Background: The early detection of breast cancer plays an important role in decreasing morbidity and mortality of breast cancer. Breast self-examination (BSE) is one screening method used for the early detection of breast cancer. BSE involves the woman looking at and feeling each breast for possible lumps, distortions, or swellings. BSE is a simple exercise that can potentially save women’s lives, but BSE receives relatively little attention and no study has yet addressed BSE at the community level. Here we assessed BSE and associated factors among women aged 20–65 years in Wolaita Sodo city, Ethiopia. Methods: This was a community-based, cross-sectional study. Systematic random sampling was used to select 626 women aged 20–65 years old. Data were collected using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Data were recorded using EpiData version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 21 for cleaning and statistical analysis. Bivariable analysis was performed, and variables with a p-value < 0.25 were used in multiple logistic regression analysis. Multiple logistic regression was employed, and variables with p-values < 0.05 were considered statically significant. Results: A total of 629 women aged between 20 and 65 years were included in the study. Over half (60.9%) of participants were aged between 20 and 29 years, and 8.2% were < 50 years old. Women who mentioned BSE as a method for the early detection of breast problems were 6.36-times (95% CI: 3.72, 10.71) more likely to perform BSE than those who reported that they did not know of any method. Those who had breast fed for 13–24 months were 2.43 times (95% CI: 1.28, 4.59) more likely to examine their breasts than those who breast fed for different durations or used other methods. Employed study participants were 3.13-times (95% CI: 1.14, 8.58) more likely to practice BSE than those who were not employed. Likewise, students were 3.73-times (95% CI: 1.19, 11.73) more likely to perform BSE. Conclusions: In our sample, women’s practice of BSE was relatively low. Knowledge of BSE, breastfeeding up to 24 months, being employed, and being a student were factors affecting performing BSE. Educating girls and increasing awareness, including through electronic media, are important to encourage BSE and improve breast cancer outcomes.

World health organization reported that from 358,000 maternal deaths occurring during labor and childbirth about 15% were attributed to puerperal sepsis. In Ethiopia, puerperal sepsis is the fourth leading direct cause of maternal death next to hemorrhage, obstructed labor, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Early recognition and management of the contributing factors would help to modify the problem. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify the determinants of puerperal sepsis among postpartum women at Hawassa city public hospitals in South Ethiopia. & materials: Institution-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among 305 postpartum women (61 cases & 242 controls; with a ratio of 1:4) at Hawassa city public hospitals from June 17 to August 20/2021. Cases were all postpartum women admitted with puerperal sepsis and controls were randomly selected postpartum women admitted with other cases. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and then exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. Bivariable analysis was performed and variables having a p-value <0.25 made candidates for the multivariable logistic regression model. Adjusted Odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval was computed to identify the presence and strength of association and statistical significance was declared at p-value <0.05. In this study, a total of 61 cases & 242 controls were included. Cesarean section delivery (AOR = 2.85; 95% CI; 1.36-5.98), manual removal of placenta (AOR = 6.0; 95% CI = ; 0.39-26.26), ≥5 times Per-vaginal Examination during labor (AOR = 4.53; 95% CI; 2.10-9.80), presence Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (AOR = 8.50; 95% CI; 1.99-36.33) & prolonged labor (AOR = 3.43; 95% CI; 1.20-9.76) were identified as determinants of puerperal sepsis. In this study, cesarean delivery, Per-vaginal Examination ≥5 times during labor, manual removal of placenta, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus & prolonged labor were factors that significantly increased the odds of developing puerperal sepsis among postpartum women. So, labor & delivery procedures should be conducted as per labor & delivery management protocols.

Background: Diabetes poses a significant public health challenge, predominantly affecting low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), including in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The evolving landscape characterized by resource constraints, gaps in availability and functionality of healthcare system, and socio-demographic impediments has compounded these challenges. As an example, self-care interventions have played a crucial role in diabetes care. However, the effectiveness of these interventions in the SSA remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, this systematic review evaluated the effectiveness and implementation approach of diabetes self-care interventions in SSA. Method: A comprehensive search was conducted across electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, to identify studies focusing on diabetes self-care interventions in SSA from 2013 to 2023. The included studies reported interventions targeting dietary adherence, physical activity, medication adherence, blood glucose monitoring, foot care, and educational or support programs. The quality of the studies was assessed using the JBI checklist. Effectiveness was assessed through outcomes including glycemic control, adherence rate, complication reduction, and improvement in patient outcomes. Result: Overall, 38.5% of interventions result showed positive changes in either primary or secondary outcomes. Studies that employed diabetes self-management education showed positive changes in approximately 28.6% of cases. However, SMS text messaging interventions did not demonstrate significant changes in the measured outcomes. Of the 13 studies reviewed, 12 used randomized controlled trial designs, whereas one study employed a quasi-experimental approach. The total of participants across intervention and control groups was 3172 adults with diabetes. The interventions employed various strategies including diabetes self-management education led by nurses and other professionals, SMS text messaging for treatment adherence, and other targeted approaches. The duration of these interventions varied from 2 to 12 months. Specific interventions, such as glucose machine provision with training, family support with culturally tailored educations, and periodontal treatment, exhibited notable improvement in adherences and reductions in HbA1c levels. Conclusion: The review underscores the significance of diabetes self-care interventions in SSA, showing varying effectiveness levels across different strategies. It emphasizes the importance of tailored approaches and highlight interventions that have shown promising outcomes, providing insights for future research, policy, and healthcare strategies in the region.

