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Culicoides, among the tiniest and most abundant hematophagous insects globally, serve as vectors for a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, protozoa, and nematodes. This study aimed to identify Culicoides species and assess their spatial distribution and seasonal occurrence in selected districts of the Central, South, and West Gondar zones, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January to July 2023. A total of 44 UV light- onderstepoort traps were deployed in the study districts near specific areas. The traps were operational from dusk (6:00 PM) until dawn (6:00 AM) and were suspended at a height of 1.5 to 2 m above the ground. Poisson regression was used to assess associations, the Shannon diversity index to measure diversity, and QGIS 3.22.6 to create maps. In this study, 8,857 Culicoides were captured across the 44 trapping sites. Of the total flies captured flies, 8,838 were identified as belonging to 12 distinct species, while the classification of the remaining 19 flies remained unclear. Notably, C. kingi (54.01%) was the most prevalent species, followed by C. imicola (44.55%). The abundance of Culicoides observed from January to late April (3505) was significantly lower compared to the wet season (5355), with a marked increase in the capture of C. kingi (2499) from May to late July. A statistically significant association (p < 0.05) was observed between the occurrence of Culicoides and factors such as district, sampling point, and season. Spatial analysis revealed that C. kingi had a broader range of suitability than other Culicoides species, with high suitability observed in East Dembia. The diversity index analysis indicated that Culicoides species diversity was higher in samples from animal pens (H = 0.73) and during the wet season (H = 0.75). Additionally, this study documented the presence of eight Culicoides species namely C. corsicus, C. kibunensis, C. reioxi, C. kiouxi, C. saharienines, C. desertorum, C. reithi, and C. festivipennis, which have not been previously documented in Ethiopia. In conclusion, the study highlighted that the occurrence of Culicoides species was higher in East Dembia, with moderate presence in Wegera and West Armacho. Further research is needed to assess the impact of various Culicoides species on animal and human health, as well as their economic implications, and to develop corresponding control strategies based on these findings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Mathewos Mekonnen,1 Kumera Bekele,1 Kemal Jemal,1 Dejene Hailu,1 Bikila Tesfa,1 Teshale Mulatu2 1Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Salale University, Fiche, Oromia, Ethiopia; 2Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Oromia, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Mathewos MekonnenDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Salale University, P.O. Box 245, Fiche, Oromia, EthiopiaTel +251- 917-04-43-69Email matemek2010@gmail.comBackground: Oral rehydration therapy reduces mortality and morbidity due to diarrheal diseases. However, Oral rehydration therapy remains to be underused worldwide and particularly in low-income countries. This study aims to assess the prevalence of oral rehydration therapy use during diarrheal episode and associated factors among mothers of under-five children visiting public health facilities in North Showa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia.Methodology: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed for one month in June 2020. A structured interview administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered into EPI-info 3.5.2 then transported to SPSS 21 version. Descriptive statistical analysis was done, and an association between dependent variables and independent variables were examined in logistic regression models.Results: The overall prevalence of oral rehydration therapy use during diarrheal episode was 51.5%. Maternal literacy [AOR= 2.175, 95% CI: (1.178, 4.015)], mothers occupation being farmer [AOR= 0.394, 95% CI: (0.203, 0.762)], post natal care visit [AOR= 2.565, 95% CI: (1.468, 4.480)] and good knowledge of oral rehydration therapy [AOR= 1.919, 95% CI: (1.132, 3.253)] were significantly associated with oral rehydration therapy use.Conclusion: In this study oral rehydration therapy use was moderate. Maternal literacy, good knowledge of oral rehydration therapy, maternal occupation being a farmer, and postnatal care visit were the independent predictors of oral rehydration therapy use. Therefore, programmers and stakeholders who are working on child health programs should design interventions that focus on factors deterring child oral rehydration therapy use during diarrheal episode morbidity and mortality.Keywords: diarrhea, oral, practice, rehydration solution, under-five children

Yitagesu Sintayehu, Assefa Desalew, Biftu Geda, Kasiye Shiferaw, Getahun Tiruye, Teshale Mulatu, Haymanot Mezmur Haramaya University College of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Harar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Yitagesu Sintayehu Email yitagesu.sintayehu@gmail.comBackground: Neonatal resuscitation is a means to restore life to a baby from the state of asphyxia. It is a single intervention of birth asphyxia. Over 1.2 million African babies are supposed to die in the first four weeks of their life and many of them in the first 24 hours of birth in Sub-Saharan Africa. The major cause of early neonatal death is neonatal asphyxia, which can be prevented by neonatal resuscitation. However, there is limited evidence on midwives’ and nurses’ knowledge of neonatal resuscitation in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of midwives and nurses about neonatal resuscitation and its associated factors.Methods: This facility-based cross-sectional study was done on 427 midwives and nurses, who were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected on facility type, availability of essential equipment, socio-demographic characteristics, working unit, professional experience, in-service training, and knowledge of neonatal resuscitation. First-degree holder midwives collected the data using a pre-tested face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the dependent and independent variables.Results: The study showed that 9.8% of the study participants had good knowledge about neonatal resuscitation. Factors significantly associated with knowledge of neonatal resuscitation were being trained on newborn resuscitation (AOR = 3.79, 95% CI: 1.73, 8.32), being unmarried (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.11, 5.02), holding bachelor sciences degree or above (AOR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.11, 6.47), and working under West Hararghe health institutions (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.88).Conclusion: The study participants had low knowledge of neonatal resuscitation. Being unmarried, holding bachelor sciences degree or above, being trained on neonatal resuscitation, and working under West Hararghe health institutions were factors associated with the knowledge of the study participants on neonatal resuscitation.Keywords: neonate, neonatal resuscitation, newborn, knowledge

