. 9, 95%CI: 7.6, 18.8), no regular physical exercise (AOR = 15. 5, 95%CI: 5.7, 42.3), and having hypertension [AOR = 0. 03; 95%CI:0.005, 0.2), lung disease (AOR = 0. 2; 95%CI: 0.06, 0.7), and chronic kidney and cardiac diseases (AOR = 0. 06; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.2) were the determinants of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma., Conclusions: The findings in this study suggest that having a low monthly income, being male sex, ever had chemical exposure, not engaged in regular physical exercise, and being diabetic were the determinants of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Cryptococcosis is one of the common opportunistic fungal infections among HIV infected patients living in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. The magnitude of the disease at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital (FHRH) in particular and in Ethiopia at large is not well explored., Methods: A retrospective document review and analysis was done on records of 137 HIV infected patients who visited FHRH ART clinic from 1 Sep to 30 Dec 2016 and had registered data on their sex, age, CD4 count and cryptococcal antigen screening result. The cryptoccocal antigen (CrAg) detection was done by the IMMY CrAg ® LFA (Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Assay) kit from patient serum as per the manufacturer's instruction. All data were entered, cleared, and analyzed using SPSS v20. Descriptive data analysis and cross tabulation were done to assess factors associated with cryptococcal antigenemia. Statistical significance was set at p-value less than or equal to 0.05., Results: More than half of the participants, 54.7% (75/137), included in the study were females. The median age of the participants was 32.0 years (ranged: 8-52 years). The mean CD4 count was 51.8 with SD of 26.3 (range 3-98). All the patients were HIV stage IV. The proportion of positive cryptococal antigen from serum test was at 11.7% (95% CI: 7.3-18.1%). The IMMY CrAg ® LFA result was found statically associated with patient sex (p= 0.045). However, it was not associated with patient age group and the CD4 count (P>0.05)., Conclusions: This study provided baseline data on the magnitude of cryptococcal antigenemia among HIV positive patients that is not touched before in the studied area. The results of the study showed that this opportunistic fungal infection is an important health concern among HIV patients. Further studies with sound design employing adequate sample size should be considered.

Background: Pre-marital sexual debut increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy. It may also affect their school performance and completion rate. In spite of this fact, number of unmarried female students who started sexual debut is increasing from time to time. However, information on the extent of pre-marital sexual debut and associated factors were not well studied and documented in the study area where pre-marital sexual debut is largely condemned. Therefore this study was conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of pre-marital sexual debut., Methods: School based cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 10-13/2012. A total of 1123 unmarried high school female students were selected by multi- stage sampling technique. Data were collected using structured, self administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with pre-marital sexual debut., Results: Among unmarried high school female students 30.8% reported pre-marital sexual debut. The major associated factors were frequent watching of pornographic video [AOR = 10.15, 95% CI: (6.63, 15.53)], peer pressure [AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: (1.57, 5.67)] and chewing khat [AOR = 8.99, 95% CI: (3.84, 21.06)]., Conclusion: Significant proportion of unmarried high school female students have started pre-marital sexual debut. The finding suggests the need for communicating and supporting school students to help them make informed and safer decisions on their sexual behavior. Therefore, Bahir dar city administration health and education bureau should design persistent and effective health education to decrease pre-marital sexual debut in unmarried female students.

A study on ectoparasites of small ruminants in three selected agro-ecological sites of Tigray Region, Ethiopia disclosed an overall prevalence of 55.5% and 58% in each examined 750 sheep and goats, respectively. In the sheep population, Melophagus ovinus (19.1%), tick infestations (16%), Damalinia ovis (15.3%), Linognathus africanus (11.5%), and Ctenocephalides felis (9%) were the major ectoparasites. The major ectoparasites identified in goats were tick infestations (29.7%), L. africanus (27.9%), Sarcoptes scabiei var. caprae (12.5%), C. felis (11.1%), and Demodex caprae (6.8%). In sheep, there was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) in the prevalence of Damalinia ovis, M. ovinus, L. africanus, and ticks between midland and highland. In goats, the risk of Sarcoptes scabiei var. caprae infestation in midland (odds ratio (OR) = 17.2, P < 0.001) and lowland (OR = 5.2, P < 0.001) was 17.2 times and 5.2 times, respectively, higher than the highland. Favorable climatic conditions, backward level of management, poor level of consciousness and awareness of farmers, and weak animal health extension services are believed to have contributed for widespread distribution and occurrences of ectoparasites. The growing threat of ectoparasites to small ruminant production and the tanning industry needs well-coordinated and urgent control intervention.