Search

Background: Dietary diversification is one of several approaches for improving micronutrient levels in women of reproductive age. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of minimum dietary diversity among pregnant women, explore the association between women's decision-making autonomy and dietary diversity, and identify other potential determinants of dietary diversity in Northwest Ethiopia. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study of 621 pregnant women was conducted from November 2022 to December 2022. A cluster random sampling technique was employed. A binary logistic regression model was used to explore the association between dietary diversity and women's decision-making autonomy. Adjusted odds ratios with 95 % CIs were estimated to identify factors associated with the dietary diversity of pregnant women, and they were considered to be statistically significant at a P-value 2000 ETB (AOR = 6.05, CI: 3.16, 11.59), having nutritional information (AOR = 2.15, CI: 1.32, 3.51), being food secure (AOR = 2.63, CI:1.6, 4.34), morbidity status (AOR: 0.278, CI: 0.14, 0.56), ANC visits one time (AOR = 2.08, CI = 1.003, 4.33) and two or three times (AOR = 2.45, CI: 1.15, 5.24) were potential predictors of pregnant women's dietary diversity. Conclusion: Maternal dietary diversity was significantly associated with women's decision-making autonomy. Thus, the government should strengthen women's empowerment, rights, access to education, and economic opportunities.

Abstract Background Human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most infectious diseases that cause death. A Medication non-adherence in HIV patient has been caused by factors such as not taking medications as prescribed by a physician, withdrawing from medication, missing appointments, and forgetfulness. To improve patients’ antiretroviral adherence, supporting them with mobile phone applications is advisable. This study aimed to assess HIV patients’ perceptions towards the use of cell phones to improve antiretroviral adherence. Methods and materials An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 HIV patients at a comprehensive specialized hospital in northwest Ethiopia from June to July 2022. Study participants were selected using systematic random sampling techniques and the data collection tool was adopted and modified for different literatures. Data were collected through an online data collection tool, and STATA-14 software was used for analysis. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used. The variables with a P-value equal to or less than 0.2 in bivariable logistic regression were entered into a multivariable logistic regression, and model fitness was assessed. Results A total of 410 study subjects have participated, making a response rate of 97%. In this study, 62% (95% CI: 57–67%) of HIV patients had a positive perception regarding the use of mobile phones to improve antiretroviral adherence. Perceived usefulness of mobile phones [AOR = 4.5, (95% CI: 2.2–9.1)], perceived ease of mobile phone use [AOR = 3.9, (95% CI: 2.0–7.5), age [AOR = 3.0, (95% CI: 1.5–6.2)], and educational status [AOR = 5.0, (95% CI: 2.3–10.0)] were significantly associated with HIV patients’ perception of mobile phones’ use to improve antiretroviral adherence. Conclusions More than half of the respondents had positive perception regarding the use of mobile phones to enhance their adherence to treatment. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, age, and educational status was significantly associated with perception of mobile phone use to enhance antiretroviral therapy adherence. Therefore, the government have to encourage and support patients in incorporating mobile phones into their antiretroviral therapy (ART) follow-up through training.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in the use of telemedicine as a means of delivering healthcare services remotely. Healthcare providers play a key role in the adoption and implementation of telemedicine for its effectiveness. Despite its benefits, there have been unclear concerns about its effectiveness and acceptance in the process of implementing telemedicine. The objective of the study was to assess health professionals’ perceptions towards the implementation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study design was conducted among eight hundred forty-five study participants from December 2020 to February 2021. A pre-test was performed on 5% of the total sample size, and the quality of the data was ensured by checking its completeness and consistency. Descriptive statistics and bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used. The Variables with a P-value equal to or less than 0.25 in bivariable logistic regression were entered into a multivariable logistic regression, and model fitness was assessed. Result The study revealed that 60.9% of professionals had a good perception toward telemedicine implementation, with an 87.2% response rate. Health professionals with IT support staff, ICT training, who use social media platforms regularly, and availability of computer or smartphone within/outside their health facility were 4.7, 3.3, 3.7, and 13.2 times more likely to have a positive association towards telemedicine implementation respectively. Conclusion More than half of the health professionals had a good perception of telemedicine. Social media use, ICT training, computer accessibility, and the presence of IT support staff were all found to have positive associations with the telemedicine perception. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government should take the initiative to strengthen opportunities for health professionals to learn and apply telemedicine in their medical practice by providing ICT training, IT infrastructure and support staff, improving computer access, and recommending health professionals’ positive use of social media in the health facility.

