Stunting remains a major public health concern in Ethiopia. Government needs to reshape and redesign new interventions to reduce stunting among under-five children. Hence, this study identified the problem according to location and risk factor. This study is a secondary data analysis of the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 9588 children aged 0–59 months were included in the study. The spatial and multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to explore spatial heterogeneity and identify individual- and household-level factors associated with stunting and severe stunting. Spatial heterogeneity of stunting and severe stunting was seen across the study setting. Male children (AOR = 1.51, CI 1.16, 1.96); multiple births (AOR = 27.6, CI 10.73, 71.18); older children (AOR = 1.04, CI 1.01, 1.05) and anemic children (AOR = 3.21, CI 2.3, 4.49) were severely stunted at individual-level factors. Children from educated and malnourished mothers (respectively, AOR = 0.18, CI 0.05, 0.71; AOR = 5.35, CI 3.45, 8.32), and from less wealthier mothers (AOR = 5.95, CI 2.58, 13.69) were severely stunted at household-level factors. Giving priority to the hotspot areas of stunting and older and anemic children, multiple births, and maternal undernutrition is important to reduce stunting. Studies are recommended to fill the gaps of this study.

Background. Postpartum family planning is the initiation and use of family planning services within the first 12 months following childbirth. Postpartum contraceptives reduce maternal and infant mortality by preventing unplanned and unwanted pregnancies and by spacing pregnancies at least two years after the previous birth. Thus, it is usually designed as an integral part of reproductive and maternal and child health programs. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of postpartum modern contraceptive use and identify its determinants in low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies were used. PubMed, HINARI, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Wiley Library, ETH Library, and Google Scholar were used to search all articles. STATA 14 software was used for data analysis. Funnel plots and Egger’s test were used to examine the risk of publication bias. Heterogeneity was checked by using Cochran’s test and test. A random effect model was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence. Results. A total of 33 articles were included. The pooled prevalence of postpartum contraceptive use in low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa was 37.41%, 95% CI: (31.35, 43.48%). Secondary and above level of education (AOR 2.09, 95% CI: (1.52, 2.86)), discussion with husband (AOR 3.68, 95% CI: (1.96, 6.89)), resumption of menses (AOR: 3.98, 95% CI: (2.62, 6.03)), ANC follow-up (AOR; 5.10, 95% CI: (3.57, 7.29)), knowledge of modern family planning (AOR: 5.65, 95% CI: 3.58, 8.93)), and family planning counseling during ANC (AOR =5.92, 95% CI: (2.54, 13.79)) were found to be determinants of postpartum contraceptive utilization. Conclusion. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the prevalence of postpartum modern contraceptive use was found to be low compared to the existing global recommendations. Therefore, empowering maternal education, delivering adequate counseling, and strengthening existing integrated maternal and child health services are highly recommended to increase postpartum contraceptive use. This trial is registered with CRD42020160612.

Objective In Ethiopia, community-level knowledge about the current COVID-19 pandemic has not been well studied. This study is aimed to assess knowledge level and factors influencing the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic among residents of Dessie and Kombolcha city administrations, Ethiopia. Design Community-based cross-sectional study. Settings Dessie and Kombolcha city administrations. Participants Participants were household heads or members (n=828, >18 years) who have lived in the study area for at least 2 months preceding the survey. Methods Binary logistic regression was used for a single outcome and multiple response variables. In the multivariable regression model, a value of p<0.05 and adjusted OR (AOR) with 95% CI were used to identify factors associated with knowledge level of the community. Epi Info V.7.2 and SPSS V.20 software were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Outcome Knowledge level. Results A total of 828 participants was involved with a response rate of 98%. Women were 61.7%. Participants’ mean (±SD) age was 39 (±14) years. Of the total participants 54.11% (95% CI 50.6% to 57.6%) had inadequate knowledge about COVID-19 prevention. Significant associations were reported among women (AOR=1.41; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.92); age ≥65 years (AOR=2.72; 95% CI 1.45 to 5.11); rural residence (AOR=2.69; 95% CI 1.78 to 4.07); unable to read and write (AOR=1.60; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.51); information not heard from healthcare workers, mass media and social media (AOR=1.95; 95% CI 1.35 to 2.82), (AOR=2.5; 95% CI 1.58 to 4.19) and (AOR=2.13; 95% CI 1.33 to 3.42), respectively, with inadequate knowledge. Conclusion These findings revealed that more than 50% of participants had inadequate knowledge about COVID-19. It highlights the need for widespread awareness campaigns about COVID-19 through mass media, healthcare professionals and social media as sources of information. House-to-house awareness creation is recommended to address older adults who are more vulnerable to the pandemic.