Introduction: Maternal and neonatal complications related to pregnancy and childbirth pose a significant risk of morbidity and mortality to both the mother and the child. Despite its benefits in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity associated with pregnancy and childbirth, the majority of Ethiopian mothers were dropped from the maternal continuum of care. Furthermore, there is a dearth of data regarding the status of the maternal continuum of care and its underlying factors in southern Ethiopia., Objective: This study aimed to assess the completion of the maternity continuum of care and its predictors among postpartum women who had given birth in the previous six months in the Gedeb district of Gedio Zone, southern Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 625 postpartum women selected by simple random sampling from June 1 to 30, 2022. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews using pretested, structured questionnaires. The association between the explanatory variables and the maternity continuum of care was examined using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was employed to measure the strength of association and the level of significance was set at p<0.05., Results: In this study, only 32.00% (95% CI: 28.45, 35.77) of the women completed the maternal continuum of care. Attending primary education (AOR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.23, 3.55), secondary and above education (AOR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.87), receiving counseling during ANC (AOR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.92), being well prepared for birth and complications readiness (AOR = 4.13; 95% CI: 2.23, 7.62), and having good knowledge of pregnancy danger signs (AOR = 4.13; 95% CI: 2.60, 6.55) were all significantly associated with completing the maternity continuum of care., Conclusion: Nearly one-third of the women completed the maternity continuum of care. Enhancing women's knowledge, offering counseling during prenatal visits, ensuring women's awareness of pregnancy danger signs, and implementing health promotion programs targeted at enhancing birth preparedness and complications readiness for all are crucial., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Alemayehu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as a main public health challenge, with serious consequences for women's physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health. Despite its public health importance, most studies of IPV in Ethiopia mainly focused on individual characteristics and didn't identify how factors operating at different levels affect IPV. Thus, there is limited evidence regarding the hierarchical-level factors of IPV and the effect of individual and community-level determinants of IPV. The aim of this study is to assess the individual and community-level factors associated with violence against women among ever-married reproductive-age women in Ethiopia., Methods: A retrospective analysis of secondary data retrieved from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey was conducted among reproductive age group women (15-49 years of age) who reported ever being married within the available data set for the domestic violence module. STATA 14 was used to conduct the analysis. A two-level mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between IPV and individual- and community-level factors. IPV variability across the community was assessed using ICC and PCV. The model's fitness was assessed using the Akaike information criterion (AIC), the Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and the likelihood ratio test., Result: The life time prevalence of IPV in this study was 33% [95% CI: 30.74, 34.25]. Women's age 20-24 (AOR = 5.85, 95% CI: 201 3.10, 11.04), 25-29 age group (AOR = 6.41, 95% CI; 3.34, 12.32), 30-34 age group (AOR = 9.48, 95% CI: 4.71, 19.06), 35-39 age group (AOR = 9.88, 95% CI: 4.79, 20.39), 40-44 age group (AOR = 11.10, 95% CI: 5.16, 23.89), and 45-49, (AOR = 14.15, 95% CI: 6.01, 32.80), early marriage (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.47), witnessing inter-parental violence during childhood (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI: 2.16, 3.96), having a lot of living children (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.74), having a partner who drank alcohol (AOR = 3.00, 95% CI: 2.42-3.67), decision-making autonomy of the women (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.97), Poor wealth index (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.18), middle wealth index (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.36, 2.54) and exposure to media (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.00) were all significantly associated with IPV., Conclusion and Recommendation: This study showed that one-third of the women experienced IPV in their lifetime. The finding suggested that community based interventions and multi-sectorial collaborations are needed to reduce the IPV and its adverse consequences., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Maternal morbidity and mortality has remained a major public health concern worldwide. Basic emergency obstetric care is the primary intervention to prevent obstetric complications and maternal death. Episiotomy is one of the basic obstetrical procedures used to facilitate vaginal delivery, shorten the second stage of labor and prevent complications. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with episiotomy among women who gave birth in eastern Ethiopia., Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of episiotomy and its associated factors among women who gave birth at public health facilities in Jigjiga town, eastern Ethiopia., Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among women who gave birth vaginally from May 1 to June 30, 2022. A total of 422 study participants were recruited using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires through a face-to-face interview supported with standard observational checklist and reviewing medical records. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine the association between explanatory variables and episiotomy. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI) at a P-value <0.05 was used to declare significant association., Results: The prevalence of episiotomy among women was 52.6% (95% CI: 47.8%, 57.0%). Obstetric complications during current pregnancy (AOR:3.92, 95% CI: 1.59, 9.68), birth weight ≥4000 gm (AOR: 4.30, 95% CI: 1.53, 12.04), induction of labor (AOR: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.62, 5.93), meconium-stained amniotic fluid (AOR:2.10, 95% CI: 1.14, 3.88), duration of the second stage of labor ≥90 minutes (AOR:3.09, 95% CI: 1.53, 6.23), instrumental delivery (AOR: 2.69, 95%, CI: 1.39, 5.19), and female genital mutilation (AOR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1.83, 4.64) were factors significantly associated with episiotomy., Conclusion: Slightly more than half of the women who gave birth at public health facilities in the study area underwent episiotomies. In addition to the common obstetric factors, having a female genital mutilation scar increased the risk of women's experiencing episiotomies. Therefore, intervention should be tailored to address the identified obstetric risk factors and avoid female genital mutilation in the community to reduce women's experiences of episiotomies in the future., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Belay et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Pre-labor rupture of membrane (PROM) refers to a membrane rupture that occurs after the 28th week of pregnancy but before the start of labor. If not appropriately managed, it poses a significant risk to the health of the mother and fetus. However, information on the magnitude of PROM, contributing factors, and its perinatal outcomes was limited in Eastern Ethiopia. This study assessed the prevalence, predictors, and perinatal outcomes of PROM among pregnant women admitted to Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital (HFCSUH) in Eastern Ethiopia so as to guide specific preventive measures., Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out from May 15 to June 14, 2022, and data were gathered by reviewing the chart records of 424 pregnant women who were admitted to maternity and labor wards in the previous two years, from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. Records were chosen using a simple random sampling method. Mother's socio-demographic traits, previous obstetric and gynecologic history, current pregnancy history, habit-related history (khat chewing), ultrasound findings, laboratory investigations, mode of delivery, maternal and perinatal outcomes were extracted from the maternal charts. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of pre-labor membrane rupture. The association between the explanatory and outcome variables was expressed using an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval., Results: The prevalence of pre-labor membrane rupture was 16.27% with 95% CI: (13.05-20.11). Among 69 women who experienced pre-labor rupture of membrane, 50 (72.5%) of them had adverse perinatal outcomes. Of all 69 neonates 17 (24.64%) were delivered with low birth weight and 20 (29%) of them were born preterm. The overall perinatal mortality rate was 10.1% or 101 per 1,000 live births. History of abortion [AOR = 2.61; 95% CI (1.09, 6.24)], urinary tract infection [AOR = 2.59; 95% CI (1.23, 5.42)], antepartum hemorrhage [AOR = 3.35; 95% CI (1.38, 8.13)], and khat chewing (a leafy plant which contains psychoactive chemical) in the current pregnancy [AOR = 2.63; 95% CI (1.49, 4.63)] were all significantly associated with pre-labor rupture of membrane., Conclusion: In this study, the magnitude of pre-labor membrane rupture was relatively high compared to the global rate. Prenatal risk identification and early detection of complications among mothers with a history of abortion, antepartum hemorrhage, urinary tract infection, and counseling on the effects of khat chewing during pregnancy are crucial to reduce the likelihood of pre-labor membrane rupture and its adverse perinatal outcome., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolde, Mulatu, Alemayehu, Alemayehu and Assefa.)

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is the leading cause of respiratory failure and death of a neonate in today's world, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia., Methods: We used an institutional-based cross-sectional study in the selected hospitals of the Gurage zone admitted from June 2019 to June 2021. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi data 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis., Result: The prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the study area was 45.1%. The odds of RDS in neonates from mothers with gestational age between 35 &37 were 3.99 times higher compared to term gestation. The odds of RDS among neonates with jaundice and sepsis are 4.33- and 1.92-times higher odds compared to their counterparts. The odds of RDS in neonates born via Caesarean section were 1.7 times higher compared with those delivered via spontaneous and instrumental delivery. RDS was also higher in neonates born to mothers <20 years of age and >=35 years old., Conclusion: the prevalence of RDS in the study area was high. Thus, healthcare providers should act on those factors with appropriate follow-up for early detection of the problem and prevent the risk., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Chekole B et al.)

Introduction: The incidence of a pressure ulcer in intensive care units (ICU) is significantly higher than in noncritical care settings. The patients in the ICU are the most vulnerable group to disruption of the skin's integrity. Prior studies in Ethiopia failed to evaluate pressure ulcers in intensive care units and were limited to general wards. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and predictors of pressure ulcers in adult patients admitted to intensive care units in Southern Ethiopia., Methods: A single-arm prospective open cohort of 216 patients was used to determine the presence of a pressure ulcer in the intensive care units from June 2021 to April 2022. A consecutive sampling was used until the sample size was reached. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata 14. A cumulative incidence of a pressure ulcer was computed. The life table was used to estimate the cumulative survival. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to identify independent predictors of a pressure ulcer. An adjusted hazard ratio with a 95% CI was used to measure the degree of association; a P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant., Results: Twenty-five patients developed a pressure ulcer (PU), making a cumulative incidence of 11.57%. Out of 25 incident cases of pressure ulcers, four-fifths (80%) of the study patients developed PU within 6 days of their admission to the ICUs. The incidence rate was 32.98 PU per 1000 person-days of ICU stay. Pressure ulcers were most commonly found on the sacrum, followed by the shoulder. Among the incident cases, 52% were stage 2 ulcers. The presence of friction or shearing forces, as well as being 40 years of age or older, was independently associated with pressure ulcers., Conclusion: The overall cumulative incidence of the pressure ulcer was lower than that in other studies but occurred at a faster rate. Age (40 years of age or older) and the presence of friction or shearing forces were the main predictors of pressure ulcers in the intensive care units. Therefore, nurses working in ICUs should continually anticipate the risk of a pressure ulcer. Moreover, special attention should be given to patients of advanced ages. Furthermore, monitoring the installation of a mattress, keeping bed linens unwrinkled, and keeping patients in a proper position on a bed to prevent or reduce friction or shearing forces are very crucial in the prevention of pressure ulcers., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lankamo Ena Digesa et al.)

