Background: Cancer, a major global health challenge, not only threatens lives but also imposes severe financial burdens, known as ‘financial toxicity’. This strain extends beyond treatment costs to include indirect expenses like lost income and out-of-pocket payments. Despite its urgency, global insights remain fragmented, often limited to specific regions with inconsistent findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of cancer-related financial toxicity and identify key risk factors contributing to this burden. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching databases like Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, International Scientific Indexing and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed observational studies. Data were extracted into Microsoft Excel 2021, and study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA V.17, with catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) pooled via a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was explored to understand variations in study outcomes. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess individual study impacts, while publication bias was evaluated using Begger and Egger’s tests. Univariate meta-regression analysis determined the impact of study-level covariates on CHE estimates. Results: This analysis included 35 observational studies, covering 428 373 patients with cancer. The pooled prevalence of CHE was 56.1% (95% CI 48.3% to 63.8%). Key risk factors included large family size, low income, lack of health insurance, longer disease duration, older age and multiple treatments. Higher education levels were associated with reduced CHE risk. Conclusion: Over half of patients with cancer (56.1%) face catastrophic health expenditures, highlighting a severe financial burden. Addressing this issue requires expanding health insurance, providing financial support and ensuring affordable cancer care. Improving education access can also reduce CHE risk among patients with cancer.

Introduction: Despite several strategies exist for anemia prevention and control, it has been the major public health important problem in the world. Numerous immediate and long-term health issues were reported in children who have history of anemia including decreased work productivity in adult hood period. Although analyzing data on burden and risk factors of anemia are the recommended action areas of World Health Organization framework for accelerating anemia reduction, the aggregated national burden and contributors of anemia in Ethiopia has not been determined so far. There for, this systematic and meta-analysis study is aimed to assess the pooled prevalence and associated factors of anemia among children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia. Methods: The electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google scholar and institutional repositories were searched using search terms. The studies that reported the prevalence and/or risk factors of anemia in children 6–23 months of age were included. The JBI quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of each study. The data was extracted with Microsoft Excel, 2019 and analyzed with STATA 17.0 statistical software. A random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of anemia and its associated factors. The Cochrane Q-test statistics and I² test were used to measure heterogeneity between the included studies. Furthermore, publication bias was examined using the funnel plot graph and statistical tests (Egger’s and begg tests). Outliers also visualized using Galbraith plot. When necessary, sensitivity analysis was also employed to detect small study effect. Result: Ten studies with a total population of 14, 733 were included for analysis. The pooled prevalence of anemia among children aged 6–23 months of age in Ethiopia was found to be 57.76% (95%CI; 51.61–63.91; I² = 97.192%; p < 0.001). Having history of diarrhea AOR = 2.44 (95%CI: 1.03–3.85), being stunted AOR = 2.00 (95%CI: 1.38–2.61), living in food insecure house hold AOR = 2.08 (95%CI: 1.10–3.07), consuming less diversified food AOR = 2.73 (95%CI: 2.06–3.39) and being 6–11 months of age AOR = 1.59 (95%CI: 1.23–1.95) were associated with anemia. Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of anemia is in the range of severe public health problem among children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia. Diarrhea, stunting, house hold food insecurity, dietary diversity, and age were the predictors of anemia. Further, prospective cohort and random controlled trial studies are recommended. Further, random controlled trial especially effectiveness of nutritional education interventions trial is important. To reduce prevalence of anemia, strengthening diarrhea reduction program, securing household food insecurity, preventing stunting, giving special attention for infants age 6–11 months and encouraging food diversification are important.

Maternal undernutrition is a key contributor for poor fetal growth, low birth weight and infant morbidity and mortality. Globally, 15%–20% of all births were low birth weight, accounting more than 20 million births a year. This review aims to estimate the pooled association of maternal undernutrition during pregnancy with newborn low birth weight in Ethiopia. A systematic literature search was done from PubMed, Scopus, Hinari, Google Scholar and online research repositories. All studies reporting the association of undernutrition with low birth weight among pregnant women in Ethiopia were included. Heterogeneity between the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Q‐test and I² statistics. Publication bias was also assessed using Egger's regression test with 5% significance level. Finally, the random effects analysis model was used to estimate the overall pooled effect size. Among 596 identified studies, 15 articles were met inclusion criteria and included in this meta‐analysis. A total of 6441 mother‐neonate pairs were involved in this analysis. The pooled effect size revealed that there was a significant association between maternal undernutrition during pregnancy and newborn low birth weight in Ethiopia AOR: 2.52 (2.01–3.15, I² = 78.42%). This review was estimated that maternal undernutrition during pregnancy had a significant association with newborn low birth weight in Ethiopia. Undernutrition pregnant women had an increased chance of giving low birth weight. The finding of this review may help the stakeholders to focus on managing pregnancy malnutrition.

Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among older adults. The ageing population is at increased risk due to factors such as weakened immune systems, the presence of comorbidities, and often delayed access to medical care [1–4]. SCAP is defined as the presence of severe acute respiratory failure needing […]

Introduction The polio vaccine is the live-attenuated antigen that prevents poliomyelitis. According to a report by the WHO, about 1 million less than 5-year-old children missed the polio vaccination from 2018 to 2021. Even though Ethiopia is the most prioritised country for polio eradication, there is not enough evidence about the combined oral and inactivated vaccine in Ethiopia. Objective To assess the non-uptake of the dual protective polio vaccine and its determinants among children in Ethiopia using the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) 2019. Methods The secondary data analysis of a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using EDHS 2019 data among 3094 participants. Mixed-effects binary logistic regression was used for descriptive analysis and identifying the predictors using a p value of <0.05. Intraclass correlation was used to assess the clustering effect. Results The prevalence of non-uptake of the dual protective polio vaccine in Ethiopia was 44% (95% CI 42.2% to 45.8%). Predictors like women with low proportions of community media exposure (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 2.8) and no history of antenatal care visits (AOR=2.3, 95% CI 3.89 to 6.35) were significantly associated with non-uptake of the dual protective polio vaccine. Conclusion The burden of non-uptake of the dual protective polio vaccine in Ethiopia was still high. Low community media exposure and no antenatal care utilisation were the predictors of non-uptake of the dual protective polio vaccine. We recommend improving media access and antenatal care services to expand polio vaccination.