Tigist Kefyalew Goffe,1,* Zewdie Aderaw Alemu,1,* Tadios Niguss Derese,2,* Yohannes Bayou Tilahun,3 Robel Bayou Tilahun4 1Department of Public Health, Gamby Medical and Business College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2Department of Research and Training, Eka Kotebe General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 3General Practitioner at Health Hub Specialty Clinics by Al-Futtaim, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 4General Practitioner, Uniteam Medical Assistant, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Tigist Kefyalew Goffe, Tel +251960291564, Email tgkefyalew59@gmail.comBackground: Although diffuse alveolar damage and respiratory failure are the most common symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019, other organ involvement, such as the kidney, has been reported. The incidence of acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients has been reported to vary greatly. In this study, we look at the magnitude and risk factors for acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia, a developing country.Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study design was conducted among admitted COVID-19 patients at Eka Kotebe general hospital and Saint Peter COVID-19 treatment center by reviewing data from September 2020 to September 2021. A random sampling technique with proportional size allocation was used to select a total sample of 402 patients (225 from Eka Kotebe and 177 from St. Peter). Secondary data was collected from patient medical records using a standard, pre-tested data collection checklist using the Kobo toolbox, which was then exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. The association between dependent and independent variables was analyzed using binary logistic regression. A statistical significance test was declared at a p value of

Background Universal access to health information is a requirement for all global health strategies in the era of pandemics. Getting health information from the internet is a great concern for the quality of patient healthcare. This study aimed to determine the association between digital health literacy and information-seeking behavior among physicians during COVID-19. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December to February 2021 with a total sample size of 423. A pretest was performed among physicians before the actual data collection. After the data collection, the data were checked, cleaned, and exported into STATA v. 14. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and multivariable logistic regression analysis were applied. Then a 95% CI and a p-value of less than 0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. Results The study revealed that 53.81% of physicians had high digital health literacy and 52.46% had high information-seeking behaviors. Health information-seeking behaviors were determined by digital health literacy, which was 2.25 times more likely than those who had low digital health literacy (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI: [1.11–4.57]). Health-related websites (67.5%) were the most common sources of health information, and 63.30% of physicians find digital health literacy easy or very easy to learn. However, 206 (50.92%) find it difficult or very difficult to decide if the information is reliable, verified, and up-to-date. Internet access (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI: [1.16–3.12]), frequency of searching for information (AOR = 5.35, 95% CI: [2.01–14.29]). All were discovered to be significantly associated with physicians’ health information-seeking behaviors. Conclusions Digital health literacy is a key to seeking health information online for appropriate decision-making. Increasing internet access, and providing ICT training, and integrate it into the health information revolution agendas, helping to disseminate health information and provide timely, reliable, and relevant news and genuine information needed for their work.

Fekade Demeke Bayou,1 Shambel Nigussie Amare2 1Department of Epidemiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Jigjiga University, Jigjiga, Ethiopia; 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medical Science, Haramaya University, Harar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Fekade Demeke Bayou, Email fekadedemeke12@gmail.comIntroduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health threat. Millions of lives were lost to COVID-19 and it has caused a substantial economic crisis throughout the world. The development of coronavirus vaccines has pinned a new hope in combating the pandemic. The success of vaccination and development of herd immunity highly depend on the willingness to be vaccinated, not merely on the availability of a vaccine. This review aims to provide comprehensive evidence on acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and its associated factors in Ethiopia.Methods: Literature searching was done using PubMed, Google scholar and Science direct databases. Studies conducted in Ethiopia, published in English language from inception until January 9, 2022 were included. Retrieved articles were screened based on titles, abstracts and full text reading to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. About 21 eligible studies were included in this systematic review. The data were extracted using a data extraction checklist.Results: A total of 2058 records were retrieved, of which 21 were eligible for this systematic review. All of the articles were cross-sectional studies published in 2021. In Ethiopia, the level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance ranged from 31.4% to 92.33%. The vaccine acceptance level was significantly associated with age groups, sex, educational status, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefit, knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine, and other socio-demographic factors.Conclusion: A significant portion of the studies revealed vaccine acceptance level was low. Variation of vaccine acceptance was associated with socio-demographic factors (age, sex, educational status, etc.), information-related factors, and other health-related behaviors. Dissemination of clear and adequate information concerning the vaccine might be the required prior activity to increase acceptance of the vaccine. Hence, there should be a coordinated effort to halt the pandemic through increasing the acceptance of COVID− 19 vaccine.Keywords: acceptance, COVID-19 vaccine, Ethiopia, systematic review

