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A study was carried out in the Kembata Tembaro Zone of Southern Ethiopia, focusing on both prospective cohort and cross-sectional surveys. The objective was to measure the rates of calf sickness and death and to pinpoint the factors that contribute to these conditions. Over 180 days, 140 newborn calves from selected small-scale dairy farms were studied. The study evaluated the prevalence of illness, mortality, and specific diseases by calculating incidence rates. Results indicated a 41.7% risk of illness and a 9.5% mortality rate among calves. Factors such as the calf's condition at birth, birth location/environment, the surface on which the calf was born, timing of the first colostrum intake, maternal parity, calf breed, and the breeding service technique significantly influenced mortality rates. Similarly, these factors were also significantly linked to the crude morbidity rate. Calves born naturally were at a lower risk of sickness (HR=0.6, p=0.001) compared to those assisted. Calves born indoors had a lower risk of sickness (HR=0.9, p=0.008) than those born outdoors. Calves that received colostrum within six hours of birth had a lower risk of sickness (HR=0.6, p=0.009) than those that received it later. Additionally, the study found that the floor of the birth place, the mother's parity, the breed of the calf, and the technique of the breeding service were additional risk factors for calf sickness. The time of the first colostrum intake, the mother's parity, and the calf's birth condition were also significant risk factors for calf death.

Abstract Background Between 2000 and 2018, global measles deaths decreased by 73%, but the disease remains prevalent in many developing countries, especially in Africa and Asia. Although Ethiopia was attempting to eliminate the measles, it still ranks fourth in the world in terms of the number of cases. The aim of the investigation was to describe the outbreak and identify its determinants in the Aneded district. Methods Between March 3, 2020, and April 2, 2020, the 89 patients and 178 controls participated in a case-control study. Data were gathered by means of in-person interviews with household leaders. The attack and case fatality rates were determined. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, variables having a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant cut-off points. Results An investigation was conducted on a total of 89 measles cases, with 3 deaths and 178 controls. In total, there were 1.65 attacks per 1000 people, or 3.4% of the case fatality rate. There were 155 days of outbreak duration. The disease was significantly associated with being female [adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 2.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.38–5.11], under 5 years old [AOR = 7.24; 95% CI = 2.58–20.31], positive in attitude [AOR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.11–0.42], and having a contact history [AOR = 3.19; 95% CI = 1.67–6.10]. Conclusion The measles outbreak, with its higher attack and case fatality rate, has been influenced by factors like household attitudes, age, sex, contact and travel history and needs to be reduced through early detection, active surveillance, and fostering favorable attitudes towards disease prevention and control.

Abstract Background The midwife-led model of care is woman-centered and based on the premise that pregnancy and childbirth are normal life events, and the midwife plays a fundamental role in coordinating care for women and linking with other health care professionals as required. Worldwide, this model of care has made a great contribution to the reduction of maternal and child mortality. For example, the global under-5 mortality rate fell from 42 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 39 in 2018. The neonatal mortality rate fell from 31 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 18 deaths per 1,000 in 2018. Even if this model of care has a pivotal role in the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality, in recent years it has faced many challenges. Objective To explore facilitators and barriers to a midwife-led model of care at a public health institution in Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia, in 2021. Methodology : A qualitative approach was conducted at Dire Dawa public health institution from March 1–April 30, 2022. Data was collected using a semi-structured, in-depth interview tool guide, focused group discussions, and key informant interviews. A convenience sampling method was implemented to select study participants, and the data were analyzed thematically using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti7. The thematic analysis with an inductive approach goes through six steps: familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing up. Result Two major themes were driven from facilitators of the midwife-led model of care (professional pride and good team spirit), and seven major themes were driven from barriers to the midwife-led model of care (lack of professional development, shortage of resources, unfair risk or hazard payment, limited organizational power of midwives, feeling of demoralization absence of recognition from superiors, lack of work-related security). Conclusion The midwifery-led model of care is facing considerable challenges, both pertaining to the management of the healthcare service locally and nationally. A multidisciplinary and collaborative effort is needed to solve those challenges.

Abstract Background Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is any interaction between humans and wildlife that arises when wildlife necessities encroach on those of the human population. It affects all areas where animal and peoples cohabit regardless of geography or climatic circumstances; but the burden is great in developing nations. De Brazza’s monkey (DM) (Cercopithecus neglectus) is one of the most unusual species in the group of Old-World monkeys commonly known as guenons. The De Brazza’s monkey is distributed in different parts of African forests from Guinea to Ethiopia. This study was conducted in Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Kafa Zone, South West Ethiopia, to assess the causes of human wildlife conflict in the area. The methods used were, household questionnaire, focus group discussion and direct field observation from June 2022 to May 2023. Results The study revealed that the major causes of human De Brazza’s monkey conflicts were; habitat destruction 52.9%, (n = 72), human proximity to natural forest, 25.7%, (n = 35) and increasing of its population size 8.1 %, (n = 11). These monkeys’ raids crop usually early in the morning 42.6%, (n = 58), and late evening 29.4%, (n = 40). Maize was the most damaged crop by De Brazza’s monkey followed by coffee. The study also confirmed that guarding was the most common method used to protect crops from crop raiding wildlife in the area. Majority 66.2%, (n= 90) of the informants had negative attitude but 22.1%, (n = 30) had positive attitude towards De Brazza’s monkey conservation. Conclusion The study discovered that, in contrast to olive baboons and grivet monkeys in the area, De Brazza's monkeys were not previously identified as crop raiders; however, they are currently causing damage to crops, especially maize and coffee crops. This could be due to habitat destruction and human proximity to the forest boundary. Thus, the conflict between humans and De Brazza's monkeys is escalating. As such, we recommended more research on the population status of the monkeys and strategies for coexist in the area.