Background: Podoconiosis, one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), affects barefoot people in impoverished regions and contributes to poverty by having negative impacts on economic output, education, and disability. Podoconiosis has enormous social, psychological, and economic implications for the affected individuals. Social stigmatization of people with the disease is widespread, and patients are restricted from schools, local meetings, mosques, and churches and not allowed to marry into unaffected families. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review the stigma related to podoconiosis in Ethiopia.Methods: The Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA-2020) guidelines were followed. PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Google databases were searched. Articles published in the English language from inception to 2023 were included. Data were extracted by using a pre-prepared Excel sheet, and a narrative synthesis of the findings was done. This review was registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews with registration number CRD42024510091.Results: A total of 19 studies were included in this systematic review. This systematic review identified different types of stigmas reported from individuals with podoconiosis. The types of stigmas identified were enacted, felt, and internalized stigma and social stigmas, including exclusion from different social occurrences such as idir, meetings, funerals, and churches/mosques. Stigma also prevented patients with podoconiosis from visiting health institutions for the treatment of the disease and using health services for other cases.Conclusions: Stigma among podoconiosis patients is widely distributed in Ethiopia. Different types of stigmas were identified among the patients. Extensive work needs to be done to prevent the disease and stigma. Strengthening works on community awareness about the disease help to ensure that it does not get transmitted from affected individuals to others.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42024510091.

Background: Following hospitalization of a preterm infant, mothers experience unexpected and stressful events. In Ethiopia, specifically in the study area, the experiences of mothers with preterm babies, the difficulties they face during their hospital stay, as well as the types of support available to help them deal with the difficulties have not been thoroughly investigated. Objective: To explore the lived experiences of mothers having preterm newborns in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (WSUCSH), Wolaita Sodo, Southern Ethiopia. Methods and materials: A qualitative design with phenomenological approach was used. Twelve mothers were selected purposively to explore their lived experiences. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and field notes from Apr 27-Jun 3, 2022. The interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis following Colaizzi’s 7 steps approach. Data were coded by using Open Code Software Version 4.02. Results: Four themes were identified, namely: mothers’ emotional experience, care and support to cope with the situation, difficulties encountered during NICU stay and sense of difference. Shock, fear, worry, and anxiety were mothers’ major negative emotional experiences. They complained about the lack of medicine and laboratory tests at the hospital and issues with some facilities, such as a lack of space for showering, overcrowded rooms, being in multi-bed rooms, and an inconvenient toilet. Despite difficulties in communication, they appreciated the care and support of health professionals. Conclusion and recommendation: Mothers with preterm babies in the NICU experienced both negative and positive emotions. The unavailability of medicine, inadequate hospital facilities and the negative experience with some HCPs affected mothers’ stay. Hence, HCPs’ effective communication and understanding of mothers situations to better reflect their needs and the hospital’s paying close attention to the difficulties of resource constraints was recommended.

Objective: Podoconiosis, one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), affects barefoot people in impoverished regions and contributes to poverty by having negative impacts on economic output, education, and disability. People who have the disease waste nearly half of all of their productive workdays. There is limited evidence available on prevalence of podoconiosis in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the pooled prevalence of podoconiosis in the SSA over the last 10 years. Methods: Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Google by using a combination of search terms with Boolean operators. All authors independently assessed each study’s quality using the modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies. STATA Version 14 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. The random-effect approach of meta-analysis was used. To test for heterogeneity, I-Squared ( I²) statistics were employed and sensitivity analysis with a leave-one-out was done. Result: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, a total of 16 publications with 2,195,722 individuals were included. The pooled prevalence of podoconiosis was 2.66 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.24, 3.10) with heterogeneity index ( I²) of 99.9%. Walking barefoot adjusted odd ratio (AOR) 5.35 (95% CI: 1.65, 9.05), p = 0.001, not washing feet with soap and water regularly AOR 2.8 (95% CI: 1.16, 4.44, p = 0.001), and an increased age AOR 2.23 (95% CI: 1.25, 5.58) were factors significantly associated with the prevalence of podoconiosis. Conclusion: This study revealed that pooled prevalence of podoconiosis was considerable in SSA. Age, being barefoot, and failing to wash one’s feet with soap and water have been identified to be factors that were significantly associated with the prevalence of podoconiosis. Therefore, creating awareness on shoe wearing and providing shoes in communication with supporting organizations in podoconiosis prevalent areas, and early diagnosis based on family history are needed for the prevention of podoconiosis