Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are one of the most common infections affecting underprivileged populations in low- and middle-income countries. Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm are the three main species that infect people. School children are the most vulnerable groups for STH infections due to their practice of walking and playing barefoot, poor personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation. However, evidence is limited in the study area. So, this study aimed to assess the current prevalence, infection intensity, and associated risk factors of STHs among school children in Tachgayint woreda, Northcentral Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among school children of Tachgayint woreda from February to May 2021. The study participants were chosen via systematic random sampling. Stool samples were collected from 325 children and examined using the Kato-Katz technique. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the potential associated factors for STHs. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to measure the magnitude of the association. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of STHs in this study was 36.0% (95% CI: 30.5–41.2%). Ascaris lumbricoides are the most prevalent species 89 (27.4%) followed by hookworm 14 (4.3%) and Trichuris trichiura 10 (3.1%). All of the infected school children had light-intensity of infections with the mean of eggs per gram (EPG) being 464.53. Lack of shoe wearing habit (AOR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.29–12.88) and having untrimmed fingernail (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.06–3.22) were identified as risk factors for STH infections. Conclusions: More than one-third of the school children were infected with at least one STH species and this indicates that STHs are still a health problem among school children in the study area. Therefore, periodic deworming, implementation of different prevention strategies, and health education programs should be regularly applied in the area.

Introduction: Vaccination means the injection of a killed microbe to stimulate the immune system against the microbe, which prevents communicable diseases. It’s the most important and cost-effective public health intervention to reduce child mortality and morbidity. Ethiopian national full vaccination coverage is 43%. This research aimed to assess full vaccination coverage and associated factors among 12-to-23-month children at Assosa Town. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged of 12 to 23 months from November to December 2020. Assosa town has two woredas. Each woreda has five kebeles. By using lottery method, five kebeles were selected from two woredas. Systematic sampling technique was used for sampling. The total sample size was 372. It was calculated by the proportionate allocation method. Questioners were used to collect data by the observation of vaccination caring and mother interviewing. Data were entered into SPSS and analyzed. Multivariance analysis was used by considering a 95% confidence interval. Variables whose p-value less than 0.05 were identified as significant. Results: The respondent rate of this study was 372 (100%). Of the total respondents, 338 (90.8%) were females and 34 (9.1%) of them were males. The coverage of full, partial, and non-vaccination is 71.77%, 16.67%, and 11.56%, respectively. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, child age [AOR=2.7, 95% CI: (1.36, 5.4)], no antenatal care visit [AOR=0.41, 95% CI: (0.24, 0.71)] and fear of covid 19 at health institutions [AOR=3.5, 95% CI: (2, 6)] were identified as significant variables. There are major identified factors for partial and non-vaccination. Conclusion: Coverage of full, partial, and non-vaccination was 71.77%, 16.67%, and 11.56%, respectively. Child age, no antenatal care visit, and fear of covid 19 at health institutions were significant variables. Fear of covid-19 is the commonest factor for partial and non-vaccination.

Background: Despite the increased availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), its success depends on a high level of adherence to a life-long antiretroviral therapy. However, the extent and factors associated with adherence to ART are not well known, especially in the current study setup. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of adherence and associated factors among children on ART in Northwest, Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective follow-up study was conducted on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children receiving ART at South Gondar public hospitals. Children receiving ART from January 1, 2015, to November 30, 2020, were included in the study. A computer-generated simple random sampling technique was employed. The data were entered into the EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed by STATA 14 statistical software. Bivariable logistic regression was fitted for each predictor variable. Moreover, those variables having a p-value ≤ 0.25 in bivariate analysis were fitted into a multivariable logistic regression model. P-value < 0.05 was used to declare significance. Results: A total of 363 HIV-infected children were involved in the study. From 363 HIV-infected children, the level of adherence to ART was found to be 78.2%, 95% CI (73.6, 82.2). TB co-infection [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.8, 95% CI (1.41, 10.1)], short duration on ART (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI (1.60, 7.20)), treatment failure (AOR = 10.2, 95% CI (3.95, 26.2)), and Zidovudine containing ART regimen (AOR = 3.5, 95% CI (1.1, 10.9)) were significant predictors of poor adherence. Conclusion: The current study showed that the level of adherence to ART was found to be low TB co-infection, short duration of ART, Zidovudine-containing ART regimen, and treatment failure were found to be significantly associated with poor adherence. Further studies on adherence rate and its determinants with multiple adherence measurements using prospective and multicenter studies were recommended.