BackgroundHigh penetration of smartphones and ownership among the young generation increased the utilization of mobile health applications for health management among university students more than ever. Compared to other health service provision mechanisms mobile health service has higher advantages in promoting a healthy lifestyle since it is not limited to time and space. Even though there are numerous studies conducted in the area of mobile health utilization, this phenomenon is not well studied among university students in Ethiopia, Hence this study aims to determine the level of mobile health applications utilization among health science students.MethodA cross-sectional study was carried out at Debre Markos University from April 05 to June 25, 2022 among health science students. For this study, 423 students were recruited from health Science College using a systematic sampling method. The data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Using SPSS version 26 software descriptive analysis, bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. A P-value of .05 at a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The questionnaire's validity was determined by expert opinion, and by calculating its reliability using cronbach alpha (α = .78).ResultThis study revealed that more than half 59% (144/244) of the study participants have installed and utilized 1-3 health-related apps. Among the students who have mobile health applications 38.6% utilize mobile health application several times a day while only 2.1% utilized rarely. Usage history shows that 40% of the study participants utilized the applications for a year, while 15.4% of the students utilized them for more than 2 years. Easiness of applications (AOR = 4.8, 95%CI: [2.1-11.2]), skill AOR = 4.2, 95%CI: [3.8-12]) and trust (AOR = 2.8, 95%CI: [1.6-4.8]) were among the factors that were associated with mobile health applications utilization. Students were asked about the barriers that limit the use mobile health applications and self-reported barriers includes Lack of knowledge and awareness of application benefits, and Lack of adequate time to use applications.ConclusionThe study shows that mobile health applications utilization is moderate relative to previous studies. Mobile health application developers for the young generation should consider healthy lifestyle related applications like fitness and weight loss apps.

The present work deals with the investigation of the use of the elaborated aluminophosphate (AlPO$_{4}$-5) and silico-aluminophosphate (SAPO-5) materials, in uranium sorption from aqueous solution and real effluents obtained from Nuclear Research Center of Draria, Algiers, Algeria. The surface charge and acidic–basic character of AlPO$_{4}$-5 and SAPO-5 is investigated by the determination of point of zero charge. Batch adsorption experimental studies are carried out to evaluate the influence of initial uranium concentration, final solution pH, contact time, solid-to-liquid ratio and temperature. A maximum adsorption capacity of 61.96 and 74.10 mg/g was obtained for AlPO$_{4}$-5 and SAPO-5 respectively, at pH 7 with an adsorbent ratio of 0.1/150 g/ml and an equilibrium time of 120 min. Kinetic models (pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and Weber–Morris) are applied to find the mechanism for the removal of uranium ions, experimental data are analyzed by equilibrium models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich and Temkin). Modeling sorption results show that uranium sorption is a chemical and endothermic process. The results showed that AlPO$_{4}$-5 and SAPO-5 are effective materials for the removal of uranium (VI) ions.

Background Understanding telemedicine technology is significantly important for the implementation of a telemedicine system in resource-limited areas. Specifically, in Ethiopia, the doctor-to-patient ratio was 0.003. This has made it difficult to access healthcare services remotely. Therefore, to maximize and facilitate telemedicine adoption, it is critical to have information about health professionals’ knowledge and awareness of telemedicine services. This study aimed to determine the Knowledge and Awareness of Health Professionals towards Telemedicine Services in Northwest, Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 423 health professionals working at referral hospitals from 12 February to 20 March 2020. Descriptive statistics, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were done. To identify associated factors, an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used. Result With a response rate of 411 (97.2%), approximately 56.4% of professionals had good knowledge and 57.4% had high awareness of telemedicine services. Information sharing culture [AOR = 3.01, 95% CI: 1.89, 4.80], IT support staff [AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.06, 3.29], internet as a source of information [AOR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.94], awareness [AOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.40], and being male [AOR = 1.73, 95% CI:1.06], telemedicine training [AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.15, 4.72] and computer accessibility in their hospitals [AOR = 1.54,95% CI: 1.01, 2.35] were significantly associated with respondents’ awareness of telemedicine services. Conclusion More than half of the participants were well-versed in and aware of telemedicine applications. Information sources, having IT support staff, information sharing culture, gender, and awareness were significant for telemedicine service knowledge, and telemedicine training and computer access were significant factors for health professionals’ awareness of telemedicine services. As a result, health professionals should receive appropriate and ongoing awareness-raising training on telemedicine systems.