Background: More than 35% of the Ethiopian population are using drinking water from unimproved sources. As per the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Ethiopia is aspiring to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030. For these goals to be accomplished, it is important to map the country’s hotspot areas of unimproved source of drinking-water so that resource allocation and disease control can be optimized there. Therefore, the objective of this study is to map and identify hotspot areas of unimproved sources of drinking water in Ethiopia. Methods: A population based cross-sectional study was conducted in Ethiopia from January 18 to June 27, 2016. Data were collected from 10,064 households using a pretested and structured questionnaire. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling was employed where the enumeration areas were primary sampling units and households were secondary sampling units. Systematic sampling with probability proportional to size was employed to select samples. Datasets were cleaned and entered into SaTScan and ArcGIS software for mapping and analysis. The Global Moran’s I and spatial scan statistical tests (Bernoulli model) were done to explore the presence of clustering in the study area and local spatial clusters (hotspots) of unimproved sources of drinking water using ArcGIS version 10.3 and Kuldorff’s SaTScan version 9.4 software, respectively. Results: Unimproved sources of drinking water were spatially clustered in the study area (Moran’s I: 0.35, p < 0.05). A total of 143 significant clusters was identified. Of which, eight were most likely (primary) clusters and the other 135 were secondary clusters. The first spatial window which contains primary clusters was located in Amhara and Afar regions (LLR: 78.89, at p < 0.001). The other 33 spatial windows which contain secondary clusters were found in all regions, except Gambela region and Addis Abeba city administration (with a range of LLR: 10.09–78.89, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study allowed the identification of important non-random clusters and hotspots of unimproved sources of drinking water. Therefore, these results will be determinant to help decision makers in their geographical interventions to combat problems related to drinking water quality.

Background. Under nutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in under-five children in developing countries including Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, many children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are treated at inpatient therapeutic feeding centers. However, the survival status and its determinants are not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the survival status and its determinants among under-five children with severe acute malnutrition admitted to inpatient therapeutic feeding centers (ITFCs). Methods. A record review was conducted on 414 under-five children who were admitted with severe acute malnutrition to ITFCs in South Wollo Zone, northeast Ethiopia, between September 11, 2014, and January 9, 2016. Data were entered into Epi-Info version 7.2 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Life table analysis was used to estimate cumulative proportion of survival. The relationship between time to recovery and covariates was determined using Cox-proportional hazards regression model. p<0.05 was used to declare presence of significant association between recovery time and covariates. Results. Of the total children recorded, 75.4% of children were recovered and discharged, 10.3% were defaulters, 3.4% died, 7.4% were nonresponders, and 3.4% were unknown. The mean (±standard deviation) time to recovery was 12 (±5.26) days, whereas the median time to recovery was 11 (interquartile range of 8–15) days. Children’s breastfeeding status at admission (AHR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.83) and children without comorbidities at admission (AHR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.00) had statistically significant effect on time to recovery from SAM. Conclusion. All treatment responses in this study were within the recommended and acceptable range of global standards. Policy makers, health facilities, and care providers may need to focus on the importance of breastfeeding especially for those under two years of age and give emphasis for cases with comorbidities.

Childhood diarrhea is a major public health problem, especially in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Exploring the spatial pattern of childhood diarrhea is important to monitor and design effective intervention programs. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the spatial patterns of childhood diarrhea in Ethiopia over the past one decade. A total of 29,358 under-five children were retrieved from three consecutive Ethiopian demographic and health surveys (2000, 2005, and 2011) and included into the study. Spatial cluster and autocorrelation analysis was done to explore the patterns of childhood diarrhea. Childhood diarrhea clustered spatially at a national level in all survey periods (Moran’s I: 0.3830–1.3296, p < 0.05). Significant spatial clusters were found in different survey periods across the regions. The most likely spatial clusters were found in Southern Nations Nationalities and people, West Oromia, Gambella, Benshangul-Gumuz, and Somali regions. Childhood diarrhea also clustered at the border areas of Southern Nations Nationalities and People and Tigray, Central Somali and Western Oromia, Gambella and Amhara (West Gojam, Awi, Oromia, and Wag Himra) regions. In 2000, the most likely clusters were found in Southern Nations Nationalities and People, West Oromia, and Gambella regions (LLR = 55.37, p < 0.001); in 2005, at Southern Nations Nationalities and People (LLR: 45.69, p < 0.001); and in 2011, at Gambella, West Southern Nations Nationalities and People and Oromia, and Benshangul-Gumuz regions (LLR: 51.09, p < 0.001). In this study, childhood diarrhea remains public health problem and had a spatial variation across the regions. Identifying the risk areas would help in designing effective interventions to reduce childhood diarrhea in these areas.