Acute malnutrition is a nutritional deficiency that results either from inadequate energy or protein intake. It is more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Even though efforts have been carried out at the global and national level, the burden is still intolerable and it attracts the attention of the government and researchers. Hence, this study aims to assess the magnitude of acute malnutrition and its associated factors among under-five children who attended Hamusit Health Centre from 1st September to 30th January 2021. This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st September to 30th January on 404 randomly selected under-five children who visited the health centre. Samples were selected using a simple random sampling technique, and the data were obtained using a pre-tested standardized questionnaire. For data entry and analysis, Epi-info 7 and SPSS 21 applications were used, respectively. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to identify associated factors at a 95% confidence interval. Significance was considered at p-value<0.05. The present research involved a total of 404 children aged 6–59 months. The magnitude of acute malnutrition in this study was 14.4%. Children aged 6–23 months [AOR: 2.92; 95%CI (1.46, 5.85)], vitamin A supplementation [AOR: 0.49; 95%CI (0.25, 0.95)], not timely initiation of complementary feeding [AOR: 2.02; 95%CI (1.06, 3.82)] and children with diarrhea prior to two weeks of the survey [AOR: 2.47; 95% CI (1.28, 4.87)] were significantly associated with acute malnutrition. A significant number of children aged 6–59 months were affected by acute malnutrition. Younger children, vitamin A supplementation, not timely initiation of complementary feeding, and children with diarrhoea were other factors associated with acute malnutrition.

Purpose: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory viral infectious disease transmitted by respiratory and fomites. The incidence of this disease is growing exponentially and affects millions of the world population. Consequently, it has become most urgent public health risk. Thus, the intention of this research is searching indigenous knowledge on COVID-19 and related infectious disease prevention and mitigation mechanisms which were not scientifically known. Therefore, this study targeted to explore local traditional knowledge of (COVID-19) or related diseases in the study area. Methods: Phenomenological design was used to explore traditional knowledge of medicine. The source populations were all elder peoples, who were known for their traditional medicine. The individuals were purposively selected from source population by using snowball sampling technique. Since study was qualitative method, the sample size was determined by the level of saturation of information as result 40 study participants were interviewed and recorded their audio using tape recorder. Then, data were analyzed using a thematic analysis with a combination of inductive and deductive methods. Results: The study reveals that coronavirus like disease was appeared past times. Such diseases were called “Alwoba” or “Marya” which is named by the local language and it has similar signs and symptoms with coronavirus disease. The key informants reported that traditional medicines were available that cured those diseases. This study infers there had been COVID-19 related diseases about 100 years back because those diseases had a similar symptoms and ways of transmission with COVID-19. They use different types of traditional medicines for those diseases which have been inherited to generations and cured them. Conclusion: This evidence explored that the existence of traditional medicine for COVID-19 related diseases. Hence, this study strongly suggested that to undertake experimental research for medical approval on the available traditional medicine.

Birth asphyxia is a condition of impaired gas exchange in newborns when the Apgar score is < 7 in the first 5 min. It accounts 31.6% of all neonatal deaths, and the leading causes of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. Identifying its determinant factors is very important to prevent the problem. Therefore, this study was aimed at identifying the determinant factors of birth asphyxia among newborns at Benishangul Gumuz region hospital. The hospital-based unmatched case-control study was done from March 04 to July 16, 2019 in Benishangul Gumuz Region Hospitals. Total sample size is 275 with 69 cases and 206 controls. Newborns with an Apgar score of less than 7 at 5 min were taken as cases, and those with greater or equal to 7 were taken as controls. All asphyxiated newborns were enrolled as cases, where as in every three-step non-asphyxiated newborns were taken as controls. The data was entered into Epi Info 7 and exported to SPSS for analysis. Bivariable logistic regression analysis was used. Those variables with a p-value <0.05 were identified as significant determinants of birth asphyxia. In the current study, anemia during pregnancy [AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: (1.02, 8.54)], no ANC visit at all [AOR = 4.26, 95% CI: (1.23,14.7)], prolapsed cord [AOR = 4.52, 95% CI: (1.3, 21)], and low birth weight [AOR = 4.1, 95% CI: (1.11, 15.36] were all determinant factors for birth asphyxia. and Recommendations: The identified determinants of birth asphyxia were anemia during pregnancy, no ANC visit at all, prolapsed cord, cesarean birth, and low birth weight. Based on our study, most of identified determinant factors of birth asphyxia were preventable so, policy makers, clinicians, and other stakeholders need to invest their maximum effort on prevention of birth asphyxia.