Abstract Background Since health literacy is known to be related to health outcomes, it should be measured to explain how it is associated with the health status of the population. Health literacy tools are designed to measure different dimensions of health literacy of individuals based on their objective. The AAHLS tool is comprehensive and can cover all aspects of health literacy. Overall in Ethiopia, there is no standard health literacy tool that has been developed or/and validated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to adapt and validate the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS) in healthcare facilities in Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia. Methods A mixed-method, facility-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa city from February 1, 2022, to May 30, 2022. The study was conducted in three phases: forward and backward translation and expert review, cognitive interviews and survey administration. For the cognitive interviews, a total of 16 participants and for the survey administration, 199 participants were involved. Coding and analysis of the qualitative data were performed using OpenCode 4.03 computer software. Then, pretesting (survey administration) was conducted to check the validity and reliability of the tool. CFA was conducted using SPSS version 26 and Stata version 14. Results and discussion The original three response categories were revised to five response categories based on the cognitive interview findings and expert reviews. The survey was administered to 199 participants, 55.8% of whom were males. The Kaiser‒Meyer‒Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.685, with a significant difference according to Bartlett’s test of sphericity (p

Abstract Background The implementation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is a critical challenge, particularly in low-income countries, where behavioral intention plays a crucial role. To address this issue, we conducted a study to extend and apply the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 3 (UTAUT3) model in predicting health professionals' behavioral intention to use EHR systems. Methods A quantitative research approach was employed among 423 health professionals in Southwest Ethiopia. We assessed the validity of the proposed model through measurement and structural model statistics. Analysis was done using SPSS AMOS version 23. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, and mediation and moderation effects were evaluated. The associations between exogenous and endogenous variables were examined using standardized regression coefficients (β), 95% confidence intervals, and p-values, with a significance level of p-value

This paper attempts to review the cattle genetic improvement approaches for sustainable utilization, adaptation, and conservation in the face of changing climatic conditions. Livestock production is affected by climate change, which poses a greater threat to populations that rely on them for their overall food security. Climate change negatively affects cattle production directly through its impact on animal physiology, behavior, and health and indirectly through its effect on feed and water availability, quality and quantity of pasture, forage crops, and rangeland due to increased temperature droughts. Improvement of cattle genetic resources that are efficient and well adapted to extreme temperatures, low-quality diets, and disease challenges is critical to effectively cope with climate change. Designing suitable breeding strategies will facilitate improving the performance of cattle breeds and enhance their tolerance to the dynamics of climate change. Replacement of local cattle breeds with exotic ones and unplanned crossbreeding with them without enough consideration of environmental conditions are among the major factors contributing to the loss of locally adapted breeds that possess certain adaptive traits. Maintenance of indigenous cattle’s genetic diversity, which underpins resistance to environmental stresses is a viable strategy to mitigate the possible effects of future climatic challenges. In contrast to the traditional selection, genomic selection increases the accuracy of selection with the largest genetic gain, for the low heritability traits such as adaptability and longevity. In conclusion, any breeding strategies should be relevant in terms of breed suitability, performance, and adaptability in the given production environment to sustain cattle production.

Brucellosis is a communicable zoonotic disease that is endemic in Eastern Africa and other countries, humans contracted this infection from diseased animals. This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with brucellosis in dromedary camels and the knowledge, attitude, and practice of camel owners regarding brucellosis at the human-animal interface that could endanger humans in the study area. A cross-sectional study determined the seroprevalence of camel brucellosis in 404 camels. A questionnaire survey involving 120 participants was also conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of camel owners regarding the disease. The seroprevalence of camel brucellosis was estimated as 6% by the Rose Bengal plate test and 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1-1.8) by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). Pastoralists are in close contact with their animals, and the consumption of raw milk and handling of abortive material is common, which exposes them to a higher risk of infection. The questionnaire survey indicated that about 40% of respondents had previous knowledge about the disease. Almost, 17% and 40% knew that the disease can be transmitted from camel to humans and between camels, respectively. About 67.5% of the respondents disposed of aborted fetuses and placenta in the open field and 86.7% of the respondents consumed raw milk. This indicates that an awareness campaign is important to equip pastoral communities in the study areas with knowledge about the disease and change their malpractice to protect themselves from brucellosis. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in the study. The present study revealed a low seroprevalence (0.5%). Although the seropositive animals in this study appeared to be healthy, the results indicated that the disease may manifest as a carrier and adversely affect productivity and public health.

Abstract Background Adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth, remain a major global health challenge, particularly in developing regions. Understanding the possible risk factors is crucial for designing effective interventions for birth outcomes. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop a predictive model for adverse birth outcomes among childbearing women in Sub-Saharan Africa using advanced machine learning techniques. Additionally, this study aimed to employ a novel data science interpretability techniques to identify the key risk factors and quantify the impact of each feature on the model prediction. Methods The study population involved women of childbearing age from 26 Sub-Saharan African countries who had given birth within five years before the data collection, totaling 139,659 participants. Our data source was a recent Demographic Health Survey (DHS). We utilized various data balancing techniques. Ten advanced machine learning algorithms were employed, with the dataset split into 80% training and 20% testing sets. Model evaluation was conducted using various performance metrics, along with hyperparameter optimization. Association rule mining and SHAP analysis were employed to enhance model interpretability. Results Based on our findings, about 28.59% (95% CI: 28.36, 28.83) of childbearing women in Sub-Saharan Africa experienced adverse birth outcomes. After repeated experimentation and evaluation, the random forest model emerged as the top-performing machine learning algorithm, with an AUC of 0.95 and an accuracy of 88.0%. The key risk factors identified were home deliveries, lack of prenatal iron supplementation, fewer than four antenatal care (ANC) visits, short and long delivery intervals, unwanted pregnancy, primiparous mothers, and geographic location in the West African region. Conclusion The region continues to face persistent adverse birth outcomes, emphasizing the urgent need for increased attention and action. Encouragingly, advanced machine learning methods, particularly the random forest algorithm, have uncovered crucial insights that can guide targeted actions. Specifically, the analysis identifies risky groups, including first-time mothers, women with short or long birth intervals, and those with unwanted pregnancies. To address the needs of these high-risk women, the researchers recommend immediately providing iron supplements, scheduling comprehensive prenatal care, and strongly encouraging facility-based deliveries or skilled birth attendance.

