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Behailu Tariku Derseh,1 Kassahun Mekonnen,2 Tibebu Kibret,3 Assalif Beyene,4 Abebe Mihretie4 1Department of Public Health, Asrat Woldeyes Health Sciences Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 2Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Bahirdar, Amhara, Ethiopia; 3Department of Medicine, Asrat Woldeyes Health Sciences Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 4Department of Midwifery, Asrat Woldeyes Health Sciences Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Behailu Tariku Derseh Email minastariku@gmail.comPurpose: This study was aimed to assess the determinants of dental health problems among adult patients at the dental clinic of Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.Methods: A case–control study was conducted to recruit a total of 267 adults (cases = 134, and controls = 133) who received oral health screening service in Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2018. Data were collected by physical examination and pretested semi-structured questionnaire from March 1 to 31, 2018. Collected data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done via the forward stepwise method. Variables were declared statistically significant when p-value < 0.05.Results: Of the total study participants, 75 (55%) of cases and 62 (46.6%) of controls were males. The mean age (± SD) of cases was 36.2 (± 14.2) years and that of controls was 31.4 (± 10.3) years. The classification table revealed that the sensitivity of cases was 70.7%, and the specificity of controls was 74.8%. This study showed that 28 (20.89%) of cases and 6 (4.5%) of controls had confirmed gastritis (P < 0.05). Regarding dental health information, 78 (58.2%) of cases and 123 (92.5%) of controls perceived that they had received dental health information from different sources. Access to dental health information and tooth brushing practice reduced dental health problems (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.64; and AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.45), respectively, whereas study participants who had gastritis were at increased risk of developing dental health problems (AOR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.14, 8.57).Interpretation: Study participants who had adequate information on dental health had a reduced risk of developing dental health problems by 72% and participants who practiced tooth brushing were at reduced risk of developing dental health problems by 76%. However, individuals who had gastritis were 3 times more likely to develop dental health problems compared with their counterparts.Conclusion: In summary, health information, tooth brushing practice, and gastritis infection were the determinants of dental health problems. Thus, health information dissemination on dental health particularly on how to prevent and control dental health problems is very critical. Moreover, strategies to combat gastritis integrated with life course principles should be strengthened to improve dental health.Keywords: dental health, Ethiopia, gastritis, health information, tooth brushing

The use of a 35 GHz reflective electroabsorption modulator (REAM) monolithically integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for indoor wideband analogue applications is demonstrated. Unlike REAMs, good performances over a wide range of input optical power and wavelength are observed, which mitigates the need for accurate control of the input signal, especially at remote sites where simplicity is strictly required. In addition, it provides amplification functions to compensate for the modulator insertion losses. The device exhibits an RF gain in excess of -22 dB and spurious-free dynamic range of >103 dB Hz4/5. Implementing the rate-adaptive discrete-multitone modulation, 35 Gbit/s aggregate transmission speed is demonstrated for a short-range wideband subcarrier multiplexed radio-over-fibre system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of root and nutrient distributions in agroforestry systems have often been obtained from unreplicated plots. We, therefore,measured the vertical and horizontal distribution of root length andsoil nitrate in replicated plots of sesbania [Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr.] to assess plot-to-plot variation and identify appropriate sampling schemes. Sampling was on profile walls exposed from pits at two on-farm sites (Ochinga and Muange) in Kenya. At Ochinga, soil was sampled at 27 0.15-m depth intervals and eight 0.15 -m-wide locations perpendicular to 2.25-m-wide rows of 19-month-old sesbania. At Muange, sampling was 18 months after establishment of sesbania from seedlings with a 1 m by 1 m spacing. Soil was sampled at 17 0.15-m depth intervals and nine 0.15-m-wide sampling locations - one exactly below the tree and four each on opposite sides of the tree. Root length density generally decreased with distance from sesbania and with soil depth. Soil nitrate, however, followed different trends in the four replications at Ochinga and the three replications at Muange. At Ochinga, nitrate above 2.5-m depth clearly increased with distance from thetree in two replications but followed no distinct trend in another replication. At Muange, nitrate above 1.2-m depth decreased with distance from the tree in one replication, increased with distance from the tree in another replication and followed no clear trend in anotherreplication. The suitability of various sampling schemes for measuring root length and nitrate was accessed from percent bias between measured values at sampling locations in the scheme and actual values for an entire transect of sampling locations. Bias associated with selection of sampling locations tended to be higher within the 2.25-m-wide sesbania rows than the 1 m by 1 m sesbania spacing. Soil samplingin systems with rows of young trees should be at several locations along a transect perpendicular to tree rows in order to minimize bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hypothesis