Background: Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, the global prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in children was estimated to range from 1.3 to 3.4%. In Ethiopia, the estimated seroprevalence of CHB in children under five years old was 2.21%.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of breakthrough hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its associated...
Introduction: Neonatal disease and its outcomes are important indicators for responsive health care system. Ethiopia is working to achieve the SDG target for the reduction of 12 or less per 1000 birth by 2030 and 21 per 1000 livebirths by 2025 as part of second Ethiopian Health Sector Transformation Plan.
Objective: This study aimed to compare the performance of classical time-series...
Background: Despite growing government concerns in Ethiopia over the recent years to improve utilization of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), it is still unmet need of the community. Moreover, there is a scarcity of research that has been conducted to assess its utilization in Ethiopia.
Objective: This study is aimed at assessing the practice, barriers, community-led perceived...
Background: Hematological parameters and CD4+ T-cell count are used as indicators of disease severity and treatment response. Ethiopia is one of the cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL)-endemic countries. There is a scarcity of data on the hematological and CD4+ T-cell profiles of patients with CL in Ethiopia.
Objective: To evaluate the change in T-cell and other cellular population of CL cases,...
Background: Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness globally and the second in Ethiopia. The disease is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Although the World Health Organization set a target to elimination trachoma by 2030 through the SAFE strategy, the current surveillance relies on clinical grading of trachoma which poorly correlate with ocular Chlamydia trachomatis infection...
Background: The magnitude and distribution of ocular morbidities as well as the success of mainstreaming primary eye care (PEC) into primary health care (PHC) are strongly influenced by community services utilisation, yet evidence in this area remains limited.
Objectives: Identify determinants of eye health service utilisation in Central Sidama zone, Ethiopia using the Andersen...
Background: The partograph and safe childbirth checklist (SCC) are quality improvement (QI) tools in intrapartum care that have long been recommended for use. Poor-quality intrapartum care remains a significant barrier to improving health outcomes in countries like Ethiopia, largely due to total non-use or poor adherence to these QI tools. eHealth-based interventions present promising...
Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among survivors of Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in war-affected zones is a pressing public health issue, as these individuals often endure compounded trauma from both the violence they experience and the broader context of conflict. Post-traumatic stress disorders are overlooked in Ethiopian society, despite the country having the...
Introduction: In this day, healthcare systems have become focused on delivering person-centered care, not diseases-focused. Person-centered care encounters about exchanging information, seeing patients as person, taking mutual responsibility, agreeing on treatment alternatives, and seeing healthcare providers as person. Person-centred care in Ethiopia is an emerging concept in the...
Background: Antimicrobial resistance and bacterial neonatal sepsis are major threats causing high morbidity and mortality among neonates in developing countries, especially Ethiopia. Due to limited data, this meta-analysis aims to assess the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and risk factors of neonatal sepsis in Ethiopian neonates.
Methods: PRISMA was used to screen the...
Background: Despite substantial advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-related mortality remains a pressing challenge, particularly in resource-limited settings. In countries like Ethiopia, there is a critical gap in tools to predict mortality risk among patients receiving ART, which limits timely clinical decision-making and intervention. Addressing this gap, the present study...
Background: Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease remained as major public health concern in low-income. Despite ongoing vaccination efforts, outbreaks continue to occur. In this regard, data on the recent epidemiological patterns, temporal trends, and spatial distribution of measles cases in the region are limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the...
Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive global public health and human rights issue that negatively affects the physical, psychological, sexual, and reproductive health of millions of women and girls. Even if numerous studies have reported a high prevalence of GBV and identified various determinants, there is a lack of consolidated evidence on the issue.
Objective:...
Background: Early childhood development is a critical determinant of a child's future health, educational attainment, and overall well-being. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of developmental delay and its associated factors among children aged 6–36 months at Assosa City Ethiopia.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 520 children aged 6–36...
Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a major public health problem. In Ethiopia, particularly the Chagni Town is a development corridor area with main road to the Ethiopian great renaissance dam rout and with more than two years of ongoing conflict may aggravate HIV burden. However, predicting model on death among HIV adult patients is yet not documented.
Objective:...
Introduction: Depression and anxiety are prevalent psychological disorders that significantly affect physical, emotional, and social well-being, reducing quality of life and increasing medical costs. These issues are especially challenging for cancer survivors, complicating treatment management, affecting adherence, and potentially impacting survival rates.
Objective: This umbrella...
Background: Women who live in crisis settings are three times more likely to die than those who live in peaceful environments. Person-centered maternity care (PCMC) is a fundamental human right for every woman, yet it is often overlooked in conflict contexts.
Objective: This scoping review aims to summarize person-centered maternity healthcare in fragile and conflict settings....
Background: Suicide is a self-inflicted or deliberate act of ending one's life. A suicide attempt is a non-fatal, self-initiated, intentional injury. Suicide is a significant public health problem in Ethiopia. This assessment investigated suicidal acts, its associated factors, and community perceptions towards suicide.
Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the status of...
Background: Trachoma is a targeted disease to be eliminated as a public health problem 2030 through SAFE strategy (Surgery to correct TT, Antibiotics to reduce bacterial infection, Facial Cleanliness, and Environmental Improvement to reduce transmission). Despite 15 years of strategy implementation, there are 95 persistent and 13 recrudescent districts in the region. In addition, it has an...
Background: Vaccination has saved millions of lives and prevented countless childhood illnesses. However, maintaining vaccine potency through effective cold chain management is essential before administration. In Ethiopia, only 27.5% of facilities demonstrate good vaccine cold chain practices, with knowledge gaps and lack of on-the-job training identified as key barriers. This evaluation...
Mental health problem is a public health problem. In Ethiopia, where malnutrition and preventable infectious diseases are very common, mental illness are not given due attention. This study is intended to explore the status of mental health problem and implementing Mental Health Services in primary health care setting in Oromia Region. Mixed method explanatory research design was employed....
Background: Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal disease primarily affecting preterm neonates. Despite improvements in neonatal care, NEC continues to contribute significantly to neonatal mortality, particularly in low-resource settings. In Ethiopia, reported NEC-related mortality rates vary widely, from 45% to 89%, reflecting both the severity of the disease and...
Background: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) remains a major contributor to maternal morbidity, adverse birth outcomes, and neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite ongoing control efforts in Ethiopia, limited evidence exists on the spatiotemporal distribution of MiP and its predictors remains limited.
Objective: This study assessed the spatiotemporal pattern, clustering, and...
Background: Ethiopia’s health system has faced significant challenges due to COVID-19, natural disasters, and conflicts, disrupting healthcare delivery. This scoping review examined health system gaps and responses during crises, aiming to recommend strategies for resilience.
Method: We followed a systematic scoping review approach using the five-step methodology: defining the...
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop as a serious long-term consequence of traumatic experiences, even many years after trauma exposure. Dessie town residents have experienced prolonged armed conflict due to inter-communal conflict in 2021. Those people are exposed to different kinds of trauma, and violence, making them more prone to psychological disorders. Despite...
Introduction: In Ethiopia's Amhara region, kidnapping, abduction, and extortion have become serious public security issues affecting individuals, families, and communities. This study explored community perceptions, lived experiences, and local responses to these crimes to identify pathways for effective prevention and community-led safety strategies.
Methods: Guided by Interpretive...
This study assessed the effect of a peer-led educational intervention based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on reducing khat use intention and behavior among secondary school students in Northeast Ethiopia. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was conducted in four public high schools in Dessie and Kombolcha, with 1,496 students aged 15–24 years allocated to...
Background: Caring for individuals with mental illness is stressful, with challenges like stigma, unequal responsibilities, and patient aggression. These stressors impact caregivers' mental health and treatment outcomes, yet little is known about coping strategies in Ethiopia. Therefore, this mixed-methods study assessed the coping strategies, lived experiences, and determinants for coping...