Abstract Background Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in Ethiopian clinical practice. Although a multitude of scoring systems have been used in clinical practice, none have been universally validated. The purpose of this study was to validate the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) scoring system in the Ethiopian context. Methods A total of 315 consecutive patients who presented with a presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis and were planned to undergo appendectomy were studied. All the studied patients had diagnostic sonography and underwent the RIPASA scoring system. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of RIPASA and ultrasound results with intraoperative gross examinations. Results The mean age of the participants was 27.4 ± 11.5 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.6:1. The concordance between ultrasound and RIPASA for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis was 93.6%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of RIPASA were 96.2%, 30.8%, 93.9%, and 42.1%, respectively. Similarly, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ultrasound were 95.3%, 27.8%, 95.6%, and 26.3%, respectively. White cell count and RIPASA scores were weakly correlated with intraoperative stages of acute appendicitis, r(313) = 0.18, p = 0.001, and r(313) = 0.129, p = 0.022, respectively. The rate of a negative appendectomy was 6%. Conclusion RIPASA and ultrasound had equivalent performance in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. In both cases, the rate of negative appendectomy was low enough to validate RIPASA for clinical practice in low-income institutions where sonographic diagnosis by a conventionally trained radiologist is not available.

Abstract Background Despite the highest (88%) Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV coverage in Eastern Africa, 50% of new HIV infections in children aged 0–14 years occur in the region. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the feeding modalities, the rate of HIV transmission and its predictors among HIV exposed infants (HIV-EIs) visited Gamo and Gofa Zones public health facilities, Southern Ethiopia from January 2013 to February 2019. Method and materials Institution-based retrospective follow up study was employed among 450 HIV-EIs having DNA/PCR test results. All infant-mother pair records in selected health facilities were reviewed using a standard data extraction tool from March to July 2019. HIV transmission probabilities were assessed by Kaplan–Meier time-to-event analysis method and log-rank tests were used to compare the risk among different groups. The Cox-proportional hazards model, adjusted on infant feeding modalities and other co-variants was used to identify predictors of HIV transmission, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value of

Abstract Background The Continuum of care for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health includes integrated service delivery for mothers and children from pre-pregnancy to delivery, the immediate postnatal period, and childhood. In Ethiopia, the magnitude of antenatal care, skilled delivery, postnatal care, and immunization for children have shown improvement. Despite this, there was limited research on the percentage of mothers who have completed maternal and child continuum care. Objective To assess the Completion of Maternal and Child Health Continuum of Care and Associated Factors among women in Gode District, Shebele Zone, Eastern Ethiopia ,2022. Method A community-based cross-sectional study design applied from November 1–15, 2022. A stratified sampling method was applied. A woman who had two 14–24 months child preceding the data collection period were included in the study. An interviewer-administered semi-structured questioner had been used for data collection. Data collected by using kobo collect and analyzed using STATA version 17. Both Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done. In multivariable analysis, variables having P-values ≤ 0.05 were taken as factors associated with the completion of the maternal and child health continuum of care. Result The Completion of maternal and child continuum of care was 13.5% (10.7-17.0%) in Gode district,2022. Accordingly, Husband occupation (Government employee) [AOR = 2.3, 95%CI 1.2–4.7] and perceived time to reach health facility (less than 30 min) [AOR = 2.96, 95%CI 1.2–7.5] were factors showing significant association with maternal and child health continuum of care among mothers in Gode district, Somali regional State;2022 at P-value ≤ 0.05. Conclusion and recommendation Only 13.5% of mothers in Gode district received all of the recommended maternal and child health services during their pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period. The study found that two factors were associated with a higher likelihood of receiving Maternal and child continuum of care: Government employed husband and perceived time to reach a health facility. Governments can play a key role in increasing the maternal and child health continuum of care by investing by making health care facility accessible.

Abstract Background In response to the COVID-19 challenge and the consequent concerns and misconceptions about potential mother-to-child virus transmission, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, launched a 3-month nationwide media campaign to promote appropriate and safe breastfeeding practices using national and regional television and radio channels, as well as social media. This study assesses the reach and impact of a media campaign in Ethiopia on improving mothers’, partners’/caregivers’, and the public’s awareness of and practices related to appropriate and safe breastfeeding. Methods A two-round mobile survey was conducted using random digit dialing (RDD) and an interactive voice response (IVR) system. In order to assess the impact of the media campaign, the study compared outcomes related to awareness, perceptions, and safe breastfeeding practices using post-intervention comparison data across levels of exposure (exposed vs. unexposed to the campaign). A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed using a two sample test of proportions to estimate the impact of the media campaign. Results Among the 3170 mobile subscribers who completed the survey questions, half (50%) reported that they had seen or heard media advertisements about appropriate breastfeeding, the importance of continuing breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to safely breastfeed a baby when a mother is suspected or confirmed with COVID-19. The PSM analysis showed that exposure to the media campaign was significantly associated with awareness and perceptions of the importance of continuing appropriate breastfeeding during the pandemic among the general public (proportion difference, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.12–0.19; p

Abstract Background Neonatal malaria is defined as the detection of asexual stages of Plasmodium species in the cord blood within the first 28 days of life. It can be congenital or acquired through mosquito bites or blood transfusions. Neonates are generally considered to be relatively protected due to the multiple innate and acquired physiological protective effects present in neonates. However, in areas where malaria is endemic, the prevalence of malaria in neonates is high. The predominant clinical feature of malaria in neonates is fever. Other clinical manifestations of neonatal malaria include respiratory distress, pallor and anaemia, hepatomegaly, refusal to feed, jaundice and diarrhoea. Atypical presentations without fever can lead to inaccurate diagnosis and contribute to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Neonates from endemic areas with any of the above symptoms should be screened for malaria. Case presentation We present a series of three cases of neonatal Plasmodium falciparum malaria that presented atypically without febrile episodes and were diagnosed and managed at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital between July and September 2023. The first patient presented with vomiting, refusal to feed, pallor, severe anaemia, and splenomegaly. The second patient presented with an inconsolable cry, failure to pass feces, abdominal distention, and anaemia. The third patient presented with vomiting and anaemia. All patients received a 7-day course of intravenous artesunate; the first patient also received a blood transfusion. All patients recovered and were discharged. Conclusions Partial immunity resulting from repeated malaria infections in endemic regions may result in the transfer of high levels of maternal Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies through the placenta and can produce different atypical clinical presentations. In malaria-endemic areas, neonates presenting with any of the presenting signs and symptoms of malaria, including afebrile presentation, require malaria screening to avoid delays in diagnosis.