Background: Community-based management of acute malnutrition is implementing in Ethiopia but there is scarce information in our study set up regarding the time to recovery and its predictors of severe acute malnutrition among 6 to 59 months children, so this study aimed to assess the time to recovery and its predictors for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition among 6 to 59 children managed at the outpatient therapeutic program in north Shewa zone, Ethiopia. Methods: A health post-based prospective follow-up study was conducted on 6 to 59 months children from November 20/2020 to February 20/2021. A total of 423 children had included in the study. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire had used. The median time to recovery had calculated using the Kaplan-Meier curve. Bi-variable and multi-variable Cox regression models with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were done. Finally, the variable that had a P -value

Mohammed Ahmed Seid,1 Negalign Berhanu Bayou,2 Fanos Yeshanew Ayele,3 Aregash Abebayehu Zerga3 1Zone Health Office, Oromia Specialized Zone, Kemisse, Amhara Region, Ethiopia; 2Department of Health Service Management School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia; 3Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wollo University, Dessie, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Fanos Yeshanew Ayele Tel +251921202298Email fanoswu12@gmail.comIntroduction: Health management information system is a building block for the health system. Even if using health facility data at all levels is critical, it is poorly practiced in developing countries. There is limited evidence about the utilization of routine health information from the health management information system in the study area. This study aimed to assess the utilization of routine health information from health management information system and associated factors among health professionals at health centers in Oromia special zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia.Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2019. A total of 369 health professionals who were the focal person for each service delivery point were taken from the selected health centers. The data analysis was done using STATA version 14. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model was carried out to identify factors associated with utilization of routine health information from the health management information system. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was reported to show the strength of association. A P-value of < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.Results: The magnitude of good routine health information utilization among health care professionals was 52.8%. Training (AOR=2.40, 95% CI=1.35, 4.26), availability of standard indicator definition (AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.13, 3.57), data analysis skills (AOR=2.59, 95% CI=1.45, 4.62), regular feedback (AOR=2.29, 95% CI=1.29, 4.05), performance evaluation (AOR=2.60, 95% CI=1.19, 5.68) and timely reporting (AOR=2.89, 95% CI=1.54, 5.42) were significantly associated with routine health information utilization.Conclusion: The overall utilization of routine health information from the health management information system was low. Therefore, the Zone health department and woreda health offices need to give training on HMIS data use, and avail standard indicator definition for all health care workers at all service delivery points.Keywords: routine health information utilization, health care professionals, health centers

Abstract Greenhouse and multi-location experiments were conducted for two consecutive years to investigate the effects of rhizobium on nodulation, biomass production and partitioning of faba bean. Split-plot in randomized complete block design was used for field experiments. Treatments consisted of six rhizobium strains and three faba bean varieties. Peat carrier-based inoculant of each strain was applied at the rate of 10 g kg−1 seed. Non-inoculated plants without N fertilizer and with N fertilizer served as –N and + N controls, respectively. Data on nodulation, shoot dry weight and root dry weight were collected and analyzed. Inoculation of rhizobium significantly increased nodulation of faba bean under greenhouse and field conditions. Location x strain x variety interaction had significant effects on nodulation, dry matter production and partitioning. Rhizobium inoculation increased nodulation, shoot and root dry weights of faba bean across locations. For example, inoculation with rhizobium strains NSFBR-15 and NSFBR-12 to variety Moti resulted in 206.9 and 99.3% shoot dry weight increase at Abala Gase and Hankomolicha, respectively and 133.3 and 70.7% root dry weight increase on the same variety at the same sites, respectively. Nodulation and biomass production depend on the compatibility between faba bean genotype and rhizobium strain and its interaction with soil bio-physical conditions.