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is the care given to pregnant women to prevent poor feto-maternal outcomes during pregnancy. The World Health Organization recommends first ANC visit be started as early as possible within in 12 weeks of gestation. Although there is improvement in overall ANC coverage, a sizable proportion of pregnant women in Ethiopia delay the time to initiate their first ANC visit. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate factors associated with late ANC initiation among pregnant women attending public health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 407 randomly selected pregnant women who attended ANC at selected public health centers in Addis Ababa from December 2020 to January 2021. Data were collected using pretested and structured questionnaires through a face-to-face interview and reviewing medical records. Binary and multivariable logistic regressions were fitted sequentially to identify predictors for late ANC initiation. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI were computed to measure the strength of associations and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05., Result: This study showed that 47% of pregnant women started their first ANC visit late.The age of 30 years and above, being married, unplanned pregnancy, having a wrong perception about the timing of the first ANC visit, and not having ANC for previous pregnancy was significantly associated with late ANC initiation., Conclusion: Nearly half of the women initiated their first ANC visit late. Tailored interventions aimed at promoting early ANC initiation should target married women, women with an unplanned pregnancy, women who perceived the wrong timing of their first ANC, and those who have no ANC for their previous pregnancy., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: The evidence on utilization of immediate postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices (IPPIUCDs) and its associated factors are limited in Ethiopia. Hence, this study intended to assess IPPIUCD utilization and related factors among women who gave birth in Adama town public hospitals, Ethiopia., Method: A facility-based cross-sectional study was done among 493 postpartum mothers at selected government health facilities in Adama town from January 20 to February 20, 2021. All women who gave birth in selected government health facilities and within 48 h of postpartum were included in the study. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to identify the factors associated with IPPIUCD utilization. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to measure the strength of association and statistical significance was declared at p  < 0.05., Result: In this study, 22.1% (95% CI: 17.3-25.2) of the mothers used IPPIUCDs within 48 h of giving birth. Having three or more children (AOR = 4.18, 95% CI: 1.79-9.79), having no desire to have another child (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.86-8.17), counseling after delivery (AOR = 3.1 95% CI: 1.52-6.34), and having good knowledge about PPIUCD (AOR = 3.82, 95% CI: 1.94-7.49) were significantly associated with IPPIUCD utilization., Conclusion: The utilization of IPPIUCD in this study was low. Strategies to raise pregnant mothers' awareness of IPPIUCD through mass media, and integrating standard counseling on immediate postpartum intrauterine device (IPPIUD) during antenatal care, and the immediate postpartum period are required to improve IPPIUD utilization., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: Mental health and other health professionals working in mental health care may contribute to the experiences of stigma and discrimination among mental health service users but can also help reduce the impact of stigma on service users. However, few studies of interventions to equip such professionals to be anti-stigma agents took place in high-income countries. This study assesses the feasibility, potential effectiveness and costs of Responding to Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination training for health professionals working in mental health care (READ-MH) across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)., Methods: This is an uncontrolled pre-post mixed methods feasibility study of READ-MH training at seven sites across five LMICs (China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal and Tunisia)., Outcome Measures: knowledge based on course content, attitudes to working to address the impact of stigma on service users and skills in responding constructively to service users' reports of discrimination. The training draws upon the evidence bases for stigma reduction, health advocacy and medical education and is tailored to sites through situational analyses. Its content, delivery methods and intensity were agreed upon through a consensus exercise with site research teams. READ-MH will be delivered to health professionals working in mental health care immediately after baseline data collection; outcome measures will be collected post-training and 3 months post-baseline, followed by qualitative data collection analysed using a combined deductive and inductive approach. Fidelity will be rated during the delivery of READ-MH, and data on training costs will be collected. Quantitative data will be assessed using generalised linear mixed models. Qualitative data will be evaluated by thematic analysis to identify feedback about the training methods and content, including the implementability of the knowledge and skills learned. Pooled and site-specific training costs per trainee and per session will be reported., Conclusions: The training development used a participatory and contextualised approach. Evaluation design strengths include the diversity of settings, the use of mixed methods, the use of a skills-based measure and the knowledge and attitude measures aligned to the target population and training. Limitations are the uncertain generalisability of skills performance to routine care and the impact of COVID-19 restrictions at several sites limiting qualitative data collection for situational analyses., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Maternal mortality from pregnancy and childbirth remains a major public health problem. Increasing access to institutional delivery is one of the key strategies to reduce childbirth-related maternal mortality. Despite all the efforts, institutional deliveries in Ethiopia remain low. Understanding factors associated with institutional delivery is important to devise strategies to improve facility based child birth. Hence, this study assessed the prevalence of institutional delivery and associated factors to bridge the gap., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was employed from March-April 2020. Multi-stage sampling was employed to select 500 mothers who gave birth within the last 12 months in Mandura district, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. Data were collected using pre tested structured questionnaire through face-to-face interview. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the predictors of institutional delivery. Adjusted Odds ratios with 95% CI was used to show associations and statistical significance was set at a p < 0.05., Results: This study indicated that the prevalence of institutional delivery was 28.8% CI (25-33.3%). Having a positive attitude (AOR = 9.6,95%CI:2.5-35.9), attending antenatal care (ANC) at least once (AOR = 16.1,95%CI:9.6-22), attending ANC more than three times (AOR = 17.2, 95% CI:13.5-43.8), having good knowledge (AOR = 11.1, 95%CI: 2.7-45.4), and facing complications during pregnancy (AOR = 4.04, 95%CI: 1.0-16.0) were significantly associated with institutional delivery., Conclusion: The prevalence of institutional delivery in this study was low. Positive attitude toward institutional delivery, attending ANC, having good knowledge about institutional delivery, and facing complications during pregnancy were identified predictors of institutional delivery. Strategies with a focus on increasing ANC uptake, improving mothers' knowledge, and promoting institutional delivery at the community level are critical., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Arega, Mulatu, Alemayehu, Mussa and Dheresa.)

Background: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is the cause of one of the most important mosquito-borne emerging diseases negatively affecting the health of humans and animals, particularly in Africa. In Ethiopia, the status of RVFV and the existence of potential vectors are unknown., Objectives: This study aimed to survey the mosquito vectors of RVFV and the detection of the virus in selected sites (Batu, Hawassa, Arba Minch and Borana) in Ethiopia., Methods: CDC light traps baited with the sugar-yeast solution were set up at various locations for a total of 29 trap nights. Mosquitoes identification were made morphologically using a stereomicroscope and for RVFV detection by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: Among a total of 132 trap efforts conducted, 60 (45%) captured the mosquitoes. A total of 1576 adult mosquitoes were collected and identified. Including Aedes (n = 407; 25.8%), Anopheles (n = 493; 32.3%), Culex (n = 466; 29.6%) and Mansonia (n = 210; 13.32%). The genome material of RVFV was not detected by RT-PCR., Conclusions: The existence of a potential Aedes species may pose a risk for the occurrence of the RVF outbreak in Ethiopia. Based on the current study, we recommend further monitoring for potential mosquito vectors of RVFV, particularly with a view to targeting the seasons during which the mosquitoes can be abundant along with a serological survey of susceptible hosts., (© 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: A compassionate and respectful care during pregnancy and childbirth is one of the essential components of safe motherhood. However, most of the women in developing countries experience disrespectful and abusive maternity care during childbirth. Hence, this study assessed the status of respectful maternity care and associated factors to bridge the gap., Methodology: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers who delivered in public Hospitals in the Hadiya Zone, South Ethiopia from March 01 to 30, 2020. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics was computed and multivariable logistic regression was fitted to identify predictors. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval was used to show the strength of association and level of significance was declared at P -value < 0.05., Result: This study showed that 67.8 % (95% CI: 62.4-70.8%) of mothers received respectful maternal care. Being married [AOR: 2.17, 95% CI (1.03-6.93)], Cesarean section delivery [AOR: 2.48, 95% CI (1.03-5.97)], and absence of complications during child birth [AOR: 4.37, 95% CI (1.41-13.56)], were significantly associated with respectful maternity care., Conclusions: The level of RMC in this study was moderate. Being married, Cesarean section delivery, and absence of complications during child birth were identified predictors of respectful maternity care. Therefore, tailored interventions aimed at improving respectful maternity care should target unmarried women, and women with complications of labor regardless of mode of delivery., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mengistie, Mulatu, Alemayehu, Yadeta and Dheresa.)