Abstract Background Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy is a common multifactorial abnormality of the hematological system, next to anemia. It leads to more increased risk of bleeding during delivery, labour, or the postpartum period. Despite being a significant public health concern, there are limited studies done concerning thrombocytopenia during pregnancy. Objective To assess the magnitude and associated factors of thrombocytopenia among pregnant women at Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital from September 2023 to November 2023. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 230 systematic randomly selected pregnant women who attended antenatal visits from September 2023 to November 2023 G.C using data collection tools. The pretested structured questionnaires were employed to obtain clinical, nutritional, and sociodemographic information. Additionally, three millilitres of venous blood were collected from each participant and analyzed using a Sysmex hematology analyzer. The data was entered into Epidata version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 14. Descriptive statistics were computed, and logistic regression was used to identify predictors with a significance level of less than 0.05. Results Two hundred thirty pregnant women participated in the study. Among study participants, the magnitude of thrombocytopenia was 55(24.35%) with 32 (57.14%) mild, 19 (33.93%) moderate, and 5 (8.93%) severe thrombocytopenia. The determinant factors which shown significant association were Malaria parasite infection (AOR 9.27 at 95% CI 7.42, 10.87), one-year Inter-birth interval (AOR 1.7 at 95% CI 1.24, 2.14), History of abortion (AOR 3.94 95% CI 3.13, 4.86), History of hypertension (AOR 3.12 95% CI 1.56, 4.12), HIV infection (AOR 1.81 95% CI 1.32.2.52) and HBV infection (AOR 3.0 95% CI 2.82, 3.34). Conclusion Thrombocytopenia is a public health problem and mild type of thrombocytopenia was the most predominant. The determinant factors that showed significant association with thrombocytopenia were Malaria Parasitic infection, one-year Inter-birth interval, History of abortion, History of hypertension, HIV infection, and HBV infection. Therefore, pregnant women should be continuously screened for thrombocytopenia to avoid excessive bleeding. Increasing Inter-birth interval, preventing abortion as well as timely diagnosis and treatment of underlying causes such as malaria infection, hypertension, HBV, and HIV is important to reduce the burden of thrombocytopenia.

BackgroundLate initiation of antenatal care (ANC) is a major public health concern. If women initiate ANC late, they do not get adequate care, reducing the chances of early detection of pregnancy-related complications. However, there is a lack of data related to the initiation of antenatal care in the study area.ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence of late initiation of antenatal care and identify associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 454 pregnant women. All eligible participants during the study period were included. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews, were entered into Epi Data version 4.3, and analyzed using SPSS version 22 software. The results are presented using texts and tables. Logistic regression with the 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to identify factors associated with the late initiation of antenatal care. Statistical significance was declared at P

BackgroundWorldwide, approximately half of all children are not provided the minimum meal frequency (MMF). Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) had the lowest proportion of children aged 6–23 months who met the requirements of the complementary feeding indicators, including MMF. Ensuring adequate meal frequency poses a challenge in numerous developing countries, particularly in regions characterized by low household food security, such as SSA. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of MMF and its associated factors in SSA via the most recent demographic and health survey data.MethodsA total of 100,526 weighted samples from demographic and health survey datasets of 35 SSA countries were used. A multilevel Poisson regression model with robust variance was applied to identify factors associated with MMF, and the model with the lowest deviance was the best-fitted model. An adjusted prevalence ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported, and variables with a p

Common hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibious) are among the top five herbivorous animals in Africa. Despite being listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, they are a common mammal in Ethiopia's protected areas, lakes, rivers, and marshes. However, there is insufficient data to evaluate status of the population and habitat compatibility across the most of the country. The aim of this research was to ascertain the population size of hippos and the suitability of its habitat in the Dhidhessa Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS) in southwest Ethiopia. The study was conducted between 2021 and 2022. To estimate the population size, the total count procedures were employed. The adaptability of each habitat for hippos was determined using the multi-ring buffer analysis in Arc GIS 10.2. A total of 231 and 133 hippos were observed during both the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Of the surveyed individuals, 62.08 % were adults, 20.88 % were under-adults, and 17 % were young. More hippos (45.1 %) were observed in the savanna grassland during the rainy season. Subsequently, the hippos (50.6 %) relocated to the riverine forest in the dry season. Thus, the habitats in DWS and their environs were determined to range from most suitable to unsuitable for hippos. The results showed that 58.31 % of the regions were unsuitable, 18.49 % were moderately suitable, and 23.18 % were highly suitable for hippos grazing. 7.95 % of the research area slope was suitable, 26.32 % moderate and 65.72 % not suitable and 19.8 % was considered most suitable for human interference, 46.3 % was severely disturbed, and 33.9 % was moderately affected. Based on the current investigation, it has been determined that human interference in hippos' habitats is significant. In order to protect the hippos' habitats from excessive human activities and their impacts, a buffer should be created around the DWS area.

Background: Workplace accidents present a significant challenge in the number of risks, working environment, and the number of workers exposed to them. These risk factors require systematic management, assessment, and control. Therefore, the present study aims to assess risk detection and assessment in small-scale metalwork industries in Jimma City, southwest Ethiopia.'' Methods: Data collection from two hundred employers and managers was conducted using a cross-sectional study design, incorporating a worksheet, observation, risk-detecting checklists, and technical documents. Finally, the percentage, frequency, and chi-square tests were utilized to analyze the risk factors identified in small-scale metalworking industries, and independent variables that showed a significant correlation with each dependent variable at p

BackgroundDiarrhea is one of the leading causes of child death in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Children with diarrhea who do not receive medical advice or treatment are at high risk of poor health outcomes and increased mortality. Prompt and adequate treatment is essential to mitigate these risks. However, studies that have been conducted on the factors influencing healthcare-seeking behavior (HSB) for diarrhea in under-five children in SSA are scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the variables related to HSB for diarrhea in children under the age of five.MethodsA secondary data analysis was conducted on the most recent data from the Demographic and Health Surveys in 35 SSA countries. The study included a total weighted sample of 51,791 children under the age of five with diarrhea. We presented the adjusted prevalence ratio and the 95% confidence interval in the multivariable multilevel robust Poisson regression analysis to show the statistical significance and strength of the association between HSB and its determinants.ResultsThe pooled prevalence of HSB for diarrhea in under-five children was 58.71% (95%CI: 55.39 to 62.04). Factors found to be associated with HSB included maternal age, education and working status, antenatal care visits, postnatal checkups for the child, wasting, distance to a health facility, SSA region, and country income level.ConclusionMore than 40% of under-five children with diarrhea in SSA did not receive medical advice or treatment. To improve healthcare-seeking behavior, effective health policy interventions are necessary. These include enhancing the education and employment status of mothers, promoting regular antenatal and postnatal care visits, building health facilities in close proximity, and raising awareness in the community about the importance of seeking healthcare services for malnourished children.

