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Introduction: The majority of pregnancy-related complications were preventable. However, the magnitude of complications during pregnancy and childbirth was high in sub-Saharan Africa. There was limited evidence on the magnitude of obstetric complications during childbirth and its predictors among postpartum women in Ethiopia. Methods and materials: The research used secondary data sources based on performance monitoring for action in Ethiopia's second cohort longitudinal survey. It was a national survey that was conducted in three large, predominantly agrarian regions (Oromia, Amhara, and SNNP) and one urban region (Addis Ababa) of Ethiopia between 2021 and 2023. It was conducted to track pregnant women's use of essential maternal and newborn health services. It involved the enrollment of pregnant women and tracking them at six weeks, six months, and one year after giving birth. The data collected at the beginning of the survey and six weeks after childbirth were used for the analysis. Sample weights were applied to account for differences in sample allocation and response rates across regions and urban/rural areas. Multi-collinearity and intra-cluster correlation were assessed before fitting the multilevel models to ensure the accuracy of the estimates. A multi-level logistic regression model was used to assess the magnitude and predictors for the occurrence of obstetric complications during delivery. The model fit was evaluated using Akaike's Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion. Adjusted odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of association for this study. Results: The magnitude of obstetric complications during delivery was found to be 33.86% with 95% CI (31.56, 36.24. Among the obstetric complications that occurred during delivery, about 15.73%with 95% CI(14.02, 17.61) of women experienced bleeding, 4.14% with 95% CI (3.30, 5.17) had their membrane rupture but labor did not start within 24 h, 2.29% with 95% CI(1.67, 3.13) had their membrane rupture before 9 months, 3.95% with 95% CI(3.16, 4.93) had faced malpresentation or malposition of the baby, 12.70% with 95% CI (11.18, 14.39) had prolonged labor lasting more than 12 h, and 12.40% with 95% CI (10.83,14.17) had convulsions. The odds of occurrence of obstetric complication during delivery among women from severely food insecure households were 1.88 times [AOR = 1.88; 95% CI (1.22, 2.90)] more likely to occur than women from food secure households. Moreover, the odds of occurrence for obstetric complications during delivery among women who had complications during their pregnancy were 2.39 times [AOR = 2.39; 95% CI (1.81, 3.16)] more likely to occur as compared to those women who had no complication during their pregnancy. On the other hand, women's who had 1–4 live births given before this delivery were 0.61 times [AOR = 0.61; 95% (0.43, 0.88)] less likely to develop complications as compared to those women's who had no prior live birth. Conclusion and recommendation: Delivery-related obstetric complications during delivery in Ethiopia were high. Approximately one-third of postpartum women in Ethiopia experienced obstetric complications during delivery. Based on this study, women's from severely food insecure households, those women's who had no prior live birth, and women's who had complications during their pregnancy were more likely to develop delivery-related obstetric complications. Thus, policy makers and program implementers who were working on maternal and newborn health should give special attention for women's from severely food insecure households, women's who had no prior live births, and those women's who encountered obstetric complications during their pregnancy to decrease the occurrence of obstetric complications during delivery. In Ethiopia, various governmental organizations, such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, are dedicated to addressing food insecurity and improving nutritional access. The country has launched several effective nutritional programs, including the Productive Safety Net Program, the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program, and the National Nutrition Program, aimed at alleviating food insecurity and enhancing nutrition. Ongoing efforts are crucial to tackle the food insecurity experienced by women, which can help to reduce obstetric related complications of women's during delivery. It is crucial for everyone involved in maternal and newborn health to prioritize addressing the factors that lead to obstetric complications during delivery in women in order to reach the goal of ending all preventable maternal and newborn deaths by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Several studies have been done on the utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by high school students in Ethiopia, but they have yielded inconsistent results. This study aimed to evaluate the extent to which high school students in Ethiopia are using sexual and reproductive health services by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Various electronic databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, AJOL, Google Scholar, and Grey Literature were used to search for relevant articles. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Guidelines were followed for this review and meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² and Cochrane Q statistical tests, and data analysis was done with STATA 17 software. Random effect meta-analyses were used to determine the overall utilization rate of sexual and reproductive health services. Result: This review included 20 studies with 12, 215 study participants. The pooled magnitude of sexual and reproductive health service utilization among high school students in Ethiopia was 29.79% (95% CI: 25.14, 34.43). Students with grades 11--12 (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.39, 3.90), aged between 20 and 24 years (AOR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.79--3.81), having higher level of knowledge towards sexual and reproductive health issues (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.67--5.77), previous history of sexual intercourse (AOR = 4.18; 95% CI: 2.59--6.75), previous history of sexually transmitted infection (AOR = 3.74; 95% CI: 2.22--6.31), presence of a reproductive health service facility in the school (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.72--3.77), and ever-discussed reproductive health issues (AOR = 4.04; 95% CI: 1.62--10.03) were more likely to utilize sexual and reproductive health services. Conclusions: The overall utilization of sexual and reproductive services among high school students in Ethiopia was found to be low as compared to SDG 3.7. Older individuals with higher education levels and knowledge about sexual and reproductive health services, as well as those who have had previous sexual experiences or discussions about sexual health, are more likely to utilize reproductive health services. To increase utilization, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education should prioritize these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a prevalent cancer among women in low and middle-income countries, but it can be largely prevented through screening programs and HPV vaccination. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer screening among healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Relevant databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, AJOL, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases were used to retrieve and search articles. The study included published and unpublished research written in English between January 2013 and May 16, 2024 for studies reporting knowledge, attitude, and practice towards cervical cancer screening among healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This review has been registered on PROSPERO. The heterogeneity of the data was evaluated using the I² statistic. A meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 17 software, with a 95% confidence interval. The researchers also conducted publication bias and sensitivity analysis. Results: The review included 30 studies involving 7542 healthcare providers. The pooled magnitude of good knowledge status towards cervical cancer was 67.93% (95% CI: 53.36-82.50) whereas the pooled magnitude of positive attitude towards cervical cancer was 55.26% (95% CI: 34.28-76.23). The results also showed that about 49.68% (95% CI: 33.18-66.17) of healthcare providers had good knowledge status about cervical cancer screening, 66.63%(95% CI: 50.36-82.89) had a positive attitude towards it, and only 17.23% (95% CI; 6.08-28.37) had ever screened for cervical cancer. Conclusion: The overall magnitude of knowledge and attitude of healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa towards cervical cancer and its screening was suboptimal. Furthermore, a low percentage of female healthcare providers in the region had undergone screening for cervical cancer. As a result, policymakers and program administrators should focus on improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare providers to meet the global health goal of cervical cancer screening and effectively eliminating cervical cancer. Healthcare providers must serve as role models for other women who should also undergo screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore barriers of medication adherence on non-communicable disease prevention and care among patients in North Wollo Zone public hospitals, northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A phenomenological study design was carried out between February 5 and February 30, 2023. The study participants were chosen using a heterogeneous purposive sampling technique. In-depth interviews and targeted focus groups were used to gather data. The focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were captured on audio, accurately transcribed, and translated into English. Atlas TI-7 was utilized to do the thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes, intrapersonal, interpersonal, community level, and health care related, as well as seven subthemes, financial problems, lack of family support, poor communication with healthcare providers, effects of social ceremonies, remote healthcare facility, and drug scarcity, were identified by this study. In this study participants reported that lack of knowledge about the disease and drugs were the main barrier for medication adherence. The study revealed that financial problems for medication and transportation cost were the main factor for medication adherence for non-communicable disease patients. Conclusion: This study explored that lack of knowledge, financial problem, lack of family support, poor communication with healthcare providers, social ceremony effects, remote healthcare facility, and scarcity of drugs were barriers of medication adherence among non-communicable disease patients. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases, it is advised that all relevant bodies look for ways to reduce medication adherence barriers for patients at every level of influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dosage forms (DF), which are primarily divided into solid, semisolid, liquid, and gaseous, are among the different factors that influence drug adherence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how patients' preferences for pharmaceutical DF affected their adherence to medication in community pharmacies in Gondar town. Methods: A cross-sectional study on community pharmacies was carried out from June 25 to July 27, 2023. The statistical package for social sciences, version 26, was used for data analysis. Factors associated with patient medication discontinuation were found using both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Results: According to our study, the majority of respondents (42.4%) preferred tablet DF. Most respondents (63.9%) DF preference was affected by the size of the medication, in which small-sized were most preferable (59.6%). The oral route of administration was the most preferable (71.2%). The majority of the respondents (59.9%) had a history of discontinuation of medicines. Being male (AOR=2.21, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.79), living in rural areas (AOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.83), types of DF (AOR=4.59, 95% CI: 1.28, 16.52), high frequency of administration (AOR=2.22, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.57), high cost of medication (AOR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.69, 5.68), getting some improvement from illness (AOR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.10, 9.87), and high number of drugs (AOR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.67, 13.85) were significantly associated with medication discontinuation. Conclusion: Our findings showed that tablet dosage forms, oral routes of administration, and once-daily taking of medicines were the most preferred by our respondents. Being male, living in rural areas, types of DF, high frequency of administration, high cost of medication, getting some improvement from illness, and high number of drugs were significantly associated with medication discontinuation. This provides an insight into what to consider when prescribing medicine to enhance patients' adherence and overall therapeutic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]