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the magnitude of sexual violence, its adverse reproductive health outcomes, and associated factors among female youth in the Northern Shoa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 590 female youth from 1 December to 30 January 2021. A multi-stage sampling technique and a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire were used. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and then transferred to SPSS 23 for analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis was done, and an association between an outcome variable and independent variables was examined in logistic regression models., Results: According to the study, the respective rates of sexual violence and harmful sexual reproductive consequences were 20.7% and 11.9%. Sexual violence was significantly associated with alcohol consumption (adjusted odds ratio = 2.549, 95% confidence interval = (1.548, 4.195)) and childhood exposure to inter-parental violence (adjusted odds ratio = 1.66, 95% confidence interval = (1.002, 2.888)). Rural childhood residence (adjusted odds ratio = 0.037, 95% confidence interval = (0.007, 0.192)), fathers with college degrees (adjusted odds ratio = 0.037, 95% confidence interval = (0.013, 0.106)), and readiness for first sex (adjusted odds ratio = 0.073, 95% confidence interval = (0.028, 0.189)) were all independent predictors of adverse reproductive health outcomes., Conclusion: In this study, young females frequently experience sexual violence and poor reproductive health outcomes. Alcohol consumption and having experienced parental conflict as a child were found to be risk factors for sexual violence, while residing contracts during childhood, the father's level of education, and willingness to engage in the first sexual encounter were linked to adverse reproductive health outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Introduction: The neonatal near-miss cases are subject to factors that are major causes of early neonatal deaths. For every death, more newborns suffer a life-threatening complication. Nearly 98% of neonatal death unduly existed in developing countries. Though there were few prior studies in other regions, they failed in identifying the factors of NNM. Besides, there has been no prior study in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors associated with neonatal near-miss., Methods: A case-control study was employed on a total of 252 cases and 756 controls using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested and interview administered questionnaires adapted from similar studies and medical records from December 2020 -March 2021. Pragmatic and management criteria definition of neonatal near miss were utilized. Epi-Data version 3.1 and SPSS version 23 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were done to identify factors associated with a neonatal near-miss by using COR and AOR with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, the statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05., Results: There were a response rate of 100% for both cases, and controls. Factors that affects neonatal near miss were non-governmental/private employee (AOR, 1.72[95%CI: 1.037, 2.859]), referral in (AOR, 1.51[95%CI: 1.079, 2.108]), multiple birth (AOR, 2.50[95%CI: 1.387, 4.501]), instrumental assisted delivery (AOR, 4.11[95%CI: 1.681, 10.034]), hypertensive during pregnancy (AOR, 3.32[95%CI: 1.987, 5.530]), and male neonates (AOR, 1.71[95%CI: 1.230, 2.373]), paternal education of secondary school (AOR, 0.43[95%CI: 0.210, 0.868]) and college/above (AOR, 0.25[95%CI: 0.109, 0.578]), monthly income (1500-3500 birr) (AOR, 0.29[95%CI: 0.105, 0.809]) and >3500 birr (AOR, 0.34[95%CI: 0.124, 0.906])., Conclusion: Maternal occupation, paternal education, income, referral, multiple births, mode of delivery, hypertension during pregnancy, and sex of the neonate have identified factors with neonatal near-miss. Better to create job opportunities, improving education, and income generation. Counseling on multiple birth and hypertension, and minimizing instrumental delivery should be done at the health facility level., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are the major vectors of bluetongue, Schmallenberg, and African horse sickness viruses. This study was conducted to survey Culicoides species in different parts of Ethiopia and to develop habitat suitability for the major Culicoides species in Ethiopia. Culicoides traps were set in different parts of the country from December 2018 to April 2021 using UV light Onderstepoort traps and the collected Culicoides were sorted to species level. To develop the species distribution model for the two predominant Culicoides species, namely Culicoides imicola and C. kingi, an ensemble modeling technique was used with the Biomod2 package of R software. KAPPA True skill statistics (TSS) and ROC curve were used to evaluate the accuracy of species distribution models. In the ensemble modeling, models which score TSS values greater than 0.8 were considered. Negative binomialregression models were used to evaluate the relationship between C. imicola and C. kingi catch and various environmental and climatic factors. During the study period, a total of 9148 Culicoides were collected from 66 trapping sites. Of the total 9148, 8576 of them belongs to seven species and the remaining 572 Culicoides were unidentified. The predominant species was C. imicola (52.8%), followed by C. kingi (23.6%). The abundance of these two species was highly influenced by the agro-ecological zone of the capture sites and the proximity of the capture sites to livestock farms. Climatic variables such as mean annual minimum and maximum temperature and mean annual rainfall were found to influence the catch of C. imicola at the different study sites. The ensemble model performed very well for both species with KAPPA (0.9), TSS (0.98), and ROC (0.999) for C. imicola and KAPPA (0.889), TSS (0.999), and ROC (0.999) for C. kingi. Culicoides imicola has a larger suitability range compared to C. kingi. The Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia, the southern and eastern parts of the country, and the areas along the Blue Nile and Lake Tana basins in northern Ethiopia were particularly suitable for C. imicola. High suitability for C. kingi was found in central Ethiopia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). The habitat suitability model developed here could help researchers better understand where the above vector-borne diseases are likely to occur and target surveillance to high-risk areas., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: People with mental illnesses are at an increased risk of experiencing human rights violations, stigma and discrimination. Even though mental health stigma and discrimination are universal, there appears to be a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Anti-stigma interventions need to be grounded in local evidence. The aim of this paper was to synthesize evidence on mental health stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia to inform the development of anti-stigma interventions., Methods: This evidence synthesis was conducted as a part of formative work for the International Study of Discrimination and Stigma Outcomes (INDIGO) Partnership research program. Electronic searches were conducted using PubMed for scientific articles, and Google Search and Google Scholar were used for grey literature. Records fulfilling eligibility criteria were selected for the evidence synthesis. The findings were synthesized using a framework designed to capture features of mental health stigma to inform cultural adaptation of anti-stigma interventions., Results: A total of 37 records (2 grey literature and 35 scientific articles) were included in the evidence synthesis. Some of these records were described more than once depending on themes of the synthesis. The records were synthesized under the themes of explanatory models of stigma (3 records on labels and 4 records on symptoms and causes), perceived and experienced forms of stigma (7 records on public stigma, 6 records on structural stigma, 2 records on courtesy stigma and 4 records on self-stigma), impact of stigma on help-seeking (6 records) and interventions to reduce stigma (12 records). Only two intervention studies assessed stigma reduction- one study showed reduced discrimination due to improved access to effective mental health care, whereas the other study did not find evidence on reduction of discrimination following a community-based rehabilitation intervention in combination with facility-based care., Conclusion: There is widespread stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia which has contributed to under-utilization of available mental health services in the country. This should be addressed with contextually designed and effective stigma reduction interventions that engage stakeholders (service users, service providers, community representatives and service developers and policy makers) so that the United Nations universal health coverage goal for mental health can be achieved in Ethiopia., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Stillbirth, which accounts for half of all the perinatal mortality, is not counted on policy, program, and investment agendas around the globe. It has been underestimated public health burden, particularly in developing countries. Ethiopia is among the top countries with a large prevalence of stillbirth in the world. However, there is a dearth of study on the current magnitude of stillbirth in the study area. Therefore, this study intended to assess the prevalence of stillbirth and its associated factors to bridge the gap., Methods: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted from 1 to 28 February 2019 and data were collected by reviewing the chart records of all the women who gave birth in the past 2 years (January 2016 to December 2018) at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.2.0.0 software and transported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, and SDs were generated. Determinants of stillbirth were analyzed using a binary logistic regression and presented by adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% CI., Results: The prevalence of stillbirth was 14.5% (95% CI: 11.7%, 17.6%). Low birth weight (AOR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.23-4.76), prematurity (AOR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.10-4.01), premature rupture of membranes (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.14-3.77), antepartum hemorrhage (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.66-6.67), obstructed labor (AOR = 2.87, 95% CI: 1.48-5.56), and preeclampsia (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.28-6.62) were an independently associated with stillbirth., Conclusion: The prevalence of stillbirth in this study was high. Low birth weight, preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes, antepartum hemorrhage, obstructed labor, and preeclampsia were independently associated with a stillbirth. Therefore, much study is needed involving different stakeholders to reduce stillbirths by improving the health status of women through the provision of quality maternal care including referral systems., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mengistu, Debella, Mulatu, Mesfin, Danusa and Dheresa.)