Getahun Fetensa,1 Bizuneh Wakuma,1 Tadesse Tolossa,2 Ginenus Fekadu,3 Tariku Tesfaye Bekuma,2 Lamma Fayisa,1 Werku Etafa,1 Tilahun Bekela,4 Merga Besho,4 Nesru Hiko,1 Marga Bayou Bekele,5 Deressa Worku,5 Girma Yadesa,6 Reta Tsegaye1 1Department of Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia; 2Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia; 3Department of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia; 4Department of Midwifery, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia; 5Department of Nursing, College of Health Science, Arsi University, Arsella, Ethiopia; 6Department of Nursing, College of Medical and Health Science, Dirre Dawa University, Dirre Dawa, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Getahun Fetensa Department of NursingInstitute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, P.O Box 395, Nekemte, EthiopiaTel +251-910344425Fax +251-576617980Email fetensagehun@gmail.comBackground: Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide concern due to the inappropriate and irrational use of antibiotics. Thus, this study was aimed at determining the knowledge and attitude of graduating health science students of Wollega University towards antimicrobial resistance.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed from June to July 2019. Epi-data version 3.1 was used to receive data and exported to SPSS version 25 for further analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were done to find factors associated with attitudes of students towards antibiotic consumption and resistance at a 95% confidence level. The strength of association was measured with the odds ratio. Variables with a p-value of < 0.05 at multivariable analysis were considered to be a significant variable. Finally, texts and simple frequency tables were used to present the findings.Results: Out of 249, 232 students were included in this survey yielding a response rate of 93.6%. Hundred fifty-eight (68.1%) of them had adequate knowledge about antibiotic identification, role, side effects, and resistance. Students with a family member who works in health and related professions had a lower probability of stopping antibiotics when they feel better (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28– 0.90) and using leftover antibiotics (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28– 0.92) compared to their counterparts.Conclusion: Students’ knowledge on antibiotic identification, role, side effects, and resistance was suboptimal, and the attitude of students towards antibiotic consumption was unfavorable. Respondents having a family member in a health-related field showed a good attitude. Respondents with three years of study also had a good attitude, female gender showed good attitude, and urban residence were independent predictors of attitude toward antibiotic consumption. Training on antimicrobial resistance should be arranged for graduating class nursing and medical students, as they are the future prescribers.Keywords: knowledge, attitude, antimicrobial resistance, university students

Introduction The healthcare industry is increasingly concerned about medical errors, which are the leading cause of death worldwide and also compromise patient safety. This medical error is even more serious in developing countries where healthcare is not supported by technology. Because of the traditional paper-based prescription system, Ethiopia has an overall medication prescribing error rate of 58.07% that could be avoided if an electronic prescription system was in place. Therefore, this study aims to assess physicians’ perceptions towards electronic prescription implementation. Methods From February 1 to April 5, 2021, an institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among physicians working in public hospitals in the Amhara region. 384 physicians were selected using a simple random sampling method. The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS, version 21. To assess factors associated with perception among physicians, a binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. A P.05 value, at a 95% confidence interval, was considered statistically significant. The validity of the questionnaire was determined based on expert opinion, as well as its reliability was determined by calculating the value of Cronbach alpha (α = .78). Results In this study, 231 (76.5%) of study participants had a positive perception of electronic prescription. Around 70.8% had more than 5 years of computer usage experience. Nearly 90% of participants claimed that their prescriptions were legible; however, 89% believe that paper-based prescriptions are prone to error. According to multivariable logistic regression analysis, technical skill [AOR] 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] (1.27–17.41), good internet access (AOR 2.82, % CI 1.75–4.54), and perceived usefulness of e-prescription system (AOR 3.31, 95% CI 1.01–12.12) were significantly associated with perception. Conclusions The majority of respondents have a positive perception of electronic prescription. The most notable factors associated with physician perception were organizational factors, internet access, perceived usefulness of the system, and technical skill.

