Ethiopian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences

Recent updates on the epidemiology and immunizations of measles virus in Ethiopia

2024-06-12T10:54:07+00:00

No abstract

Sexual and reproductive health service utilization among young disabled people in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

2024-06-12T11:01:24+00:00

Background: In Ethiopia, the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services (SRHSs) to young people with disability (YPWD) is poorly understood, as such they are often marginalized and not recognized as being sexual. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the sexual and reproductive health service utilization and associated factors among young people with disability in Ethiopia.
Methods: In 2012, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 426 young people with disability aged 10-24 years were systematically selected and included in the study. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a standardized questionnaire and analyzed using Predictive Analytics Software (PASW), version 20. All analyses used an alpha level of 0.05 (two-tailed) to determine statistical significance.
Results: Only one-fourth of the young people with disability (26.1%) had ever utilized sexual and reproductive health services. The most commonly cited reasons for seeking sexual and reproductive health services were to get contraceptives (48.1%), to get condoms (21.2%), and for HIV counseling and testing (21.2%). Sixty-three percent of the sexually active young peo-ple with disability had ever used a modern contraceptive method, and 54.3% had ever used a condom. Fifty-six percent of the participants had ever been tested for HIV. Being older, fe-male, and literate were found to be important putative determinants of sexual and reproduc-tive health service use according to logistic regression analysis. The main reasons for not utilizing sexual and reproductive health services were the inconvenience of health institutions (48.8%) followed by poor handling and scolding by the service provider (22.1%).
Conclusions: This study revealed that many young people with disability in Ethiopia expe-rience barriers to access sexual and reproductive health services, particularly due to inconve-nient health institutions and poor handling by service providers. Not surprisingly, education plays an important role in sexual and reproductive health service use. However, the higher likelihood of using sexual and reproductive health services by older females, as in our study, could be evidence of a societal misconception that SRHSs are only for adults and women. It could also be an indication of the increased risk of females for sexual and reproductive health problems and the increased vulnerability associated with a lack of access to sexual and repro-ductive health services for younger people with disability. Therefore, an effort has to be made by program and policymakers, and other concerned parties to raise disability-related awa-reness at the societal level to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabili-ties. There is also a need to intervene on the available and upcoming sexual and reproductive health services and programs to make them youth and disability friendly.

Schistosoma mansoni in Lake Tana: a comprehensive assessment of parasite, snail vector, and associated factors at Gorgora, Northwest Ethiopia

2024-06-13T10:31:53+00:00

Background: Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases of public health im-portance worldwide. The transmission of this disease is linked to freshwater snails. It has been reported from 78 countries and territories, affecting approximately 290.8 million indi-viduals who required treatment in 2018. The burden of this disease continues to be signifi-cant in specific regions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, despite more than two decades of mass preventive chemotherapy primarily targeting school-aged children. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of the disease in children ranges from 24 to 90% in different localities. While previous studies have primarily concentrated on disease prevalence, there is a lack of atten-tion to the distribution of snails and their infectivity status. This study sought to evaluate the distribution of snails and identify factors related to Schistosoma mansoni infection along Lake Tana at Gorgora, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted along Lake Tana in Gorgora town, Northwest Ethiopia from March to May 2020. A total of 385 study partici-pants were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Kato-Katz smears were pre-pared from stool sample and examined microscopically to confirm S. mansoni eggs. A mala-cological survey was conducted at 14 sites along Lake Tana shore. Collected snails were put in a small plastic bucket that contained water and plant vegetation, and transported to vector biology laboratory, University of Gondar, within four hours of collection for morpho-logical identification and Cercaria shedding. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.4.2.1 and transferred to SPSS version 20.0 and STATA version 15.0 for analysis. Spatial distribution analysis was done using the ArcGIS system. A P value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Result: The prevalence of S. mansoni was 36.6% (95% CI: 32.0-41.9). The infection intensi-ty category of Schistosoma mansoni was light (30.5%), moderate (42.5%), and heavy (27.0%). From a total of 1105 snails collected, 546 (49.4%) were Biomphalaria species, 310 (28.1%) were Bulinus species, 105(9.5%) were Lymnae species, and 144(13.0%) were Bivalve. None of the Biomphalaria species collected were infected with human schistosoma. Lake water practice, swimming frequency, and proximity to the lake were significantly asso-ciated factors of Schistosoma mansoni infection (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was considerable in the study area. Four freshwater snails with a potential of transmitting disease in humans and livestock were identified. Further research and monitoring are essential to comprehensively investigate the factors contributing to the absence of human schistosome cercariae in the hatching results of Biomphalaria snails and to assess the potential impact on schistosomiasis transmission in the region. It is highly recommended to conduct a longitudinal study incorporating molecu-lar techniques to analyze Biomphalaria infection rates and their susceptibility to schisto-some infection.