Introduction/objectives: Male involvement in family planning refers to all organizational actions focused on men as a distinct group to increase the acceptability and uptake of family planning among either sex. Despite the growing evidence of male involvement in increasing family planning uptake among couples, a little success has been achieved in Ethiopia, especially in rural areas. Hence, this study aimed to assess male involvement in family planning and its associated factors among currently married men in selected rural areas of Eastern Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 577 randomly selected currently married men, using a simple random sampling method in randomly selected rural districts of Eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into a computer using Epi-Data Version 3.1. The analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the social sciences software version 21. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between the dependent and independent variables. Finally, adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals at P -value < 0.05 was considered to be significantly associated with the outcome variable., Results: Out of 577, a total of, 555 married men were included in the study, resulting in a response rate of 96.2%. The magnitude of male involvement in family planning use was 59.3% (95% confidence interval: 47.1, 68. 2). Ever use of family planning by a spouse (adjusted odds ratio: 2.37; 95% confidence interval: 1.59, 3.52), ever discussion of spouse on sexual and reproductive health/family planning issues (adjusted odds ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.40, 3.02), and the husband's approval of family planning (adjusted odds ratio: 2.45; 95% confidence interval: 1.34, 4.96) were significantly associated with higher odds of male involvement in family planning use than their counterparts., Conclusion: The number of men involved in the family planning was low. Ever use of family planning methods by a spouse, ever discussion of spouse on sexual and reproductive health/family planning issues, and husband approval on family planning use were found to be important predictors of male involvement in family planning use. To improve modern family planning uptake among men and women, it is imperative to include men in family planning programs, such as family planning messaging, sensitizations, and services., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Introduction/objectives: Stillbirths are an adverse birth outcome and a significant public health problem in low- and high-income countries. Ethiopia is ranked seventh among ten countries that constitute 66% of the world's stillbirths. However, there is a dearth of evidence about stillbirths and the determinants in the country, particularly in Eastern Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of stillbirths among women who gave birth at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia., Methods: We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study among women who gave birth from October to December 2017. The study participants were selected through a systematic random sampling method. We collected the data using a pretested questionnaire through face-to-face interviews and maternal medical record reviews. The multi-variable logistic regression model was applied to identify the determinants with adjusted odds ratios at a 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance was declared at a p -value less than 0.05., Results: Five hundred fifty-five women were included in the study, and 6.7% ((95% confidence interval = 4.7%, 9.2%)) experienced a stillbirth. Previous history of adverse birth outcome (adjusted odds ratio = 9.55; 95% confidence interval = (4.37, 20.85), p  = 0.003), multiple pregnancies (adjusted odds ratio = 7.04; 95% confidence interval = (2.12, 23.40), p  = 0.000), and spontaneous vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio = 0.17; 95% confidence interval = (0.05, 0.51), p  = 0.002) were the identified determinants of stillbirth., Conclusion: The prevalence of stillbirth in this study was similar to previous reports in the country. Early detection and treatment of complications among mothers with multiple pregnancies and prior history of adverse outcomes are vital to alleviate the problem., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Collaborative approaches are seen as a promising way to strengthen Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) service delivery systems when challenges exceed the mandates and capabilities of any single entity. While collaborative approaches are well studied in high-income country contexts, current understanding of their application to international development contexts is limited. This paper uses fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to assess what conditions and pathways drove or impeded progress within eleven collaborative approaches for WASH service delivery in Eastern Africa. Evidence supported three main findings: (1) Government uptake of recommendations is necessary for progress but cannot be guaranteed solely by government participation in the collaboration, (2) different forms of problem identification are possible; problem scopes are often predefined to align with funders and partner government agendas, but flexible scopes that foster collective problem identification can reap benefits, and (3) hub convening power can be critical and convening power can be gained in different ways. Political dynamics, shifting priorities, and turnover undermine collaborative efforts, but collaborative approaches can still make progress in spite of turnover if funds are available for implementation of activities (i.e. in addition to funds for meetings and hub roles) and program implementers either facilitate collective problem identification or establish a hub with convening power. Yet even these tactics are vulnerable to instability, thus in highly unstable contexts, stakeholders and funders should be realistic from the outset about what they may be able to achieve. Building on existing theories of collaborative approaches, this work revealed that there is no single best design for collaborative approaches in WASH, rather, core elements worked together in different ways depending on the context., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Lack of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of infant life contributes to childhood morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association of exclusive breastfeeding and childhood illnesses in Ethiopia., Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out., Results: A total of 1034 mother-infant pairs were included in the analysis. The overall magnitude of exclusive breastfeeding among infants aged under 6 months was 87.6% (95% CI: 84.3-90.3%). Compared to infants who were non-exclusively breastfed, the odds of having an illness with fever in the last 2 weeks among infants who were exclusively breastfed decreased by 66% (AOR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.75). Similarly, exclusively breastfed infants had lower odds of having an illness with a cough (AOR: 0.38; CI: 0.20, 0.72) and having diarrhea (AOR: 0.33; CI: 0.13, 0.83) compared to non-exclusively breastfed infants., Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding lowers the odds of an illness with fever, illness with cough and diarrhea. The findings of this study implicate the need for promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in the country., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Since maternal mortality is a rare event, maternal near miss has been used as a proxy indicator for measuring maternal health. Maternal near miss (MNM) refers to a woman who nearly died but survived of complications during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. Although study of MNM in Ethiopia is becoming common, it is limited to public facilities leaving private facilities aside. The objective of this study was to assess MNM among women admitted in major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia., Methods: An institution based retrospective study was conducted from March 05 to 31, 2020 in two major private hospitals in Harar and Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia. The records of all women who were admitted during pregnancy, delivery or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy was reviewed for the presence of MNM criteria as per the sub-Saharan African MNM criteria. Descriptive analysis was done by computing proportion, ratio and means. Factors associated with MNM were assessed using binary logistic regression with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) along with its 95% confidence interval (CI)., Results: Of 1214 pregnant or postpartum women receiving care between January 09, 2019 and February 08, 2020, 111 women developed life-threatening conditions: 108 MNM and 3 maternal deaths. In the same period, 1173 live births were registered, resulting in an MNM ratio of 92.1 per 1000 live births. Anemia in the index pregnancy (aOR: 5.03; 95%CI: 3.12-8.13), having chronic hypertension (aOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.57-6.26), no antenatal care (aOR: 3.04; 95% CI: 1.58-5.83), being > 35 years old (aOR: 2.29; 95%CI: 1.22-4.29), and previous cesarean section (aOR: 4.48; 95% CI: 2.67-7.53) were significantly associated with MNM., Conclusions: Close to a tenth of women admitted to major private hospitals in eastern Ethiopia developed MNM. Women with anemia, history of cesarean section, and old age should be prioritized for preventing and managing MNM. Strengthening antenatal care and early screening of chronic conditions including hypertension is essential for preventing MNM.

Background: The use of modern family planning methods among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) is of public health importance in Ethiopia. Nationally, modern family planning method use remains as low as 35%. Understanding factors associated with the use of modern family planning methods may help to improve maternal and child health. Hence, this study is aimed at assessing modern family planning method use and its determinants among women of reproductive age in the rural districts of Eastern Hararghe zone, Eastern Ethiopia. Methodology . A community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 577 randomly selected, currently married, reproductive-aged women in selected rural districts of Eastern Hararghe, Eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected using a pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire about women's sociodemographic information, knowledge about contraception, reproductive history, contraceptive use and fertility desire, couple's communication, and decision-making on family planning. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the dependent and independent variables., Result: A total of 555 study participants participated, yielding a 96.2% response rate. The overall modern family planning utilization among the study participants was 18.4%. Knowledge of modern family planning methods (AOR = 16.958, CI: 4.768, 60.316), husband approval (AOR = 3.590, CI: 2.170, 5.936), couple's discussion (AOR = 2.852, CI: 1.759, 4.623), male involvement in decisions about family planning (AOR = 2.340, CI: 1.531, 3.576), desire for additional child (AOR = 2.295, CI: 1.528, 3.447), and previous use of contraception (AOR = 0.018, CI: 0.005, 0.063) were significantly associated with modern contraceptive utilization., Conclusion: Even though knowledge of modern family planning methods was very high, the overall modern family planning method use in the study area was low. The government should focus on increasing modern family planning method availability. It must also ensure family planning method security and create awareness on modern family planning methods through community-based education and proper counselling to empower women to make an appropriate choice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests., (Copyright © 2020 Teshale Mulatu et al.)

Background: Neonatal resuscitation is a life-saving intervention for birth asphyxia, a leading cause of neonatal mortality. Worldwide, four million neonate deaths happen annually, and birth asphyxia accounts for one million deaths. Improving providers' neonatal resuscitation skills is critical for delivering quality care and for morbidity and mortality reduction. However, retention of these skills has been challenging in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to assess neonatal resuscitation skills retention and associated factors among midwives and nurses in Eastern Ethiopia., Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-tested, structured, observational checklist. A total of 427 midwives and nurses were included from 28 public health facilities by cluster sampling and simple random sampling methods. Data were collected on facility type, availability of essential resuscitation equipment, socio-demographic characteristics of participants, current working unit, years of professional experience, whether a nurse or midwife received refresher training, and skills and knowledge related to neonatal resuscitation. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse the association between neonatal resuscitation skill retention and independent variables., Results: About 11.2% of nurses and midwives were found to have retention of neonatal resuscitation skills. Being a midwife (AOR, 7.39 [95% CI: 2.25, 24.24]), ever performing neonatal resuscitation (AOR, 3.33 [95% CI: 1.09, 10.15]), bachelor sciences degree or above (AOR, 4.21 [95% CI: 1.60, 11.00]), and good knowledge of neonatal resuscitation (AOR, 3.31 [95% CI: 1.41, 7.73]) were significantly associated with skill retention of midwives and nurses., Conclusion: Basic neonatal resuscitation skills of midwives and nurses in Eastern Ethiopia are not well retained. This could increase the death of neonates due to asphyxia. Being a midwife, Bachelor Sciences degree or above educational status, ever performing neonatal resuscitation, and good knowledge were associated with skill retention. Providers should be encouraged to upgrade their educational level to build their skill retention and expose themselves to NR. Further, understanding factors affecting how midwives and nurses gain and retain skills using high-level methodology are essential., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Model forecasts of the spatiotemporal occurrence dynamics of diseases are necessary and can help understand and thus manage future disease outbreaks. In our study, we used ecological niche modelling to assess the impact of climate on the vector suitability for bluetongue disease, a disease affecting livestock production with important economic consequences. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between the occurrence of bluetongue outbreaks and the environmental suitability of each of the four vector species studied. We found that the main vector for bluetongue disease, Culicoides imicola, a typically tropical and subtropical species, was a strong predictor for disease outbreak occurrence in a region of southern Portugal from 2004 to 2021. The results highlight the importance of understanding the climatic factors that might influence vector presence to help manage infectious disease impacts. When diseases impact economically relevant species, the impacts go beyond mortality and have important economic consequences., (© 2024 Royal Entomological Society.)

