The Effects of Corona Virus Pandemic on the Residents of Jimma Town: Socio-Cultural and Medical Aspects in Focus

The COVID-19 outbreak is not only a global public health but also socio-cultural crisis. Socio cultural norms and values that are at the center of African societies now face severe risk of disappearing into oblivion. The ban on public gatherings, for instance, in response to the pandemic has had consequent effects on social cohesion, social life and social gathering to commemorate different social events. Family relationships and friendships and how they work and conduct business, engage in civic activities and entertain ourselves are all affected by the new rules. When they engage others, they touch them less and they never shake hand and they move more rapidly to avoid them. The objective of the study is aimed to investigate effects of corona virus pandemic in Jimma by concentrating on the socio-cultural and medical aspects. Qualitative approach with ethnographic case study design has been implemented in order to achieve the objectives of the study. From this study it can be said that, COVID-19 pandemic has direct effects on education, cultural activities, religious activities, and psychology of the people. It makes also weaken the bond between the people within the community. The pandemic also adversely affect physical, mental, and the social situation of the community

Pulmonary Function Tests and Their Associated Factors Among Type 2 Diabetic Patients At Jimma Medical Center, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia, 2019: Comparative Cross Sectional Study

Background: Impairments of lung function due to type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) have been less addressed in our country even though they have a marked impact on life of people and may lead to morbidity and mortality. Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and identify their associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients at Jimma Medical Center (JMC), Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia, 2019. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at JMC, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia among 298 study participants from 01, April to 30, May, 2019. A face to face interview with semistructured questionnaire was conducted. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), ratio of FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory flow (FEF25 -75) were recorded by using digital Spirometer. The Collected data were analysed by using SPSS version 23. Independent samples t test, simple and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Results: Out of the total of 298 sample size, 145 type 2 diabetics and 145 non-diabetic subjects participated in this study with the overall response rate of 97.3%. The present study indicated that means of the PFTs among type 2 diabetics were significantly reduced when compared to their matched non-diabetics (FVC(%) (m =73.7 ± 13.8 vs m=93.8 ± 12.3), FEV1 (%) (m =76.4 ± 13.4 vs m=93.3±12.4 ), FEV1/FVC (%) (m =78.99 ± 11.4 vs m=96.6 ± 9.33), PEF (L/s) (m = 3.91±0.28 vs m=5.03 ± 0.35 ), and FEF25-75 (L/s) (m =2.89 ± 0.75 vs m=3.39 ± 0.82 )). This study also indicated that body mass index (BMI) (β = -1.93, p<0.001) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) (β = -0.22, p<0.001) were negative predictors of FVC%. BMI (β = -1.93, p<0.001) and FBS (β = -0.29, p<0.001) were negative predictors of FEV1%. BMI were (β = -1.403, p<0.001) was negative predictor of mean FEV1/FVC. BMI (β = -1.39 p<0.001) and FBS (β =-0.15, p<0.001) were negative predictors of mean of PEF(L/s). BMI (β = -0.075, p<0.001) and FBS (β = -0.075, p<0.001) were negative predictors of FEF25-75 (L/s) Conclusion: Compared to the non-diabetic participants, type 2 diabetics had signicantly reduced the PFTs. BMI and FBS were independent risk factors of the PFTs among the diabetic patients

Malaria prevalence and mosquito net coverage in Oromia and SNNPR regions of Ethiopia.

RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are.BACKGROUND: Malaria transmission in Ethiopia is unstable and seasonal, with the majority of the country's population living in malaria-prone areas. Results from DHS 2005 indicate that the coverage of key malaria interventions was low. The government of Ethiopia has set the national goal of full population coverage with a mean of 2 long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) per household through distribution of about 20 million LLIN by the end of 2007. The aim of this study was to generate baseline information on malaria parasite prevalence and coverage of key malaria control interventions in Oromia and SNNPR and to relate the prevalence survey findings to routine surveillance data just before further mass distribution of LLINs. METHODS: A 64 cluster malaria survey was conducted in January 2007 using a multi-stage cluster random sampling design. Using Malaria Indicator Survey Household Questionnaire modified for the local conditions as well as peripheral blood microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests, the survey assessed net ownership and use and malaria parasite prevalence in Oromia and SNNPR regions of Ethiopia. Routine surveillance data on malaria for the survey time period was obtained for comparison with prevalence survey results. RESULTS: Overall, 47.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 33.5-61.9%) of households had at least one net, and 35.1% (95% CI 23.1-49.4%) had at least one LLIN. There was no difference in net ownership or net utilization between the regions. Malaria parasite prevalence was 2.4% (95% CI 1.6-3.5%) overall, but differed markedly between the two regions: Oromia, 0.9% (95% CI 0.5-1.6); SNNPR, 5.4% (95% CI 3.4-8.5), p < 0.001. This difference between the two regions was also reflected in the routine surveillance data. CONCLUSION: Household net ownership exhibited nearly ten-fold increase compared to the results of Demographic and Health Survey 2005 when fewer than 5% of households in these two regions owned any nets. The results of the survey as well as the routine surveillance data demonstrated that malaria continues to be a significant public health challenge in these regions-and more prevalent in SNNPR than in Oromia

Malaria, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, 2001–2006

[Extract] In Ethiopia, malaria is unstable and commonly occurs as intraannual and interannual epidemics. Transmission is associated with altitude, temperature, and rainfall, generally peaking twice a year, after the 2 rainy seasons (March-May and July-September). Cases are caused by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes are the main vector for both species. Although malaria is the most common communicable disease in Ethiopia, few longitudinal case data has been published