Background: Digitizing healthcare has been a potential solution for transforming healthcare service delivery in the era of COVID-19 pandemics. To limit and minimize the virus spread, telemedicine helps control and prevent the pandemic by delivering healthcare services over long distances using Information communication technology. The objective of the study was to determine the level of telemedicine utilization among health professionals in the era of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the factors associated with it. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 845 healthcare professionals. A pilot study was conducted on 5% of the study participants before the actual data collection process. After completion, changes were made based on the pilot study results, and a Cronbach alpha value of 0.76 was obtained. Descriptive and binary logistic regression models were used. Variables with a P-Value of less than or equal to 0.2 from the bivariable analysis were entered into the multivariable analysis. The odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and p-value less than 0.05 were used to interpret a significant association, Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, and the multicollinearity test were used to assess the assumptions. Result: 64.2% of the respondents had good use of telemedicine during COVID-19 with a response rate of 87.2%. 507 (62.8%) were male, and 525(71.2%) reported by nearly threefold (AOR = 2.96, % CI: [1.54–5.76]), IT support staff in the health facility (AOR = 8.32, 95 %CI: [4.77–14.52]), ICT training (AOR = 4.15, % CI: [2.13–8.02]), the frequency of searching health information (AOR = 6.19, % CI: [2.12–18.07]), and social media used (AOR = 3.46, % CI: [1.43–8.32]) were found significantly associated with health professionals' use of telemedicine. Conclusion: The majority of healthcare providers practice telemedicine to control and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, the availability of the internet, the presence of IT support staff, ICT training, the frequency of searching for health information, and the use of social media were significantly associated with the level of telemedicine utilization. Initiatives for full implementation of telemedicine in the health facility and motivating the health professionals are needed to carry out their medical practice by providing training and improving internet access in health facilities.

The growing requirement for students' robust critical thinking (CT) skills in their academic writing, particularly at the tertiary level, has augmented the attention to equipping students with CT ability. The study, therefore, sought to investigate instructors' beliefs and practices in promoting students' critical thinking (CT) in writing classes. A multiple case study design was employed to address the study objective. Three purposively selected instructors from Wolkite University participated. The data collection method involved classroom observation, interview, and document analysis. The analysis was performed qualitatively using a grounded theory approach--open, axial, and selective coding. The findings indicated that the participants interpreted CT as students' abilities to use appropriate language and logically argue in their writing. They explained some strategies used to promote students' CT skills. These included providing an explicit introduction to CT, incorporating CT into the evaluation system, scaffolding, and giving meaningful topics and adequate opportunities for students to practice writing. Writing activities such as argumentative, summary and cause-effect types were considered to promote students' CT in writing classes. The study categorized and reported factors that interfered with instructors' beliefs and practices as student-related, instructorrelated, and situation-specific factors. The findings contribute relevant insights into the English language teaching sphere.

This study reports the effectiveness of some selected rhizobium strains in enhancing nitrogen fixation and nutrient uptake in Vicia faba L. Multi-location field experiments were conducted for two years (2016 and 2017) using a split-plot in randomized complete block design. Treatments comprised six rhizobium strains as the main plot factor and three varieties of Vicia faba as the sub-plot factor. Non-inoculated plants with or without N fertilizer served as +N and −N controls, respectively. Peat carrier-based inoculant of each strain was applied at the rate of 10 g kg−1 seed. Data on nodulation were taken at the late-flowering stage, whereas nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in plant parts were analyzed at physiological maturity. The total nitrogen difference method was employed to quantify nitrogen fixation. Location x rhizobium strain x variety interaction had a significant effect on nodule dry weight plant−1. Rhizobium strains significantly enhanced nodulation, nitrogen fixation, nutrient uptake and soil nitrogen balance. Inoculation with NSFBR-12 and NSFBR-15 resulted in the highest nitrogen fixed, nutrient uptake and soil nitrogen balance. Vicia faba inoculated with the two top performing strains, NSFBR-12 and NSFBR-15 fixed respectively 87.7% and 85.5% of the total nitrogen uptake. Non-inoculated plants fulfilled proportionately more of the total nitrogen uptake through nitrogen derived from the soil rather than fixed nitrogen. Soil available phosphorus and pH had appreciable influences on nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of inoculated Vicia faba. Inoculation with competitive and effective rhizobium strains can improve soil nitrogen balance, nitrogen fixation and nutrient uptake of Vicia faba.