Introduction: Leadership is a key component of the Ethiopian Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP) and is crucial for the successful implementation of health sector reforms. The Ethiopian health system requires effective leadership to mobilize resources and rebuild the healthcare infrastructure that was destroyed during the armed conflict. Therefore, this study aims to assess the...
Background: Measles remains a significant public health problem contributing to elevated morbidity and mortality among children, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Outbreaks and vaccination gaps persist in Ethiopia despite campaigns. There is minimal countrywide data documenting the geographic spread of measles cases and vaccination.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the...
Background: Unsafe abortion remains a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing significantly to maternal mortality and morbidity. Despite various initiatives to reduce abortion-related deaths, the problem persists in the region.
Objective: To estimate trends in maternal abortion and miscarriage incidence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in...
Background: Ethiopia has been in conflict complicating the delivery of essential services in the region. The health system responsiveness (HSR) of the healthcare facilities in conflict-affected areas remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed the health system responsiveness for intrapartum care in three conflict-affected districts of Amhara region, Ethiopia.
Methods: Community-based...
Background: Azithromycin Mass Drug Administration (MDA) has been highly effective in eliminating trachoma as a public health problem in many settings. However, trachoma persists in most parts of Ethiopia, regardless of more than 10 rounds of Azithromycin in some districts, which is at least two-fold higher than the WHO recommended rounds of MDA. We hypothesize, an intensive Azithromycin...
Introduction: Depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric complications of human immunodeficiency virus disease, and in turn it is associated with worse HIV-related outcomes. The World Health Organization predicts that both diseases are expected to be the leading causes of disease burden by 2030.
Objective: -To assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors...
Background: Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are highly vulnerable to mental health conditions such as depression due to forced displacement, loss, and exposure to traumatic events. These conditions can severely impact reintegration, recovery, and long-term well-being. However, existing evidence on the burden of depression among IDPs in Sub-Saharan Africa remains fragmented and...
Background: Prehospital care is vital for reducing mortality from traumatic injuries, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study determined prehospital care utilization and associated factors among trauma patients in referral hospitals in West Amhara, Ethiopia.
Methods: A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design was employed from March–August 2024 in Debre Markos,...
Mental health problem among children is increasingly a global concern in the current days. Children living in war and conflict settings are affected by a constellation of stressors that threaten their mental health. Thus, promotion and prevention interventions targeting to children affected such crisis are helpful to enhance positive aspects of mental health and psychosocial functioning....
Background: Access to safely managed sanitation services is credited with improving the health and well-being of all. However, millions of people, many in low- and middle-income countries, still have no basic sanitation facilities. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of households having safely managed sanitation service and identify its important predictors.
Methods: A...
Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a major global public health challenge, affecting 39.9 million people globally by the end of 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa bears a significant burden, contributing to 67% of cases. Malnutrition is prevalent among people living with HIV, exacerbating immunosuppression and accelerating disease progression.
Objective: This study...
Background: Despite efforts to mitigate malnutrition, wasting remains a prominent public health challenge for children aged 6-59 months in East Africa. It is a critical predictor of impaired growth and cognitive development, and is strongly associated with child morbidity and mortality. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date information on severity of wasting among...
Virtual
Background: Depression among people living with HIV on second-line ART is often driven by interconnected factors, including financial hardship, the psychological burden of an HIV diagnosis, and stigma. However, the complex effects of such interconnected constructs have not been well explored.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect factors affecting depression...
Background: Women of reproductive age face unique stressors that can contribute to mental health challenges. In low-resource settings like Ethiopia, help-seeking behavior for mental health issues remains low, potentially compromising women's quality of life. This study aims to assess help-seeking behavior and quality of life among women of reproductive age experiencing stress, anxiety, and...
Background: These days latest generation of smartphones allows the development of new applications in healthcare and pregnant women frequently use the Internet and smartphone applications as a source of information throughout their pregnancy. Even though mobile technologies are exponentially growing and have proved to be effective for pregnancy care, little is known about the intention to...