Introduction: Podoconiosis is a non-filarial swelling of the lower extremity endemic in tropical regions, North America and India. The aetiology and pathophysiology of the disease remain unknown. We propose conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the burden and risk factors of podoconiosis in Ethiopia reported in studies from 2009 to 2019., Methods and Analysis: We will search the following electronic databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Hinari, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ISI (Web of Science) and Google Scholar. Medical subject headings will be used to extensively search relevant literature on electronic databases using related keywords such as epidemiology or prevalence, magnitude or burden, podoconiosis, and Ethiopia. Grey literature and manual search will also be performed to retrieve unindexed research articles. Two reviewers will screen all retrieved articles, conduct data extraction and then critically appraise all identified studies. We will analyse data using STATA V.14 statistical software. We will demonstrate pooled estimates of podoconiosis and associated factors with effect size and 95% CI. The presence of heterogeneity among studies will be examined by forest plot as well as the I 2 heterogeneity test. Potential causes of heterogeneity will be explored by carrying out sensitivity and subgroup analyses. The presence of publication bias will also be examined by observing funnel plots and objectively by Egger's regression test. If the funnel plot is asymmetric and/or Egger's test was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05), the trim and fill (Duval and Tweedie's) analysis will be performed., Ethics and Dissemination: The study will use publicly available data and will not identify the authors of the publication by name. In light of these and as has been indicated, research ethics clearance is not required for evidence syntheses in such reviews. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42019127459., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Culicoides imicola is a midge species serving as vector for a number of viral diseases of livestock, including Bluetongue, and African Horse Sickness. C. imicola is also known to transmit Schmallenberg virus experimentally. Environmental and demographic factors may impose rapid changes on the global distribution of C. imicola and aid introduction into new areas. The aim of this study is to predict the global distribution of C. imicola using an ensemble modeling approach by combining climatic, livestock distribution and land cover covariates, together with a comprehensive global dataset of geo-positioned occurrence points for C. imicola. Thirty individual models were generated by 'biomod2', with 21 models scoring a true skill statistic (TSS) >0.8. These 21 models incorporated weighted runs from eight of ten algorithms and were used to create a final ensemble model. The ensemble model performed very well (TSS = 0.898 and ROC = 0.991) and indicated high environmental suitability for C. imicola in the tropics and subtropics. The habitat suitability for C. imicola spans from South Africa to southern Europe and from southern USA to southern China. The distribution of C. imicola is mainly constrained by climatic factors. In the ensemble model, mean annual minimum temperature had the highest overall contribution (42.9%), followed by mean annual maximum temperature (21.1%), solar radiation (13.6%), annual precipitation (11%), livestock distribution (6.2%), vapor pressure (3.4%), wind speed (0.8%), and land cover (0.1%). The present study provides the most up-to-date predictive maps of the potential distributions of C. imicola and should be of great value for decision making at global and regional scales.

Culicoides imicola is the main vector transmitting viruses causing animal diseases such as Bluetongue, African Horse Sickness, and Schmallenberg. It has become widely distributed, with reports from South Africa to southern Europe, and from western Africa to southern China. This study presents a global compendium of Culicoides imicola occurrence between 1943 and 2018, reflecting the most recently compiled and harmonized global dataset derived from peer-reviewed literature. The procedures used in producing the data, as well as the geo-coding methods, database management and technical validation procedures are described. The study provides an updated and comprehensive global database of C. imicola occurrence, consisting of 1 039 geo-coded records from 50 countries. The datasets can be used for risk mapping of the diseases transmitted by C. imicola as well as to develop the global habitat suitability for the vector.

Background: Adverse perinatal outcomes are still high in developing countries. Contradicting evidences were reported about the effect of parity on adverse perinatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare perinatal outcomes in grand multiparous and low multiparity women in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Adare General Hospital of Ethiopia., Methods: Comparative cross-sectional study design was employed to include 461 mothers from February to June 2018. Data were collected by structured questionnaire using interview and from patient charts. Data were entered using EPI-DATA version 4.4.2.0. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were computed using STATA version 14 computer software., Results: Of all study participants, 24.9% (95% Confidence interval: 21.1%-29.1%) had at least one adverse perinatal outcome. Stillbirth (38.9), low Apgar score (51.9%), and congenital malformation (3.70%) were frequently occurred complications in grand multiparas compared to low multiparous women. Nevertheless, meconium aspiration, need for resuscitation, and macrosomia were higher in low multiparous women (9.84%, 14.75%, and 57.38%, respectively). Less than four prenatal visits (AOR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.92) and previous home delivery (AOR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.33) were independent predictors of adverse perinatal outcomes. However, parity did not show statistically significant difference in perinatal outcomes., Conclusion: This finding underscores the fact that frequency of antenatal care and place of delivery are significant predictors of perinatal outcomes. However, parity did not show statistically significant difference in perinatal outcomes. Women empowerment, promoting health facility delivery, and early, comprehensive antenatal care are needed.

Background: Knowledge of danger signs of obstetric complications during pregnancy, labour, and postnatal period is the first essential step for appropriate and timely referral. This study aimed to investigate predictors of knowledge about obstetric danger signs during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period among mothers of reproductive age women who gave birth in the last 12 months., Methods: A quantitative community based cross-sectional study was employed during March 2016. The study included 493 mothers who were selected by multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face interview. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with knowledge of obstetric danger signs. Variables with a p-value <0.05 were identified as statistically significant factors., Results: About forty-seven percent (46.7%), 27.8%, and 26.4% of the mothers were knowledgeable about obstetric danger signs during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period, respectively. Vaginal bleeding was the most frequently cited danger sign during the three periods. Mothers' secondary or above education level increased odds of knowledge about danger signs during pregnancy (AOR: 3.63; 95% CI 1.19, 11.07) and postpartum period (AOR: 5.31; 95% CI 2.13, 13.22). Additionally, being employed (AOR: 5.41; 95% CI 1.03, 28.32), delivery at health institution (AOR: 2.14; 95% CI 1.17, 3.92) and number of ANC visits were statistically significant factors., Conclusion: Knowledge of mothers about obstetric danger signs was low in the study area. Empowering women, improving the quality of health information about danger signs during ANC follow up, and promoting institutional delivery are the recommended interventions.

Background: Accurate information on the distribution of the tsetse fly is of paramount importance to better control animal trypanosomosis. Entomological and parasitological surveys were conducted in the tsetse belt of south-western Ethiopia to describe the prevalence of trypanosomosis (PoT), the abundance of tsetse flies (AT) and to evaluate the association with potential risk factors., Methods: The study was conducted between 2009 and 2012. The parasitological survey data were analysed by a random effects logistic regression model, whereas the entomological survey data were analysed by a Poisson regression model. The percentage of animals with trypanosomosis was regressed on the tsetse fly count using a random effects logistic regression model., Results: The following six risk factors were evaluated for PoT (i) altitude: significant and inverse correlation with trypanosomosis, (ii) annual variation of PoT: no significant difference between years, (iii) regional state: compared to Benishangul-Gumuz (18.0%), the three remaining regional states showed significantly lower PoT, (iv) river system: the PoT differed significantly between the river systems, (iv) sex: male animals (11.0%) were more affected than females (9.0%), and finally (vi) age at sampling: no difference between the considered classes. Observed trypanosome species were T. congolense (76.0%), T. vivax (18.1%), T. b. brucei (3.6%), and mixed T. congolense/vivax (2.4%). The first four risk factors listed above were also evaluated for AT, and all have a significant effect on AT. In the multivariable model only altitude was retained with AT decreasing with increasing altitude. Four different Glossina species were identified i.e. G. tachinoides (52.0%), G. pallidipes (26.0%), G.morsitans submorsitans (15.0%) and G. fuscipes fuscipes (7.0 %). Significant differences in catches/trap/day between districts were observed for each species. No association could be found between the tsetse fly counts and trypanosomosis prevalence., Conclusions: Trypanosomosis remains a constraint to livestock production in south-western Ethiopia. Four Glossina and three Trypanosoma species were observed. Altitude had a significant impact on AT and PoT. PoT is not associated with AT, which could be explained by the importance of mechanical transmission. This needs to be investigated further as it might jeopardize control strategies that target the tsetse fly population.

