Background: The development and implementation of COVID-19 vaccines have been a breakthrough in controlling the pandemic. However, the vaccination coverage in most low-income countries remains very low due to critical vaccine shortage and profound hesitancy. In this scoping review, we aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccine uptake, acceptance, and hesitancy in Ethiopia and Tanzania.Methods: The search was made in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. Only original research articles focusing on vaccine acceptance and hesitancy were included. The studies selected for a full read were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.Findings: A total of 76 articles were included in the study, with 74 of them coming from Ethiopia. The study found an increasing trend in vaccine uptake over time. However, there was also an increase in hesitancy and a decline in willingness to receive the vaccine. The willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Ethiopia ranged from 18.5 to 88%. The main reasons for "vaccine hesitancy" included fear of side effects, concerns about long-term safety, doubts about vaccine effectiveness, lack of information, vaccine fast-tracking, and religious beliefs. The study also found that younger individuals, females, and pregnant women were less willing to receive the vaccine. The adverse events reported among vaccinated individuals were mostly mild. Most of the studies operationalised vaccine acceptance-hesitancy as dichotomous variables. However, the historical, political, and socio-cultural context in which vaccine acceptance and hesitancy occur was not given any attention. While there is a good amount of data from Ethiopia describing patterns of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among different populations over time, there is limited information from Tanzania due to the late arrival of the vaccine and limited published articles.Conclusion: We have observed a paradox involving two seemingly conflicting trends: an increase in vaccination rates/coverage and "anti-vax." Most studies have simplified vaccine acceptance-hesitancy as an “either-or” incident, without considering its dynamic nature and occurrence within a broader political, social, and cultural context. Therefore, it is crucial to explore approaches that can enhance our understanding of the vaccine acceptance-hesitancy phenomenon, in order to improve vaccine trust and uptake.

Background: Hypertension and type 2 diabetes are among the most common non-communicable diseases that contribute to a large number of adult morbidity and mortality in Kenya. The impact of these conditions may pose great challenges in rural areas with limited access to healthcare services. The objective of the study was to assess socio-demographic factors associated with self-reported self-care practices for hypertension and type 2 diabetes among adults living in rural Kenya. Methods: This study used data from the 2019 Baseline Assessment of the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Disease Project in Imenti South, Meru County conducted by the Kenyan Red Cross Society. A community-based study using a cross-sectional design was conducted among four hundred and thirty-five participants in Imenti South sub-County, Meru County in Kenya in November 2019. Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore sociodemographic factors associated with self-reported self-care practices for hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Crude and Adjusted Odds Ratios with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were reported. Results: Among the 435 participants, 37.0% self-reported hypertension, while 15.4% reported having type 2 diabetes. Variances in self-care practices were evident between the conditions, notably in terms of adequate fruit and vegetable intake and blood pressure screening. Among individuals with type 2 diabetes, 94% lacked sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption, contrasting with 98.7% among hypertensive participants (p = 0.042). Similarly, a significant majority of individuals with hypertension (71.4%) had blood pressure screening (p = 0.031). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals over 40 years exhibited higher odds of good self-care practice for hypertension compared to their younger counterparts (AOR: 4.67, 95% CI: 1.53–14.27, p = 0.007), whereas those residing in Mitunguu were 71% less likely to engage in such practices than those in Abogeta (AOR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09–0.90, p = 0.033). However, none of the variables demonstrated a significant association with self-reported self-care practices for type 2 diabetes following adjustment for potential confounding variables in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Our study identified socio-demographic factors, including age (> 40 years) and ward (Mitunguu), associated with self-reported self-care practices for hypertension among adults living in rural Kenya. However, we did not find significant associations between sociodemographic factors and self-care practices for type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, factors such as gender, education level, marital status, religion, employment status, and average monthly income did not show significant associations with self-care practices for hypertension or type 2 diabetes. These results provide insights regarding sociodemographic factors associated with self-care practices for hypertension among adults living in rural Kenya. Our study underscores the relevance of considering socio-demographic factors when making evidence-based policy decisions and designing intervention strategies tailored to the adult population in rural Kenya.