Sero-prevalence of HBV and associated factors among HIV positive adults attending an ART clinic at Nekemte Specialized Hospital, Nekemte, Western Ethiopia

2024-06-13T10:38:56+00:00

Background: Hepatitis B is a major global health problem and potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by hepatitis B virus. It is more common in HIV infected individuals. The aim of this study was to assess the sero-prevalence of hepatitis B infection and associat-ed factors among HIV positive adults on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
Method: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June, 2021.Samples were taken from randomly selected HIV positive adults visiting an ART clinic using a single population proportion formula. Blood sample were tested for HBsAg and data entered into Epi-data software 3.1, transferred to SPSS version 20 and analyzed. A difference was considered statistically significant at p value <0.05.
Result: Among 384 HIV positive adults on ART selected for this study, 199 (51.8%) were males and 185(48.2%) were females. Twenty-two (5.7%) individuals were sero-positive for HBsAg, of which 9 (2.3%) and 13 (3.4%) were females and males, respectively. Among the 384 adults, 22.7% of them had been married, and 9.1%, 40.9%, and 25% had been wid-owed, divorced and single, respectively and significantly associated with the presence of HBsAg at a 5% level of significance [AOR = 4.02; P = 0.041]. Similarly, regarding CD4 count, among the study subjects 0% of them had 200-250cells/μl and 251-300cells/μl, and 0.8%, 1.3%, and 3.6 % had <200cells/μl, 301-500cells/ μl and >500cells/ μl respectively and significantly associated with the presence of HBsAg at a 5% level of significance [AOR = 1.03; P = 0.034].
Conclusion: The prevalence of HBsAg was found to be moderate in HIV positive adults on ART. HBV infection had no significant effect on ART treatment progress or virological sup-pression. ART treatment had no association with HBV sero-negativity.CD4 counts had sig-nificant association with HBV infection. Provision of routine screening for HBV–HIV co-infected individuals and promoting awareness of this risk creation is necessary to advance treatment strategies.

Obstetric ultrasound screening service utilization among pregnant women in public hos-pitals of Ethiopia: Barriers and enablers, 2022. A cross-sectional study

2024-06-13T10:42:32+00:00

Introduction: All pregnant women should receive an obstetric ultrasound scan before 24 weeks gestation, according to the World Health Organization. However, this can be influ-enced by a number of barriers, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to assess reasons for utilization of obstetric ultrasound screening services and barriers to its access among pregnant women in public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 404 pregnant women from June 21 to September 20, 2022, in public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Simple and systematic ran-dom sampling was used to select the study area and eligible individuals, respectively. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with the dependent variables. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval with a p-value less than 0.05% was considered statistically significant.
Finding: In this study, 70.3% of pregnant women utilized prenatal ultrasound. The study participants reported different reasons for utilizing ultrasound services: pregnancy com-plications; to assess the health status of the baby; to determine the age of the pregnancy and fetal position, and fetal sex determination were the main reasons. The main barriers to utilizing ultrasound were identified as waiting time, financial cost, being attended by students, distance to the service, and lack of privacy.
Conclusion: In the current study, the number of pregnant women utilizing obstetric ultra-sound was lower than the World Health Organization recommendation, and diverse bar-riers influenced utilization of this service. By reducing the cost and patients' waiting time, and increasing awareness of the value of the service, utilization of ultrasound can be improved.

Time to recovery from undernutrition and its predictors among patients with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2024-06-13T10:47:45+00:00

Background: Multidrug-resistant/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis is an emerging epidemic disease worldwide. Estimating the duration of recovery from malnutrition and identifying its determinants are crucial for practical and evidence-based public health decision-making among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis who are experiencing non-nutrition. This study aimed to assess the time to recovery from undernutrition and its predictors among multidrug-resistant/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis patients in Addis Ababa.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who received MDR-TB treat-ment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from June 1, 2017, to July 30, 2022. The records of 381 MDR-TB patients were randomly selected using a simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using a pretested and structured data extraction checklist. Descriptive statistics were performed using graphs and frequencies. We constructed bivariable and multivariable Cox regression models to identify predictors of undernutrition among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Results: The undernutrition recovery rate was 8.353 per 1000 person-days. The median nutritional recovery time of the entire cohort of the study was 86 days, with an interquartile range of ±57.12 days. Age ≥ 55 years (AHR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.15 - 0.75), living in a single room (AHR = 1.49, 95% CI =1.09 - 2.03), low household income (AHR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.44 - 0.88), and co-infection with HIV (AHR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.17 – 0.46) were found to be significant predictors of nutritional recovery time.
Conclusion: In this study, we found that approximately 77% of the malnourished patients recovered, with a median recovery time of 86 days. Age, housing condition, HIV status, and household income were found to be predictors of nutritional recovery time. Health care providers should place special emphasis on patients who are HIV positive, are old and have a low household income to improve nutritional recovery time.