for a benefit of integrating trees with crops is thattrees with deep root systems can capture and 'pump up' nutrients from below the rooting zone of annual crops. Few studies have compared both root and nutrient distribution for planted trees, crops and grassland vegetation. A field study was conducted on a Kandiudalfic Eutrudox in the highlands of western Kenya to measure rooting characteristics and distribution of inorganic N and water In three land-use systems (LUS): (i) Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. fallow, (ii) uncultivated natural weed fallow and (iii) unfertilized maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture. The maximum rooting depth was 1.2 m in the maize LUS, 2.25 m in a13-month-old natural fallow, and > 4 m in a 15-month-old sesbania fallow. Total root length was 1.26 km m-2 for the maize LUS,5.98 km m-2 for the natural fallow, and 4.56 km m-2 to 4 m for the sesbania fallow. Root length to 1.2 m was greater (p < 0.01) for natural fallow than for maize and sesbania fallow. Aconsiderable portion of the sesbania root length to 4 m was in the subsoil; 47% was at 1.2 to 4 m and 31% was at 2.25 to 4 m. Deep rooting of sesbania coincided with lower soil water below 2 m in the sesbania fallow than the natural fallow. Nitrate-N, but not ammonium-N, to 4 m was affected by LUS. Total nitrate to 4 m was 199 kg N ha-1 for the maize LUS, 42 kg N ha- 1 for the natural fallow and 51 kg N ha-1 for the sesbania fallow. Soil nitratein the maize LUS was highest at 0.3 to 1.5-m depth on this Oxisol with anion sorption capacity. No such accumulation of subsoil nitrate was present under sesbania and natural fallow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depressive symptom is the most common type of psychiatric co-morbidity among persons with epilepsy. Epilepsy patients are identified as at higher risk of suffering depressive symptom explicitly in low- and middle-income countries due to poor mental health care systems and financial burdens. The co-occurrence of depressive symptom among epilepsy patients deteriorates the prognosis of the disease and diminishes the quality of life of both the patients and their families. However, there is limited evidence on the prevalence of depressive symptom and associated factors in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is intended to assess the prevalence of depressive symptom and associated factors among epilepsy patients attending in Amhara region, Ethiopia., Method: A multi-center institution-based cross-sectional study was done among epilepsy patients attending at Amhara region, Ethiopia. The Hospital Anxiety Depression tool was used to assess depressive symptom. To determine the factors associated with depressive symptom, a binary logistic regression model was used. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with the 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was reported in the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis., Results: About 406 participants were registered in the study with a response rate of 97.6%. The prevalence of depressive symptom among epilepsy patients was 53.9% [95%CI: 49.1%, 58.8%]. In the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, taking polytherapy treatment [AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.36], perceived stigma [AOR = 5.73, 95%CI: 3.11, 10.55], poor antiepileptic medication adherence [AOR = 3.33, 95%CI: 1.30, 8.54] and having poor [AOR = 5.83, 95%CI: 2.44, 13.90] and moderate social support [AOR = 3.08, 95%CI: 1.34, 7.09] were significantly associated with depressive symptom., Conclusions: This study revealed that the magnitude of depressive symptom among epilepsy patients in Ethiopia was relatively high and multiple factors determined the likelihood of depressive symptom. Thus, healthcare providers and concerned stakeholders should strengthen comprehensive health education to reduce the magnitude and consequences of depressive symptom among this segment of the population. Moreover, strong social support with special attention should be given to epilepsy patients., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: The study was conducted under consideration of the Helsinki Declaration of Medical Research Ethics [62]. The study was approved by the Research Ethical Review Committee of the School of Nursing, College Medicine, and Health Sciences on behalf of the University of Gondar review board. A formal letter indicating the approval was obtained and submitted to Amhara Referral Hospitals’ administrative. Oral informed consent was obtained from each participant and personal identification like name and medical registration numbers were not used to maintain confidentiality. Consent to participate: The study was approved by the Research Ethical Review Committee of the School of Nursing, College Medicine, and Health Sciences on behalf of the University of Gondar review board. A formal letter indicating the approval was obtained and submitted to Amhara Referral Hospitals’ administrative. Oral informed consent was obtained from each participant and personal identification like name and medical registration numbers were not used to maintain confidentiality. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