IntroductionComplementary feeding is a critical transitional phase in the life of an infant, and complementary foods should be prepared, stored, and fed hygienically, with clean hands, dishes, and utensils to prevent diseases. However, the prevalence and risk factors associated with hygienic complementary feeding practice have not been well addressed in Ethiopia, especially in the study area.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess hygienic practices and associated factors during complementary feeding among mothers with children aged 6–24 months in Borecha Woreda, Buno Bedele Zone, southwestern Ethiopia, in 2022.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a multistage sampling technique. The study was conducted on 536 mothers of children aged 6–24 months in Borecha Woreda from 1 March to 1 April 2022. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were coded, cleaned, edited, and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 20.0 for further analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. Moreover, crude (for bivariate) and adjusted (multivariable) odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to assess the association between independent factors and outcome variables. A p-value of

Objective: We aimed to assess performance parameters in a Hawassa Tuberculosis Culture Laboratory, in the Sidama Regional Public Health Institute. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 27 October 2020 and 31 May 2021, on 439 clinical specimens. The specimens were processed using standard procedures, and the final suspension was inoculated into a Microbial Growth Indicator Tube and Lowenstein–Jensen media slant. Ziehl–Neelsen staining and the Bioline test kit were used to identify and confirm Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 26). Results: Out of a total of 439 specimens that were processed, the recovery rates for smear-positive specimens were 61% (25 out of 41) and 58.5% (24 out of 41) for the Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube, and the Lowenstein–Jensen methods, respectively. For smear-negative samples, the recovery rates were 4.5% (18 out of 398) for both methods. Only 4 (0.9%) specimens were rejected. The mean turnaround times to detect mycobacteria from smear-positive samples were 14 and 32 days for the Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube and Lowenstein–Jensen methods, respectively. The standard deviations were ±6.3 days and ±9.7 days, respectively. For smear-negative samples, the mean turnaround times were 17.7 and 31 days for the Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube and Lowenstein–Jensen methods, respectively. The standard deviations were ±9.2 days and ±9.6 days, respectively. The contamination rates for the Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube and Lowenstein–Jensen methods were 9.8% (43 out of 439) and 9.6% (42 out of 439), respectively. The detection rate of nontuberculosis mycobacteria was 1.4% (6 out of 439). Conclusion: It demands attention to improve the low recovery rate among smear-negative cultures and culture contamination rates.

Introduction: Tracer medicines are medicines that must be available in sufficient quantities at all times to satisfy the priority health care needs of the population. Inventory mismanagement of these medicines poses significant challenges to public health systems, especially in countries like Ethiopia, where access to healthcare services is already limited. Objective: This study aims to assess inventory management performance for tracer medicines at public health facilities of the southwest Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Method: Concurrent triangulation mixed-method study was conducted from 1 to 30 June 2022. The quantitative data were collected using interviewer-administered semistructured questionnaires and observational checklists. The qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with key informants. The quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS version 26 and Excel spreadsheet version 16. We calculated the stock-out rate, inventory accuracy rate, percentage of facilities that fulfill appropriate storage conditions, percentage of facilities that submitted reports on time, and received the exact quantity of drugs they ordered. Qualitative data were analyzed manually using the thematic content analysis technique. Results: The inventory accuracy rate for tracer medicines was 76% for hospitals and 72.5% for health centers. The overall mean stock-out rate was 24.99%. Bin card updating practice was 93.3%, and only 25% health facilities met the acceptable storage conditions criteria. Among submitted reports, 88.8% were timely reported, 72.2% were accurate, and 75% were complete. Inventory management challenges include a shortage of supplies from the supplier and in the market, price inflation, inadequate training, lack of supportive supervision, insufficient IT and storage infrastructures, lack of communication, and budget constraints. Conclusion: From this finding, we concluded that facilities’ report quality, inventory record accuracy, storage conditions, and logistics management information system needs improvements. Therefore, Ministry of Health, assessed facilities and Ethiopian pharmaceuticals Supply Services should take measures to improve them.

Establishing recipiency, an indispensable ingredient and manifestation of sustaining intersubjectivity, constitutes the continuous monitoring of an ongoing turn in an interaction. The present study intended to describe how interactants attending a freshman common course in an Ethiopian university elicit and display recipiency in instances of Divergent L2 contexts exhibiting DIUs. Naturally occurring video-recorded classroom interactions of the purposively selected interactants have been analyzed in light of the Conversation Analytic framework to show how interactants elicit and display recipiency. By deploying reactive tokens, incipient speakers negotiate their rights to shape and reshape trajectories of an ongoing thereby displaying recipiency. This contributes to a better understanding of how interactures, in this case the establishment of intersubjectivity and L2 contexts, interplay and unfold in moments of DIUs. Also, viewing interactants as incipient speakers, and thereby articulating turns in view of recipients is a condition for sustaining intersubjectivity through active engagement. This requires upholding unwavering belief about recipients’ stake in an interactional exchange. Practically, being attentive to recipients' states in the different trajectories of interactional development, especially, in moments of divergent L2 contexts that exhibit DIUs, would be illuminating. This is because the use of resources to elicit and display recipiency and thereby consider incipient speakers' levels of recipiency, on the part of floor-holding speaker, would enhance possibilities for intersubjectivity.

Given the Amharic language has a lot of perplexing terminology since it features duplicate homophone letters, fidel's ሀ, ሐ, and ኀ (three of which are pronounced as HA), ሠ and ሰ (both pronounced as SE), አ and ዐ (both pronounced as AE), and ጸ and ፀ (both pronounced as TSE). The WSD (Word Sense Disambiguation) model, which tackles the issue of lexical ambiguity in the context of the Amharic language, is developed using a deep learning technique. Due to the unavailability of the Amharic wordnet, a total of 1756 examples of paired Amharic ambiguous homophonic words were collected. These words were ድህነት(dhnet) and ድኅነት(dhnet), ምሁር(m'hur) and ምሑር(m'hur), በአል(be'al) and በዢል(be'al), አቢይ (abiy) and ዐቢይ(abiy), with a total of 1756 examples. Following word preprocessing, word2vec, fasttext, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TFIDF), and bag of words (BoW) were used to vectorize the text. The vectorized text was divided into train and test data. The train data was then analysed using Naive Bayes (NB), K-nearest neighbour (KNN), logistic regression (LG), decision trees (DT), random forests (RF), and random oversampling technique. Bidirectional Gate Recurrent Unit (BiGRU) and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) improved to 99.99 % accuracy even with limited datasets.