Introduction: Although late initiation of antenatal care has been linked with adverse pregnancy outcomes, a significant number of pregnant women in resource-limited regions are seeking this care late. There has been a lack of information on the extent and factors influencing late initiation of antenatal care in the African context following the implementation of the new antenatal care model in 2016. Thus, we aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of late antenatal care visit and its determinants among women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) using national surveys conducted after the implementation of new guidelines. Methods: We analyzed data from the recent demographic and health survey (DHS) conducted in 16 SSA between 2018 and 2022 using a weighted sample of 101,983 women who had antenatal care follow-up during their index pregnancy. A multilevel logistic regression models were fitted and likelihood and deviance values were used for model selection. In the regression model, we used adjusted odds ratios along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals to determine the factors associated with late antenatal care visit. Results: The pooled prevalence of late antenatal care visit among pregnant women in SSA was 53.8% [95% CI: 46.2% - 61.3%], ranging from 27.8% in Liberia to 75.8% in Nigeria. Women's age and education, working status, partner's education, health insurance coverage, birth order, household wealth, age at marriage, decision on health care, residence, and community-level women's illiteracy were the factors associated with late antenatal care visit. Conclusion: More than half of pregnant women in SSA initiated attending antenatal care during late pregnancy, with significant differences seen among countries. These results underscore the necessity for focused interventions to tackle these issues and enhance prompt access to antenatal services for better maternal and child health outcomes in the area. Moreover, creating tailored interventions for younger women, those with multiple previous births, employed women, and those who experienced early marriage to address their specific challenges and obstacles in seeking care is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal mortality and morbidity is a significant public health issue globally, particularly in low-income countries including Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the proportion and associated factors of neonatal near misses among newborns delivered at public hospitals in the East Gojjam zone of Northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 21 to June 20, 2023, among 560 newborns and their mothers in randomly selected five public hospitals. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, medical record review, and a standard checklist with a systematic random sampling technique in each proportionally allocated hospital. The data was entered using 4.6 Epi-data software and exported to SPSS version 25. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using a backward stepwise approach method, and statistical significance was declared at a 95% confidence interval with a p-value < 0.05. A total of 552 participants responded to the study, with a response rate of 98.6%. The prevalence of neonatal near miss was 41.3% with a 95% confidence interval of 37.1–45.3. Unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 4.91, 95% CI: 2.43–9.94), current obstetric complications at birth (AOR = 5.48, 95% CI: 2.92–10.27), pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI: 1.23–6.12), premature rupture of membrane (AOR = 3.40, 95% CI: 1.71–6.78), mother referred from other healthcare facilities (AOR = 7.12, 95% CI: 4.01–12.63), delivered on-duty time (AOR = 5.04, 95% CI: 2.94–8.65), less than three ultrasound scans (AOR = 3.71, 95% CI: 2.11–6.53), and no ultrasound scan (AOR = 9.44, 95% CI: 2.55–34.99) were significantly associated with neonatal near miss. The prevalence of neonatal near-misses was 41.3% (95% CI: 37.1%, 45.3%). Unplanned pregnancy, obstetric complications at birth, ultrasound scan, premature rupture of membrane, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and mothers referred from other healthcare facilities, and delivered on-duty time were significant factors associated with neonatal near misses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban growth in sub-Saharan Africa presents significant challenges to sustainable development, food security, and environmental conservation. The rapid urban expansion and impact on agricultural land reduction in central Ethiopian metropolitan areas (Addis Ababa and Sheger city) exemplify these issues while simultaneously offering opportunities for sustainable development. This study aims to quantify and characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion in Addis Ababa and the surrounding Sheger city, explicitly focusing on understanding the impact of urban expansion on farmlands. The supervised random forest (RF) classification in the Google Earth Engine platform was used to prepare land use and land cover (LULC) for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2023. The study employed an analytical framework incorporating multiple methodologies: intensity analysis at interval, categorical, and transitional levels to quantify urban growth trajectories; gradient direction and distance analyses to examine spatial expansion patterns; and Land Expansion Index (LEI) and Landscape Dynamic Typology (LDT) metrics to characterize the urban morphology and spatial dynamics of the study area. The results revealed that edge expansion is the predominant mode of urban development, primarily affecting farmlands in the eastern section. Built-up areas quadrupled between 1990 and 2023, whereas arable land declined. Intensity analysis revealed significant changes, particularly affecting farmlands. Our LDT analysis showed reduction in stable areas and increased in LULC changes from 1990 to 2023. The findings highlight the need for revised urban development strategies in Ethiopia to focus on compact and efficient growth while safeguarding agricultural lands, aligning with SDGs 2, 11, and 15 to promote balanced development that ensures urban and agricultural sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preventing unwanted pregnancies, achieving optimal child spacing, and improving quality of life are benefits of modern family planning (FP). This study aimed to assess modern FP use, identify the factors influencing its use and determine the barriers to FP use among women of reproductive age. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was conducted in the Iringa Region between March and July 2022. Conveniently, 368 women of reproductive age were included in the quantitative study, and 48 were purposively selected for the qualitative study based on reported barriers to using modern FP. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection. The factors of modern FP use were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The p < 0.05 was considered to be significant. For qualitative data, all interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed manually through thematic analysis. Results: The prevalence of modern FP use was 181 (49%). Being married (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 5.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.77–16.73, p =.003), parity of 6 and more (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.99–5.95, p =.052), availability of modern FP methods (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.03–2.85, p =.038), and women with primary education level (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.03–3.25, p =.001), women with secondary and higher education (AOR = 3.53, 95% CI = 1.41–4.38, p =.001), were predictors for modern FP utilization. Four main themes merged (1) individual barriers, (2) hospital barriers, (3) cultural barriers, and (4) knowledge of modern FP methods. Conclusion: The use of modern FP increases with women's education. There is a need for the government to invest in women's education and raise awareness and knowledge of the benefits of modern FP methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing utilization of family planning in Ethiopia, many pregnancies in rural areas are still unintended and unintended pregnancy remains a major global challenge in public and reproductive health, with devastating impact on women and child health, and the general public. Hence, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy in rural women of Ethiopia. This study used a 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey data. A total weighted samples of 974 reproductive-aged rural women were included in this analysis. Multilevel mixed logistic regression analysis was employed to consider the effect of hierarchal nature of EDHS data using Stata version 14 to determine individual and community level factors. Variables significantly associated with unintended pregnancy were declared at p-value < 0.05 with adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI). The prevalence of unintended pregnancy in rural women was 31.66% (95%CI 28.8%, 34.66%). Never had media exposure (AOR: 2.67, 95%CI 1.48, 4.83), don't have work (AOR: 0.33, 95%CI 0.21, 0.52), being from household size of one to three (AOR: 0.44 95%CI 0.2, 0.96), being primiparous (AOR: 0.41, 95%CI 0.17, 0.99), women from poor families (AOR: 2.4, 95%CI 1.24, 4.56), lacking the intention to use contraceptive (AOR: 0.24, 95%CI 0.14, 0.44) were individual-level factors significantly associated with unintended pregnancy. Women from large central region (AOR: 4.2, 95%CI 1.19, 14.62) and being from poor community wealth status (AOR: 4.3, 95%CI 1.85, 10.22) were community-level factors statistically associated with unintended pregnancy. The present study prevalence of unintended pregnancy in rural women was relatively high. Maternal occupation, household size, media exposure, parity, women wealth, intention to use contraceptive, region and community level wealth were factors statistically associated with unintended pregnancy. Hence, demographer and public health practitioners has to give great emphasis on designing an intervention with implementation strategies to increase accessibility of media for reproductive-age women's and improve women financial capacity, and strengthen maternal health services. These strategies helps to decrease adverse birth outcomes associated with unintended pregnancy in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the prevalence of bovine trypanosomes and the density of tsetse flies in the Yem Special District, Southern Ethiopia, highlighting the disease's significant impact on livestock health and agricultural productivity. Conducted between May 2022 and January 2023, the cross-sectional survey analyzed 960 blood samples for trypanosomes prevalence and tsetse fly density. Results revealed a 10.63% (9–12%) overall prevalence of bovine trypanosomes, with Trypanosoma congolense (5.83%) and Trypanosoma vivax (4.73%) as the predominant species, and 0.63% of mixed infection. Significant associations were found between trypanosomes and anemia, age, and sex, with higher prevalence rates observed in cattle with poor body condition scores and black-hair coats. The study identified three Glossina species, with Glossina morsitans submorsitans being the most prevalent. The findings underscore the need for integrated vector control strategies, community engagement in disease management, and further research using molecular techniques for deeper understanding and effective control measures. Collaboration among stakeholders is crucial for mitigating the disease's impact on livestock and