VegDischarge v1, which covers over 64,000 river segments in Africa, is a natural river discharge dataset produced by coupled modeling; the agro-hydrologic VegET model and the mizuRoute routing model for the period 2001-2021. Using remote sensing data and hydrological modeling system, the 1-km runoff field simulated by VegET, was routed with mizuRoute. Performance metrics show strong model reliability, with R² of 0.5-0.9, NSE of 0.6-0.9, and KGE of 0.5-0.8 at the continental scale. The total average annual discharge for Africa is quantified at 3271.4 km³·year -1 , with contributions to oceanic basins: 1000.0 km³·year -1 to the North Atlantic, primarily from the Senegal, Gambia, Volta, and Niger Rivers; 1327.2 km³·year -1 to the South Atlantic, largely from the Congo River; 214.7 km³·year -1 to the Mediterranean Sea, predominantly from the Nile River; and 729.4 km³·year -1 to the Indian Ocean, with inputs from rivers such as the Zambezi. The dataset is valuable for stakeholders and researchers to understand water availability, its temporal and spatial variations that affect water-related infrastructure planning, sustainable resource allocation, and the development of climate resilience strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Nutrient management research was conducted across locations to investigate the influence of landscape position (hill, mid-, and foot slope) in teff ( Eragrostis tef ) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) yield response to fertilizer application and liming in the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. The treatments included 1) NPS fertilizer as a control treatment (42 N + 10P + 4.2S kg ha -1 for teff and 65 N + 20P + 8.5S kg ha -1 for wheat); 2) NPS and potassium (73 N + 17P + 7.2S + 24 K kg ha -1 for teff and 103 N + 30P + 12.7S + 24 K kg ha -1 for wheat) and 3) NPSK and zinc (73 N + 17P + 7.2S + 24K + 5.3Zn kg ha -1 for teff and 103 N + 30P + 12.7S + 24K + 5,3Zn kg ha -1 for wheat) in acid soils with and without liming. Results showed that the highest teff and wheat grain yields of 1512 and 4252 kg ha -1 were obtained at the foot slope position, with the respective yield increments of 71% and 57% over the hillslope position. Yield response to fertilizer application significantly decreased with increasing slope owing to the decrease in soil organic carbon and soil water content and the increase in soil acidity. The application of lime with NPSK and NPSKZn fertilizer increased teff and wheat yields by 43-54% and 32-35%, respectively compared to the application of NPS fertilizer without liming where yield increments were associated with the application of N and P nutrients. Orthogonal contrasts revealed that landscape position, fertilizer application, and their interaction effects were significant on teff and wheat yields. Soil properties including soil pH, organic carbon, total N, and soil water content were increased down the slope, which might be attributed to sedimentation down the slope. However, available P is yet very low both in acidic and non-acidic soils. We conclude that crop response to applied nutrients could be enhanced by targeting nutrient management practices to agricultural landscape features and addressing other yield-limiting factors such as soil acidity and nutrient availability by conducting further research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (© 2023 The Authors.)

Understanding the suitability of Satellite Rainfall Estimates (SREs) in simulating high flows and Actual Evapotranspiration (AET) is crucial for developing flood monitoring systems. Therefore, this study aims to assess i) the suitability of SREs in simulating both high flows and AET for different levels of model complexity, and ii) the effect of streamflow calibration on simulating AET for different rainfall inputs in Melkakunitre catchment, Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia. Three state-of-the-art SREs (TRMM 3B42v7, IMERG v06B, and TAMSAT v3) were used and their usefulness in simulating high flows (Q5), daily streamflow, and wet season flows (from June to September) was assessed using the HBV-light model for the period 2003-2015. The model was set up for two levels of complexity: with and without considering the effect of orography on rainfall and temperature. Moreover, the water balance derived AET was compared against three remotely sensed AET products, MOD 16A2, GLEAM v3, and SSEBob, so as to examine the effect of streamflow calibration on AET simulation. Results show that rainfall inputs and model complexity have a strong impact on simulating streamflow and AET. For all rainfall forcing datasets, the performance of the hydrological model improves when we consider the effects of orography on rainfall and temperature. The IMERG v06B and TAMSAT v3 products showed the highest and least performances in simulating all the three flow conditions, respectively. Moreover, the MODIS-AET is the best remotely sensed AET product in reproducing the water balance-derived AET for all rainfall inputs except TAMSAT v3. The HBV-light model parameters calibrated with streamflow provided better results for simulating AET as well. On average, the usefulness of the IMERG v06B product for simulating high flows and AET is outstanding and can be thus used for developing flood monitoring and management systems in the study catchment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Globally, epilepsy is the commonest neurological disorder in adults. It has significant health and economic consequences to the affected individuals and the family. There is ample evidence that epileptic patients are at increased risk of poor sleep quality than the general population. However, there is limited evidence on sleep quality among epileptic patients and associated factors in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence of poor sleep quality and associated factors among adult patients with epilepsy., Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among adult epileptic patients attending follow-up care at referral hospitals in the Amhara region. A total of 575 epileptic patients were recruited using a stratified systematic random sampling technique. An interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire and record review were used for data collection. To assess sleep quality the pretested Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) tool was used. A binary logistic regression model was used to assess factors associated with poor sleep quality. Variables with a p-value less than 0.2 in the bivariable binary logistic regression analysis were considered for the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. In the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with the 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were reported to declare the statistical significance and strength of association. Model fitness was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and was adequate (p>0.05). Multicollinearity of the independent variables was assessed using the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) and the mean VIF was less than 10., Results: A total of 565 participants were enrolled in the study with a response rate of 98.3%. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among adult epileptic patients was 68.8% [95% CI: 64.8%, 72.5%]. In the multivariable binary logistic regression, being unable to read and write [AOR = 3.16, 95%CI: 1.53, 6.51], taking polytherapy treatment [AOR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.37, 3.21], poor medication adherence [AOR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.02, 6.23] and having poor support [AOR = 2.72, 95%CI: 1.53, 4.82] and moderate social support [AOR = 1.89, 95%CI: 1.05, 3.41] were significantly associated with higher odds of poor sleep quality., Conclusion and Recommendation: Poor sleep quality is a major public health concern in Ethiopia. The patient's level of education, number of medication use, medication adherence, and social support were found significant predictors of poor sleep quality. These findings highlight improving medication adherence and social support are effective strategies to improve the sleep quality of epileptic patients. Besides, it is better to give special emphasis to those epileptic patients with a low level of education and taking polytherapy to enhance sleep quality., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Scaling is a ubiquitous concept in agricultural research in the global south as donors require their research grantees to prove that their results can be scaled to impact upon the livelihoods of a large number of beneficiaries. Recent studies on scaling have brought critical perspectives to the rather technocratic tendencies in the agricultural innovations scaling literature. Drawing on theoretical debates on spatial strategies and practical experience of agricultural innovation scaling in Ethiopia, this paper adds to the current debate on what constitutes scaling and how to overcome critical scaling constraints. The data for the paper came from a qualitative assessment using focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and document analysis on scaling work done in Ethiopia by a USAID-funded research for development project. The paper concludes with four broad lessons for the current understating of agricultural innovation scaling. First, scaling of agricultural innovations requires a balanced focus on technical requirements and associated social dynamics surrounding scaling targets, actors involved and their social relations. Second, appreciating the social dynamics of scaling emphasizes the fact that scaling is more complex than a linear rolling out of innovations towards diffusion. Third, scaling may not be strictly planned; instead, it might be an extension of the innovation generation process that relies heavily on both new and long-term relationships with key partners, trust, and continuous reflection and learning. Fourth, the overall implication of the above three conclusions is that scaling strategies need to be flexible, stepwise, and reflective. Despite the promises of flourishing scaling frameworks, scaling strategies it would appear from the Africa RISING experience that, if real impact is to be achieved, approaches will be required to be flexible enough to manage the social, processual and emergent nature of the practice of scaling., Competing Interests: No authors have competing interests.

Introduction: Nonadherence to antiepileptic medication is the extent of a patient's passive failure to follow the prescribed therapeutic regimen. The prevalence and impact of nonadherence to antiepileptic medication are high globally. The main purpose of this study was to assess nonadherence to antiepileptic medications and its associated factors among epileptic patients at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia, 2019., Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 365 epileptic patients at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital, who were selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected by face to face interviews using a structured pretested questionnaire. Data were entered into EPI Info version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 22 for analysis. The data were described by descriptive statistics. Binary logistic regression analysis was used as a model, and variables with a p value of less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant with nonadherence to antiepileptic medications., Results: A total of 356 epileptic patients participated in the study yielding a response rate of 97.5%. The overall prevalence of nonadherence to antiepileptic medications among epileptic patients attending at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital was 38.5% (95% CI: 33.1-43.8). Divorced and/or widowed marital status (AOR: 3.38 (95% CI: 1.54, 7.44)), treatment duration of 3-5 years (AOR = 3.58 (95% CI: 1.38, 9.29)), treatment duration of 5 and above years (AOR: 3.49 (95% CI: 1.53, 7.95)), comorbidity (AOR: 2.42 (95% CI: 1.08, 5.43)), side effects of antiepileptic medications (AOR: 3.36 (95% CI: 1.67, 6.74)), absence of health information (AOR: 1.98 (95% CI: 1.11, 3.52)), epilepsy-related stigma (AOR: 2.81 (95% CI: 1.57, 5.02)), and negative attitude towards antiepileptic medications (AOR: 2.46 (95% CI: 1.36, 4.45)) were significantly associated with nonadherence to antiepileptic medications., Conclusions: Prevalence of nonadherence to antiepileptic medications among epileptic patients at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital was found to be high. Hence, giving health information about epilepsy and its management will help to reduce antiepileptic medications' nonadherence., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Misganaw Tilahun et al.)