Physical-based soil erosion models are playing an important role in the assessment of soil erosion, transportation, and deposition in the watershed. Most of these models were developed for data-rich areas of the world and they need a measured data to calibrate and validate their results. To apply such physical-based models, the main factor hindering is the lack of measured sediment data. The amount of sediment in the fluvial systems is the result of hydro-geomorphological processes of a watershed and the nature of stream flows. Therefore, this study aims to develop an alternative empirical model that generates the observed sediment data based on the hydro-geomorphology and nature of stream flows for Ziway Lake basin in the rift Valley of Ethiopia. By applying Soil and water Assessment Tool (SWAT), the lake basin was divided in to two sub-basins (Maki and Katar) with 26 of the watersheds within Maki. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated for both stream and sediment flow by using SUFI-2 program and its performance was assessed by using model evaluation statistics. With calibrated sediment flow rates of 26 Maki sub basins, an empirical model was developed by using its respective drainage area, average sub-basins slope, surface runoff, soil erodibility factor, stream flow rate, and average rive slopes. The applicability of the newly developed alternative model was tested by using model evaluation statistics and validated inside of Katar sub-basin. It is recommended to test the developed model in other basins to incorporate with SWAT CUP program to calibrate and validate the sediment yield at data scared area.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper (Aga et al [...]

Information on sediment concentration in rivers is important for the design and management of reservoirs. In this paper, river sediment flux and siltation rate of a rift valley lake basin (Lake Ziway, Ethiopia) was modeled using suspended sediment concentration (SSC) samples from four rivers and lake outlet stations. Both linear and non-linear least squares log–log regression methods were used to develop the model. The best-fit model was tested and evaluated qualitatively by time-series plots, quantitatively by using watershed model evaluation statistics, and validated by calculating the prediction error. Sediment yield (SY) of ungauged rivers were assessed by developing and using a model that includes catchment area, slope, and rainfall, whereas bedload was estimated. As a result, the gross annual SY transported into the lake was 2.081 Mton/year. Annually, 0.178 Mton/year of sediment is deposited in floodplains with a sediment trapping rate of 20.6%, and 41,340 ton/year of sediment leaves the lake through the Bulbula River. The annual sediment deposition in the lake is 2.039 Mton/year with a mean sediment trapping efficiency of 98%. Based on the established sediment budget with average rainfall, the lake will lose its volume by 0.106% annually and the lifetime of Lake Ziway will be 947 years. The results show that the approach used can be replicated at other similar ungauged watersheds. As one of the most important sources of water for irrigation in the country, the results can be used for planning and implementing a lake basin management program targeting upstream soil erosion control.

To prolong the useful life of lakes and reservoirs, prioritizing watersheds by severity and risk of soil erosion is an essential index to develop sound sediment management plans. This study aims to predict soil erosion risk and sediment yield using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in Lake Ziway basin, Ethiopia, and the model result is validated with lake bathymetric changes. The SUFI-2 program was applied for a model calibration and the performance of the model was assessed. The catchment prioritization study indicated that some sub-basins having the same soil type and land use but a higher slope gives higher sediment yield. This confirms that, in the basin, the upland is the main source of sediment for the lake, hence the variation of sediment yield is more sensitive to terrain slope. Furthermore, the soil conservation scenarios demonstrated in SWAT that reduce the slope length of the watershed by 50% for a slope greater than 5% are decreasing the sediment yield of the basin by 55%. The bathymetric differencing of the lake indicates that the sediment was accumulating at a rate of 3.13 t/ha/year while a calibrated SWAT model resulted in 5.85 t/ha/year. The identified reasons for these variations are the existence of outlet for the lake, floodplain depositions and abstraction of sediment (sand mining) from the tributary rivers before flowing to the lake.

The safe, highly effective measles vaccine has been recommended globally since 1974, yet in 2017 there were more than 17 million cases of measles and 83,400 deaths in children under 5 years old, and more than 99% of both occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)1-4. Globally comparable, annual, local estimates of routine first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) coverage are critical for understanding geographically precise immunity patterns, progress towards the targets of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), and high-risk areas amid disruptions to vaccination programmes caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)5-8. Here we generated annual estimates of routine childhood MCV1 coverage at 5 × 5-km2 pixel and second administrative levels from 2000 to 2019 in 101 LMICs, quantified geographical inequality and assessed vaccination status by geographical remoteness. After widespread MCV1 gains from 2000 to 2010, coverage regressed in more than half of the districts between 2010 and 2019, leaving many LMICs far from the GVAP goal of 80% coverage in all districts by 2019. MCV1 coverage was lower in rural than in urban locations, although a larger proportion of unvaccinated children overall lived in urban locations; strategies to provide essential vaccination services should address both geographical contexts. These results provide a tool for decision-makers to strengthen routine MCV1 immunization programmes and provide equitable disease protection for all children.