Introduction: The development of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has immensely improved the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS. Despite such a change, concerns continue to persist regarding the safety of the latest drugs added to the regimens. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and weight gain in individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy containing dolutegravir at a general hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at RDDMH from 1 February to 30 March 2022. The study included PLHIV who had dolutegravir substituted into their combined regimen in November 2019. Collected data underwent cleaning, entry, and analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v. 26.0 and R programing. Descriptive statistics were employed for univariate and bivariate analysis. The Kaplan–Meier model in R was used to illustrate the hazard function. A significance level of p < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval were employed for statistical reporting. Results: The study followed 185 PLHIV who were on ART who either substituted their previous regimens or initiated a new dolutegravir-based regimen for 12 months. Most were females (59.5%), aged over 38 years (57.5%), married (50.8%), and had lived with HIV for 7 or more years (51.9%). The incidence proportion of T2DM in this sample was 7.0% (95% CI: 3.8–10.3). The age category (X2(1, N = 185) = 12.29, p < 0.001) exhibited a statistically significant relationship with the incidence of T2DM. The cumulative rate of T2DM in the age group over 38 years was approximately 15.4%. The pairwise Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed statistically significant differences in BMI scores between time points. Conclusion: This study observed a noteworthy incidence of T2DM among PLHIV receiving a dolutegravir-based first-line ART. Healthcare providers should prioritize early follow-up and management options for PLHIV who are on dolutegravir-based ART regimens.

Abstract Background Pertussis, a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis, is a leading global public health issue. Ethiopia is currently conducting multiple pertussis outbreak investigations, but there is a lack of comprehensive information on attack rate, case fatality rate, and infection predictors. This study aimed to measure attack rates, case fatality rates, and factors associated with pertussis outbreak. Methods This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies on pertussis outbreaks in Ethiopia from 2009 to 2023, using observational study designs, using the guideline Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The study utilized databases like Science Direct, MEDLINE/PubMed, African Journals Online, Google Scholar and registers. The data were collected using an Excel Spreadsheet and then exported to STATA version 17 for analysis. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify potential disparities. A random effects model was used to consider heterogeneity among studies. I2-squared test statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. The attack rate, case fatality rate, and odds ratio (OR) were presented using forest plots with a 95% confidence interval. Egger’s and Begg’s tests were used to evaluate the publication bias. Results Seven pertussis outbreak investigations with a total of 2824 cases and 18 deaths were incorporated. The pooled attack and case fatality rates were 10.78 (95% CI: 8.1–13.5) per 1000 population and 0.8% (95% CI: 0.01–1.58%), respectively. The highest and lowest attack rates were in Oromia (5.57 per 1000 population and in the Amhara region (2.61 per 1000 population), respectively. Predictor of pertussis outbreak were being unvaccinated [odds ratio (OR) = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.83–4.27] and contact history [OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.69–5.19]. Conclusion Higher and notable variations in attack and case fatality rates were reported. Being unvaccinated and having contact history were the predictors of contracting pertussis disease in Ethiopia. Enhancing routine vaccination and contact tracing efforts should be strengthened.

Abstract Background Malaria is a major public health concern in Ethiopia, where more than half of the population lives in malaria risk areas. While several studies have been conducted in different eco-epidemiological settings in Ethiopia, there is a notable scarcity of data on the prevalence of malaria in the Gindabarat district. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse 10-year trend of malaria prevalence in Gindabarat district, West Shawa Zone of Oromia, Western Ethiopia. Methods A retrospective laboratory record review was conducted at Gindabarat General Hospital and Gindabarat District Health Office from September 2011 to August 2020. The retrieved data included the date of examination, age, sex and laboratory results of the blood smears, including the Plasmodium species identified. Data were summarized and presented in the form of tables, figures, and frequencies to present the results. The data were analysed using SPSS (version 25.0) and Microsoft Excel. Results Over the course of 10 years, a total of 11,478 blood smears were examined in the public health facilities in the district. Of the total blood smears examined, 1372 (11.95%) were microscopically confirmed malaria. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and mixed infections (P. falciparum and P. vivax) accounted for 70.77%, 20.55% and 8.67% of the cases, respectively. Malaria prevalence was significantly higher among individuals aged ≥ 15 years (12.60%, x2 = 13.6, df = 2, p = 0.001) and males (14.21%, x2 = 59.7, df = 1, p = 0.001). The highest number of malaria cases was recorded from September to November. Conclusion Malaria remains a public health problem in the district. P. falciparum was the most predominant parasite species in the area. Malaria prevalence was significantly higher among individuals aged ≥ 15 years and males. There was a remarkable fluctuation in the number of malaria cases in different months and years. In the study area malaria cases peaked in 2015 and 2017 then decreasing from 2017 to 2019, with sharp increase in 2020. Moreover, this study showed malaria cases were reported in all seasons and months, but the highest was observed from September to November. Strengthening malaria control activities is essential to further reduce the burden of malaria and pave the way for the anticipated elimination.