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TOWARDS ADVERSE DRUG REACTION REPORTING AT INPATIENT WARDS OF TERTIARY HOSPITAL, ETHIOPIA

Background: Drugs have become one of an essential component of health care systems worldwide. However, there is a concern for their safety. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) is common during usual clinical practice and it is associated with increased morbidity, hospitalization and mortality. Objective: To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice of health care professionals (HCPs) towards ADRs reporting at inpatient wards of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH), Ethiopia. Methods: Hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 HCPs at the inpatient wards of TASH. The data required for the present study was collected using self-administered structured questionnaire and samples were selected through both stratified and systematic random sampling methods, where the type of profession was used as a stratum. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.00 for the window. Results: Of 280 HCPs to whom the questionnaire initially administered, 213 respondents filled and returned the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 76.1%, and were included in the analysis. The study revealed that 78.9% and 47.9% of HCPs have poor knowledge and negative attitude towards ADR reporting respectively.  Among respondents, 38% of HCPs encountered patient with ADR, 90.2% of them reported the ADR they encountered, of them only 10.8% were reported to Ethiopian food, medicine, and health care administration and control authority, a regulatory body for receiving and monitoring ADR throughout the country. Conclusion: HCPs in TASH had poor knowledge, attitude and practice towards ADRs reporting. The hospital should devise strategies to enhance detection and reporting of ADRs

Practices and Challenges on Reflective Teaching: an Investigation of Second Cycle Primary Schools (5-8) EFL Teachers

The purpose of this study was to explore the practices and challenges of reflective teaching in helping EFL teachers to become more efficient practitioner

Methods and Costs for Pond-Catchment Rehabilitation on the Borana Plateau

The Borana Plateau is an important rangeland for Ethiopia. One key limitation for people and livestock is lack of drinking water. Hundreds of ponds are important water sources for most of the year. Pond catchments are poorly managed because livestock access is uncontrolled. Catchments are stripped bare of vegetation due to trampling and heavy grazing, and unprotected soil is prone to erosion. When the rains come the ponds quickly fill with sediment. Sedimentation reduces pond holding capacity and much labor is required to clean them out. As part of a pilot research project we rehabilitated four ponds and their immediate catchment using a combination of: (1) Perimeter bush-fencing to confine livestock access to a few narrow corridors leading to the water\u27s edge; (2) erosion control using dams and trenches to capture sediment prior to it entering the ponds; and (3) pond de-sedimentation using human labor. In tandem these methods have completely renovated the four sites in less than two years and could be adopted by the pastoralists. Here we report how we implemented each method as well as estimate the total cost of rehabilitation. Overall, the average cost to rehabilitate one seven-hectare pond catchment was 283, 045 Ethiopian Birr (or USD $14,152) including cash and in-kind sources. Costs were almost entirely labor. The largest outlay was for de-sedimentation at 87 percent of total costs on average, followed by erosion control (9 percent) and bush fencing (4 percent). If all 162 ponds in our study area were rehabilitated the cost would exceed 46 million Birr; this might be defrayed if communities can donate some of the labor. The high cost of rehabilitation illustrates that poor catchment management has major economic consequences that undermine system sustainability. Cost data also reveal that a small investment in preventing sedimentation via bush-fencing, grazing management, and erosion control would yield high returns in terms of reducing the need for regular, and expensive de-sedimentation via manual labor

Intestinal parasitic infections in Western Abaya with special reference to Schistosomiasis mansoni

Abstract: A cross sectional investigation on the distribution and prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was undertaken in Western Abaya, North Omo, in January 1995. As the area is potentially irrigable for modern agriculture, emphasis was placed to explore on the endemicity of schistosomiasis, including malacological assessments. Five percent of the whole population on 1473 people, in 16 villages of the area, were parasitologically examined for intestinal parasites. Among the intestinal parasitic infections, hookworm was demonstrated in all of the villages with prevalences ranging from 4.1% (Algie) to 75% (Wajifo). The majority of the villages (10/16=62.5%) had hookworm prevalences of over 50%. Schistosoma mansoni infections were found in 11 villages with prevalences of up to 53% with more males than females being affected (P&lt;0.001). Infected Biomphalaria sudanica snails with infection rates of up to 2.1% at two sites of Lake Abaya were also found. The importance of the dominant, S. mansoni and hookworm infections in the potentially irrigable area of Western Abaya and feasible measures of their control are discussed. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 1999;13(1):21-26

Outcomes of a Pastoral Sustainability Conference: The Borana People Must Better Manage Rangelands and Diversify Livelihoods for a Brighter Future

The Borana Plateau is an important region for Ethiopia— but it is challenged by very serious problems. Both the human and livestock populations are growing while poverty is increasing for the majority of pastoralists. The rangeland also shows signs of extreme degradation including gullying, bush encroachment, and high rates of pond siltation. This brief summarizes points made at a pastoralist conference held for 71 participants during December, 2014, in Yabelo town in the Borana Zone. The purpose of the conference was to chart a way forward for the Boran society to better address problems. The conference included speakers from the pastoral community, policy-making realm, private sector, and research organizations. It was concluded that the pastoralists must begin to better manage grazing, rehabilitate the land, and diversify livelihoods. Both the traditional leadership and the government must work together in this process, but it is the people themselves who have the power to make these changes