The optical spectrum offers great opportunities to resolve the congestion in radio-based communication, aggravated by the booming demand for wireless connectivity. High-speed infrared optical components in the 1500 nm window have reached high levels of sophistication and are extensively used already in fibre-optic networks. Moreover, infrared light beyond 1400 nm is eye-safe and is not noticeable by the users. Deploying steerable narrow infrared beams, wireless links with huge capacity can be established to users individually, at minimum power consumption levels and at very high levels of privacy. Fully passive diffractive optical modules can handle many beams individually and accurately steer narrow beams two-dimensionally by just remotely tuning the wavelength of each beam. The system design aspects are discussed, encompassing the beam-steering transmitter, wide field-of-view optical receiver and the localization of the user's wireless devices. Prototype system demonstrators are reported, capable of supporting up to 128 beams carrying up to 112 Gbit s -1 per beam. Hybrid bidirectional systems which use a high-speed downstream optical link and an upstream radio link at a lower speed can provide powerful asymmetric wireless connections. All-optical bidirectional beam-steered wireless communication will be able to offer the ultimate in wireless capacity to the user while minimizing power consumption. This article is part of the theme issue 'Optical wireless communication'.

Grain legumes play an important role as source of food and feed in smallholder mixed systems. They also contribute to soil fertility improvement through biological nitrogen fixation. Although rhizobium inoculation and phosphorus fertilizer are known to improve grain yield of legumes, information is limited on the effect of this practice on the yield and fodder quality of the haulm. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of rhizobium inoculation (I) and phosphorus fertilizer (P) on yield and nutritional quality of grains and haulms of grain legumes (faba bean, chickpea, common bean and soybean) on farm across diverse agroecological locations in the Ethiopian highlands. The crops were subjected to four treatments [+I, +P, -I + P and a negative control (-P-I)] at multiple locations on farm during the main cropping season in 2016. Yield data was recorded during grain harvesting, and subsequently representative samples of grains and haulms were collected and analyzed for quality variables. Effects of the treatments were significant (P < 0.05) with 30% increase on grain yield for all studied crops and 28% increase on haulm dry matter yield for faba bean, common bean and soybean. Crude protein (CP) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) values of faba bean, common bean and soybean haulms were higher (P < 0.05); and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents were lower (P < 0.05) for the treatments than the control. The haulm CP content and IVOMD of chickpea also responded positively (P < 0.05) to the treatments. The current results demonstrated the possibility of improving both yield and quality of grains and haulms of grain legumes with the application of efficient rhizobium inocula and P fertilization. This practice offers an opportunity for smallholders in the crop-livestock system to improve the food-feed traits of grain legumes with minimal input and environmental footprint.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) causes considerable morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. Data on the prevalence and associated risk factors on malnutrition among VL patients in Ethiopia are scarce. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and its associated risk factor among VL patients in Northwest Ethiopia., Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2012 at four leishmaniasis treatment sites in Northwest Ethiopia. Four hundred and three adult VL patients were enrolled in the study. Malnutrition was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 18.5 kg/m2. The data collected from the VL patients included sex, age, residence, occupation, weight, height, laboratory results (HIV, hemoglobin, intestinal parasites). Multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the strength of association between malnutrition and associated risk factors., Results: Among 403 adult VL patients 385 (95.5%) were malnourished. Twenty eight percent (n = 113), 30.3% (n = 122), and 37.2% (n = 150) were mildly, moderately and severely malnourished, respectively. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 47.6% (n = 192) and it was associated with malnutrition (P = 0.01). The prevalence of VL-HIV co-infection was 10.4% (n = 42). Hook worm, Giardia intestinalis and Ascaris lumbircoides were the leading prevalent intestinal parasites. Factors such as age, sex, residence, occupation, HIV status and anemia were not associated with severe malnutrition., Conclusions: The prevalence of malnutrition in VL patients was very high and it was associated with intestinal parasitic infections. Therefore, screening of severely malnourished VL patients for intestinal parasitic infections during admission is recommended.