Abstract Background Maternal deaths are concentrated in low and middle-income countries, and Africa accounts for over 50% of the deaths. Women from socioeconomically disadvantaged households have higher morbidity and mortality rates and lower access to maternal health services. Understanding and addressing these inequalities is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and improving maternal health outcomes. This study examines the demographic and economic disparities in the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) in four countries with high maternal mortality rates in Africa, namely Nigeria, Chad, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Method The study utilised data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) from Nigeria, Chad, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The data was obtained from the Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) database. The study examined ANC service utilisation inequality in four dimensions such as economic status, education, place of residence, and subnational region across different subgroups by using four summary measures (Difference (D), Absolute Concentration Index (ACI), Population Attributable Risk (PAR), and Population Attributable Factor (PAF)). Result A varying level of inequality in ANC coverage across multiple survey years was observed in Nigeria, Chad, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Different regions and countries exhibit varying levels of inequality. Disparities were prominent based on educational attainment and place of residence. Higher level of inequality was generally observed among individuals with higher education and those residing in urban areas. Inequality in ANC coverage was also observed by economic status, subnational region, and other factors in Nigeria, Chad, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. ANC coverage is generally higher among the richest quintile subgroup, indicating inequality. Nigeria and Chad show the highest levels of inequality in ANC coverage across multiple measures. Sierra Leone displays some variation with higher coverage among the poorest quintile subgroup. Conclusion and recommendation Inequalities in ANC coverage exist across age groups and survey years in Nigeria, Chad, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Disparities are prominent based on education, residence, and economic status. Efforts should focus on improving access for vulnerable groups, enhancing education and awareness, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and addressing economic disparities.

Abstract Excessive occupational exposure to noise results in a well-recognized occupational hearing loss which is prevalent in many workplaces and now it is taken as a global problem. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss and associated factors among workers in the Bishoftu Central Air Base in Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 central air base workers through face-to-face interviews, an environment noise survey, and an audiometric test for data collection. Data were entered by Epi-data version 3.1 and SPSS was used to analyze the data. Finally, a statistical analysis such as descriptive and binary logistic regression analysis was applied. A P-value

Abstract Background Depression during pregnancy is a significant health concern that can lead to a variety of short and long-term complications for mothers. Unfortunately, there is a lack of information available on the prevalence and predictors of prenatal depression in rural eastern Ethiopia. This study assessed prenatal depression and associated factors among pregnant women attending public health facilities in the Babile district, Eastern Ethiopia. Method An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 329 pregnant women attending Babile District Public Health Facilities from November 1 to December 30, 2021. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with prenatal depression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was used to report the association, and the significance was declared at a p-value

Abstract Background Precancerous cervical lesions develop in the transformation zone of the cervix and progress through stages known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 2, and 3. If untreated, CIN2 or CIN3 can lead to cervical cancer. The determinants of cervical precancerous lesions are not well documented in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to find the determinants of cervical precancerous lesions among women screened for cervical cancer at public health facilities. Methods A study conducted from January to April 2020 involved 216 women, consisting of 54 cases (positive for VIA during cervical cancer screening) and 162 controls (negative for VIA). It focused on women aged 30 to 49 undergoing cervical cancer screening. Multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed the link between precancerous lesions and different risk factors, considering a significance level of p

Abstract Background Dyspepsia is a common gastrointestinal illness sometimes associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Screening and eradicating the bacterium reduces the risk of infection-related complications. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of H. pylori infection among dyspeptic patients and the effectiveness of triple eradication therapy at hospitals in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. Results The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 48.5%. The H. pylori eradication rate using first-line triple therapy was 83.8%. Eradication therapy failure is associated with previous exposure compared to no exposure (AOR: 4.8, 95% CI: 1.37–10.97), a regimen for 10-days compared to 14-days (AOR: 4.05, 95% CI: 1.42–11.55), and self-reported side effects compared to no report (AOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.12–5.97). Based on Morisky-eight scale 230 (79.0%) patients were adherent to their triple therapy. Participants with no reports of adverse effects showed increased odds of adherence to triple therapy compared to those who had reports (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.29–4.62). Conclusions This study demonstrated that about half of adult dyspeptic patients were infected with H. pylori, and moderate eradication was observed. Factors such as previous history of eradication therapy, duration of the eradication regimen, and perception of potential adverse effects are associated with eradication rate and should be considered during the initiation of eradication therapy.

Abstract Background Antenatal care (ANC) is a principal component of safe motherhood and reproductive health strategies across the continuum of care. Although the coverage of antenatal care visits has increased in Ethiopia, there needs to be more evidence of effective coverage of antenatal care. The 'effective coverage' concept can pinpoint where action is required to improve high-quality coverage in Ethiopia. Effective coverage indicates a health system's performance by incorporating need, utilization, and quality into a single measurement. The concept includes the number of contacts, facility readiness, interventions received, and components of services received. This study aimed to measure effective antenatal care coverage in Ethiopia. Methods A two-stage cluster sampling method was used and included 2714 women aged 15–49 years and 462 health facilities from six Ethiopian regions from October 2019 to January 2020. The effective coverage cascade was analyzed among the targeted women by computing the proportion who received four or more antenatal care visits where the necessary inputs were available, received iron-folate supplementation and two doses of tetanus vaccination according to process quality components of antenatal care services. Results Of all women, 40% (95%CI; 38, 43) had four or more visits, ranging from 3% in Afar to 74% in Addis Ababa. The overall mean health facility readiness score of the facilities serving these women was 70%, the vaccination and iron-folate supplementation coverage was 26%, and the ANC process quality was 64%. As reported by women, the least score was given to the quality component of discussing birth preparedness and complication readiness with providers. In the effective coverage cascade, the input-adjusted, intervention-adjusted, and quality-adjusted antenatal coverage estimates were 28%, 18%, and 12%, respectively. Conclusion The overall effective ANC coverage was low, primarily due to a considerable drop in the proportion of women who completed four or more ANC visits. Improving quality of services is crucial to increase ANC up take and completion of the recommended visits along with interventions increasing women’s awareness.