Aims: In Nordic countries, the influx of immigrant doctors and nurses has been increasing since 2005, however retention remains a challenge. The aims of this scoping review were to examine the facilitators and barriers to the retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the Nordic countries in order to inform future studies and interventions. Method: A scoping review of peer-reviewed studies focusing on the retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the Nordic countries was conducted using the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. In total, 37 studies were included. The analysis entailed both a numerical analysis to provide a descriptive view of frequencies and a thematic analysis utilising Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, capital, habitus and doxa. Results: Facilitators for retaining immigrant doctors and nurses encompassed a sense of belonging, support from management and peers, collegiality, acknowledgement of diverse cultural competencies and the establishment of relevant professional networks. Barriers included unfamiliarity with local healthcare systems, discrimination, inadequate support in entry-level positions, poor psychosocial work environments, and limited professional networks. Few studies focused on the facilitators for retaining immigrant doctors or nurses, few examined the social and economic costs of immigration, and hardly any addressed the processes related to licencing, authorisation and accreditation. Conclusions: The majority of the included studies framed immigrant doctors and nurses as challenges to management or the medical labour market. The findings indicated a need for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to health workforce management across the Nordic countries to accommodate the increasingly diverse workforce in terms of international migratory backgrounds.

Introduction: Workplace stress is an ongoing global and local challenge in healthcare, driven by high demands, long hours, and emotional strain, requiring urgent attention to safeguard workers’ well-being and ensure quality care. Objective: This study assessed workplace stress, support systems, and coping strategies among healthcare professionals in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, in August 2023. A total of 496 healthcare professionals from five different hospitals were randomly selected to participate in the study. Various validated scales, including the Workplace Stress Scale (WSS), Workplace Support for Health Scale (WSHS), and Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) were used to assess the participants’ stress levels, social support systems, and their utilization of coping strategies. The data analysis involved descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression techniques. Results: Results showed that 53% of healthcare workers experienced stress, with 25% reporting low, 16% moderate, and 12% severe stress. Positive workplace support for a healthier life was reported by 54% of respondents. Stress levels were significantly linked to factors like qualifications, facility type, and salary level (p < 0.05). Female workers had slightly lower stress odds than males. Workers aged 30–39 and 50–59 had lower odds of stress compared to those under 30. Higher income and working in primary hospitals were associated with reduced stress odds compared to lower income and referral hospitals. Conclusions: This study found considerable workplace stress driven by individual, organizational, and external factors, calling for targeted interventions like stress management training and resilience building programs to enhance health workers’ coping skill and improve healthcare environments in Ethiopia.

Objectives The mental health impacts of COVID-19 on frontline healthcare workers have been reported globally; however, there is limited evidence from low-income countries such as Ethiopia. We reviewed the literature to understand how COVID-19 impacted the mental health of frontline healthcare workers, including the associated risk and protective factors. Design A scoping review of peer-reviewed research was conducted between 2020–2025 to explore the mental health and well-being of frontline healthcare workers in Ethiopia during COVID-19. The process adhered to the guidelines for data extraction outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Our search identified 35 studies, of which 29 studies were included in the final synthesis. Data sources Three online databases, PubMed, Web of Science and PsycInfo, were systematically searched for data. Eligibility criteria Studies were considered for inclusion in the review if they focused on mental health conditions and psychosocial well-being among healthcare workers during COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Studies were only included if published in English and excluded if they were conference abstracts, case studies, reviews, commentaries, contained incomplete data or lacked variables of interest. Data extraction and synthesis Data extraction was conducted manually by two reviewers by using a data extraction sheet created in Excel. Results Most frontline healthcare workers experienced symptoms of insomnia, psychological distress, stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression during COVID-19. Female frontline healthcare workers, nurses, midwives and laboratory technicians reported higher rates of adverse mental health outcomes. Our results found that being married, living together with a spouse and having a high educational level were risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusion The mental health and well-being of frontline healthcare workers is at risk during a global health crisis; however, there is a limited understanding of how to protect the mental health of frontline healthcare workers in low-income countries, such as Ethiopia, at such a critical time. Additional research is needed to better inform mental health preparedness interventions for frontline healthcare workers in these contexts, particularly given predictions of another pandemic occurring within the next decade.