human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early initiation of antenatal care visits creates an opportunity for early detection of high-risk pregnancies, pregnancy complications, health education, and counseling about successful care and nutrition of the mother and the fetus. Thus, the main objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with the early initiation of antenatal care visits in Ethiopia. Methods: The study was conducted based on the children's data set of the 2019 Ethiopia mini-demographic and health survey. The study employed a retrospective cohort study design using the data downloaded from the Measure Demographic and Health Survey website. The study included a random sample of 2922 pregnant women who had complete information about their first antenatal care visits. A gamma-accelerated failure time model was employed to identify the factors associated with the early initiation of antenatal care visits in Ethiopia. Results: In Ethiopia, 62% of the pregnant women started their first antenatal care visit early. The higher birth order of the current pregnancy (ϕ = 2.215, 95% CI: 1.8901, 2.5966), mothers being rural residents (ϕ = 1.239, 95% CI: 1.1633 1.3195), mothers aged 25–34 (ϕ = 1.692, 95% CI: 1.5588, 1.8369), and mothers aged above 34 (ϕ = 1.826, 95% CI: 1.6392, 2.0336) were associated with an accelerated time to initiation of antenatal care visits. However, mothers attained higher education (ϕ = 0.830, 95% CI: 0.7345, 0.9373) and rich wealth index (ϕ = 0.869, 95% CI: 0.8156, 0.9259) were associated with a shorter time to initiation of antenatal care visits. Conclusion: A higher proportion of urban and educated pregnant women initiated their antenatal care visits earlier than the other groups. We recommend that stakeholders at the federal and regional levels should focus on providing special concern for information, education, and communication regarding the importance of early antenatal care visits initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The World Health Organization emphasizes that neonatal resuscitation performed in the first "golden minute" following birth can influence both immediate and long-term outcomes of newborns, especially asphyxiated ones. The modes of resuscitation, which is an evidenced-based practice, require evaluation to identify their effectiveness. Objectives: This study evaluated neonatal resuscitation techniques and their effectiveness in the management of asphyxiated neonates during the perinatal period. Design: Cross-sectional design with observation of delivery and immediate care of 254 newborns in five hospitals from April to June 2022. Methods: Neonatal resuscitation and demographic characteristics were noted. Data were analyzed descriptively using STATA 17 and Cramer's V test of association between APGAR scores and resuscitation modes was done with statistical significance established at p ≤.05. Results: Neonatal resuscitation was primarily performed by midwives (98.4%), with 48.8% of the infants resuscitated after birth. The most common modalities of resuscitation were drying, keeping warm, rubbing the back, and flicking the feet, with 46.0% started on bag and mask ventilation. The success rate of resuscitation was impressive (58.1%), satisfactory (38.7%), and poor (3.2%). There was a strong association of the first minute APGAR score with drying the neonate (p =.0001, φc = 0.619), keeping the neonate warm, and rubbing the back of the neonate (p =.0001, φc = 0.613). However, their association with the fifth minute APGAR score was weak (p =.002, φc = 0.222). Feet flicking has no significant association with the fifth minute APGAR score. Conclusion: Neonatal resuscitation, which is an evidence-based practice, is more effective in the first minute than in the fifth minute. Regular training of midwives to update their resuscitation skills is important to promote timely and efficient resuscitation of newborns. Further studies into the advancements in resuscitation modes and the use of technology to improve resuscitation beyond the first minute are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is sexual violence against women by a current or former sexual partner. Sexual violence among pregnant women is higher in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which has numerous negative impacts for both the mother and the growing fetus. There is no recent and distinct information on the magnitude and factors associated with IPSV among pregnant women in SSA. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of IPSV and its determinants among pregnant women in SSA. Design: A cross-sectional study design using demographic health survey data from 2015 to 2022 in 20 sub-Saharan African countries was used. Methods: The analysis was conducted using a weighted sample of 10,775 women who were pregnant during the survey period (2015–2022). A multilevel logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of IPSV among pregnant women. The adjusted odds ratio at 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was computed to assess the strength and significance of the association between explanatory and outcome variables. Factors with a p -value of <0.05 are declared statistically significant. Result: In this study, the pooled prevalence of IPSV among pregnant women in SSA was 11.06% (95% CI: 10.48–11.67). Respondents currently working, male-headed households, presence of justified beating, respondent mother's history of abuse, respondent having no media access, respondent having self-reported sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), partner alcohol use, and residing in East Africa had increased odds of IPSV during pregnancy. On the other hand, nulliparous respondents, respondents involved in healthcare decision-making, households with a high wealth index, and residents of West Africa had decreased odds of IPSV among pregnant women. Conclusion: This study revealed that a significant proportion (11%) of pregnant women experienced intimate partner sexual violence during pregnancy in SSA. Hence, the government, policymakers, and other relevant authorities should give special attention to women's at-risk of sexual violence, including women who live in households with justified beatings, women with STIs, working women's, women with drunken partners, and non-autonomous women's. Prioritization of the east African region, increasing media access, and promoting a healthy lifestyle in the community shall be done to reduce the burden of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study describes the epidemiological changes in pressure ulcers (PUs) in a Portuguese intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2017 to June 2023, characterizes critically ill patients with PUs, identifies specific risk factors, and assesses the effectiveness of implemented preventive measures. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted, analyzing records of ICU patients with PUs during the specified period. Data were extracted from the institution's Global Risk Management application and the ICU's electronic PU registry. The study included patients with ICU stays longer than 24 h and excluded those with ineligible clinical records or incomplete characterization data. Results: Among 3816 evaluated patients, 257 developed a total of 345 PUs, averaging 1.4 PUs per patient. The average PU prevalence rate was 6.81%, with the highest prevalence in 2020 (11.0%) and the lowest in 2022 (3.48%). The average incidence rate was 3.76%, peaking at 5.71% in 2020 and declining to 2.54% in 2023. The sacrum and heels were the most commonly affected areas, with Category 2 PUs being the most frequent. Key intrinsic risk factors included systemic diseases and sensory deficits, with pressure identified as a significant extrinsic factor. Preventive measures focused on risk assessment and pressure control. Conclusions: The study reveals a PU prevalence of 6.81% and an average incidence of 3.76%, underscoring the need for enhanced preventive strategies, especially in anatomical areas like the sacrum and heels. It emphasizes the importance of personalized assessments, continuous education for nursing staff, and a multidisciplinary approach to improve patient outcomes and care quality in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social housing projects trigger significant urban transformations in adjacent urban areas. Global South countries invest considerable resources in new social housing to reduce quantitative housing deficits, but their effects on urban transformations in neighboring areas are often overlooked. Although informal settlements are widespread in Global South cities, few studies focus on their transformations due to new social housing projects. To address this literature gap, we employed a quasiexperimental method in which we compared urban changes in Bogotá's informal settlements near social housing projects (experimental group) against those outlying new projects (control group). Through georeferencing, satellite imagery, and field visits, we could determine and compare transformations outside and inside informal settlements in the last decade regarding land values, new structures, housing extensions, basic infrastructure, and public space improvements. We observed that informal neighborhoods near social housing experienced larger land value increases, a higher number of new building permits, and basic infrastructure improvements. We concluded that social housing clusters near informal settlements in Bogotá may explain land value increases that encouraged further private and public investment around these areas. Clusters also attract new social housing that reaches informal settlements and produces a phenomenon of informalization of formality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) typically hinges on the quality of the ingredients utilized in blending the asphalt concrete. In this study the Superpave mix design method is used to investigate the performance of HMA with recycled brick powder (RBP) added as a filler. A non-probability sampling technique was used to gather samples. The engineering characteristics of materials used in HMA components, such as bitumen (80/100 penetration grade), aggregates, RBP, and crushed stone dust (CSD), were verified against standard specifications. The impact of RBP as a filler substance on the Marshall properties, stripping tests, moisture susceptibility, and permanent deformation in asphalt mixtures were assessed. Chemical analysis of the RBP indicated that silicon dioxide, aluminium oxide, and iron oxide collectively constituted 62,68; 14,74 and 9,16 %, respectively, of its composition satisfying the minimum requirements for natural pozzolan materials. The RBP specific gravity and plastic index, were 2,66 and non-plastic, respectively. HMA specimens were prepared with conventional filler CSD in three proportions (4, 5, and 6 %) and eight bitumen contents from (3,0-6,5 %) with 5,0 % of CSD selected as the control mix. The CSD filler in proportions of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 % was combined with RBP in proportions of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 %, respectively, to replace the 5 % CSD control mix. The optimum bitumen content was maintained at 5,45 %. The replacement rates of 3 % RBP + 2 % CSD meet ERA standard specifications for Marshall properties, offering a cost-effective solution with low permanent deformation (2,88 mm) and high tensile strength ratio (94,39 %). Incorporating RBP in HMA aligns with the criteria suggested in the Superpave aggregate gradation for up to 3 % RBP + 2 % CSD replacement of conventional filler in HMA production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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