Abstract Background Women alone contraceptive decisions making has become one of the top burring public health agenda. Despite Contraceptive method options are available and accessible, contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) in Ethiopia is not far beyond 41%. Evidences showed that the freedom of women to choose the contraceptive method they desired to use is one of the potential determinants for the sluggish pace of increase in contraceptive usage. In this era of sustainable development, determining the level of women own contraceptive use decision making and identifying its correlates is very critical for the ministries and relevant partners’ effort in tracking the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.2 by providing actionable evidence through informed decision-making with the aim of improving contraceptive uptake; reducing maternal mortality and improve newborn health. Methods Nationally representative cross-sectional data from Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) 2021 was used in this study. The sample was restricted among2446 married women who have been using or most recently used modern contraceptive method. Cell sample size adequacy was checked using a chi-square test. Frequency was computed to characterize the study participants. Multilevel binary logistics regression was used to identify factors associated with women own contraceptive use decision making. The findings were presented in a form of frequencies, percentage and as an odds ratio using 95% confidence interval. A p-value of 0.05 was used to declare significance. Results This study revealed that higher than one in two women (59.49%; 95% CI: 57.7-61.38%) decide their contraceptive use by themselves. What is more interesting is that 1 in 16 women (6.06%) reported that they did not participated in their contraceptive use decision-making.-. Women aged 20 to 24 years; (AOR: 2.51 (1.04, 4.45)), women who stayed10 and above years in marriage; (AOR: 1.73 (1.08, 2.77)), whose husband and/or partner age is 41 and above years; (AOR: 2.14 (1.06, 4.31)) and those who obtained contraceptive method they desired; (AOR: 2.49 (1.36, 4.57)) had higher odds of deciding their current and/or recent contraceptive use by their own. On the other hand, women mixed feeling if they became pregnant at the time of the survey; (AOR: 0.6 (0.44, 0.91)), women who started using contraceptive at younger age, 19 to 24; (AOR: 0.6 (0.44, 0.81)), those who use long acting and/or permanent method; (AOR: 0.54 (0.41, 0.71)) and those married at younger age, 10 to 19 years; (AOR: 0.28 (0.09, 0.86)) had lower odds of independently deciding their current and/or most recent contraceptive use. Conclusion 59% of women independently decide their contraceptive use which calls up on further improvement to enable each woman to decide by their own, with directing special focus for the 6.06% of women who reported no say in their contraceptive use decision. Activities targeting on enabling women to use the method they preferred, spacing their pregnancy, encouraging women to discuss with their husband on the time and type of contraceptive method they used, advocating and promoting marriage at least to be at the minimum age as indicate by the law and maintain the marriage duration as much as longer are hoped to improve women alone contraceptive use decision making to the fullest.

Abstract Introduction : Mothers/caregivers should be aware of a newborn’s danger signs and promptly seek medical attention. Hence, this study assessed mothers’/caregivers’ awareness, healthcare seeking behaviors for neonatal danger signs and their determinants in the developing regional state of Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was employed among mothers/caregivers of neonates in the developing regional state of Ethiopia. The sample was determined in collaboration with the Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia. Stratified multi-stage cluster sampling was used to recruit the sample. Data were collected through an interviewer administered structured questionnaire using a tablet computer. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were applied to identify determinants of awareness and treatment-seeking behavior for neonatal danger signs. Results The result of the study showed that nearly one-third (32.7%) of the respondents had a good level of awareness of neonatal danger signs, and 69.0% of the respondents had good healthcare-seeking practice about neonatal danger signs. Regional state (Benishangul-Gumuz) [AOR = 1.61; 95% CI (1.09, 2.39)], Muslim’s [AOR = 1.75; 95% CI (1.20, 2.55)] and permission to travel to a health facility [AOR = 0.48; 95% CI (0.37, 0.63)] were determinants of mothers’/caregivers’ awareness about neonatal danger signs. Antenatal care (ANC) attendance and institutional delivery were shown to have a positive association with neonatal healthcare seeking (AOR = 2.14 and AOR = 2.37, respectively). Conclusion In Ethiopia’s developing regional states, mothers/caregivers were remarkably unaware of neonatal danger signs. Region, religion, mothers’/caregivers’ age, and need for permission to travel to a health facility were predictor variables for neonatal danger sign awareness. Better healthcare seeking practices, which are determined by ANC attendance and institutional delivery, are observed in these regions. Federal and regional governments should give these regions due attention. Moreover, regional health bureaus and health professionals should tackle the problem by focusing on the identified factors.

A landslide is one of the geological hazards that cause the most disaster in densely populated areas. The landslide that occurred in Gezie Gofa woreda, Gofa Zone, Kencho Shacha Gozdi village, killed more than 250 people. Two landslides occurred on July 22, 2024, at 8:30 and 10:40 AM The first landslide killed six people and demolished three houses. The second landslide killed more than 245 people, including those who came to the site to excavate the buried bodies during the first landslide. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the landslide causative factors, model the landslide susceptibility, and characterize the landslide disaster on socioeconomic effects that occurred on July 22, 2024. The landslide inventory data, field surveys, laboratory analyses, and various geophysical surveys characterized the current and past landslides of the area. The landslide susceptibility model was modeled using a statistical approach in the GIS. environment. The socioeconomic effects were assessed using field surveys and systematic interviews with the victims. The conditioning factors selected for landslide susceptibility modeling are lithology, geological structures, groundwater, slope, land use or land cover, aspect, curvature, and elevation. The major triggering factor of the landslide in the area was heavy rainfall, which occurred on July 21–22, 2024, between 3:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. The results reveal that the significant conditioning factors of the landslide in the study area are geological structures (both visible and inferred), groundwater, slopes, and human activities. The characterized socioeconomic effects include the destruction of agricultural land, the demolishing of houses, and the loss of human lives, as well as several people evacuated and sheltered under tents and churches. However, the most momentous disaster in the area is the loss of human life. Based on the research results, it would be better to relocate those people living in the high landslide susceptible zones, and all high landslide-prone areas and mountainous terrain in southern Ethiopia should be mapped, and the people should be aware of the landslide risk areas.

Tax evasion, a global concern, undermines government revenue, public services, and societal trust. It occurs when taxpayers deliberately avoid their tax obligations. This study primarily explores the link between government legitimacy and tax evasion decisions in Ethiopia. Aside from bridging the knowledge gap in tax evasion, the findings are instrumental for policymakers to develop more effective approaches to tax collection and promote a culture of voluntary tax compliance in Ethiopia. Using survey data from 768 respondents across five administrative zones in Southern Ethiopia. The research examines how taxpayers’ perceptions of government legitimacy influence their attitudes toward tax evasion. Methodologically, the study employed one-way ANOVA and a logistic regression model to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal a significant negative association between government legitimacy and tax evasion. Taxpayers who view the government as legitimate are less likely to consider evasion. However, other factors also play a role. The study identifies age, perceived corruption, penalty severity, and tax system complexity as positively influencing tax evasion attitudes, while education level has a negative effect. Based on these findings, the study recommends strategies to improve government legitimacy and strengthen tax compliance. these include promoting accountable and transparent governance, enhancing public service delivery, simplifying the tax system, increasing penalties for evasion, and tackling corruption. By addressing these aspects, Ethiopia can foster trust in institutions and ultimately reduce tax evasion.