Background. Regular utilization of maternal health care services decreases maternal morbidity and mortality. However, major predictors that influence the utilization of the existing maternal health care services are complex and differ from place to place. Therefore, assessing these predictors assists health planners to prioritize promotion strategies and is a fundamental step for intervention. This study assessed the utilization and predictors of maternal health care services among women of the reproductive age in Hawassa Health and Demographic Surveillance System site, South Ethiopia, 2019. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 682 women of the reproductive age from January to February, in 2019. A two-stage stratified sampling method was utilized. Data were collected using a structured, face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were entered using Epi Data 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. The variables were entered into the multivariable model using the backward stepwise regression approach. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with utilization of the maternal health care. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed to assess the presence and strength of associations. Result. The overall utilization of ANC, institutional delivery, and PNC was 69.1, 52.1, and 32.7%, respectively. The odds of utilizing ANC were 4.72 times higher for women who have a formal education (AOR: 4.72, 95% CI = 2.82–7.90) as compared to those who have no formal education. The odds of utilizing institutional delivery were 5.96 times higher for women who had ANC follow-up (AOR: 5.96; 95% CI = 3.88–9.18) as compared to those who had no ANC follow-up. Presence of information about the PNC (AOR: 3.66; 95% CI = 2.18–6.14) and autonomy of a woman to make decision on health issues (AOR: 6.13, 95% CI = 3.86–9.73) were positively associated with utilization of PNC. Conclusion. The utilization of maternal health care services is far below the national target in the study area. Maternal and paternal education status, autonomy of the woman to make decision on the health issues, wealth status, and having a plan on the current pregnancy were major predictors of the maternal health care service utilization. Providing information and training about the model household to the women about maternal health care service utilization using various methods of health education should be considered.

Background: Electronic medical recording system is one of the information technologies that has a proven benefit to improve the quality of health service. Readiness assessment is one of the recommended steps to be taken prior to implementing electronic medical recording system to reduce the probability of failure. Objective: To determine the level of health professional readiness to implement Electronic medical recording system and associated factors in public general hospitals of Sidama region, 2022. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design complemented with qualitative study was employed at three public general hospitals in Sidama region on a sample of 306 participants. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and in-depth interview was used for the qualitative study. Bivariate and multivariate Binary logistics regression was performed to determine predictors of readiness at α = 0.05, using an odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Thematic analysis was done for qualitative data collected through in-depth interview. Result: The overall readiness for health professionals was 36.5%. Of the study participants, 201 (73.4%) were computer literate, 176(64.23%) had good knowledge, and 204 (74.45%) had favorable attitude towards EMR. Only 31 participants had previous training (11.3%), while 64 (23%) had previous experience. EMR knowledge (AOR = 3.332; 95%CI: (1.662, 6.682)) and attitude towards electronic medical recording (AOR = 2.432; 95%CI: (1.146, 5.159)) were statistically significant predictors of readiness to implement electronic medical recording. Qualitative analysis has revealed lack of training, ease of use concerns, information security concerns, and perceived inadequacy of infrastructures including internet connectivity and electricity as common barriers for health professional readiness to implement EMR. Conclusion: Health professionals’ readiness in this study was low. Capacity building efforts to increase the awareness and skills of health professionals should be done before implementing the system.

Background. Compared to average maternal mortality ratio of 8 per 100,000 live births in industrialized countries, Ethiopia has an estimated maternal mortality ratio of 676 per 100,000 live births. Maternal deaths can be prevented partially through increasing awareness of danger signs of obstetric complications and involving husbands (male) in birth preparedness practice.Methods. Community based cross-sectional study was done. All adult males with a wife or partner who lives in the selected kebeles were our study population. Data was collected by pretested and structured questionnaires and two-stage cluster sampling procedure was used in order to collect study samples. Data was cleaned and entered into Epi Info 7 and exported to SPSS (IBM-21) for further analysis. Ordinary and hierarchical logistic regression model were used and AOR with 95% CI were used to show factors and the effect of men’s awareness of danger sign on men’s involvement in birth preparedness practice.Results. Total numbers of men interviewed were 836 making a response rate of 98.9%. 42% of men had awareness of danger sign and 9.4% (95% CI: (7.42, 11.4) of men were involved in birth preparedness practice. Respondents who live in the rural area [(AOR: 8.41; (95% CI: (4.99, 14.2)], governments employee [(AOR: 3.75; (95% CI: (1.38, 10.2)], those who belong to the highest wealth quintile [(AOR: 3.09; (95% CI: (1.51, 6.34)], and husbands whose wives gave birth in the hospital [(AOR: 2.09; (95% CI: (1.29, 3.37)], health center [(AOR: 1.99; (95% CI: (1.21, 3.28)], and health post [(AOR: 2.2; (95% CI: 2.16 (1.06, 404)] were positively associated and those who had no role in the health development army [(AOR: 0.43; (95% CI: (0.26, 0.72)] were negatively associated with men’s awareness of danger signs of obstetric complications.Conclusion. The prevalence of men awareness of danger sign was low and male involvement in birth preparedness practice was very low. Since there is a low level of awareness (17.1%) particularly in the urban area and men act as gatekeepers to women’s health, the respective organization needs to review urban health extension program and give due emphasis to husband education in order that they are able to recognize danger signs of obstetric complications in a way to increase their involvement in birth preparedness practice.

Introduction: Despite Ethiopia’s government’s commitment to alleviating unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion by increasing holistic reproductive health service accessibility, the rate of unwanted pregnancy among female students in the universities is distressing and becoming a multisectoral concern. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess the prevalence and determinant of emergency contraceptive practice among female university students in Ethiopia. Result: The overall pooled prevalence of emergency contraceptive practice among female university students in Ethiopia was 34.5% [95% CI [20.8, 48.2%]. The pooled odds ratio showed that positive association between practice of emergency contraceptives with age of the students [OR, 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.98, P = 0.05] Previous contraceptive methods use [OR, 0.22; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.40, P = 0.0001], Marital status [OR, 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.40, P < 0.002] and knowledge [OR, 0.12; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.37, P < 0.0003]. Conclusion: The practice of emergency contraceptives among university female students was 34.5% and explained by knowledge, age, previous use of contraceptive methods and marital status.

As part of the overall package of maternal and child health services in Ethiopia, all children are provided with free immunization services and it is available in all government health facilities, both in rural and urban areas. But significant number of children was defaulted from Immunization schedule, even after the health extension program was launched. Therefore, the study was assessed predictors of immunization defaulting among children age range of 12-23 months, in Hawassa Zuria district of southern Ethiopia. Unmatched case control study was conducted in six Kebeles which were selected from 26 kebeles by simple random sampling techniques. Cases were children in the age ranges of 12 - 23 months who did not complete the recommended immunization. All cases (105) and controls (209) in the kebeles were identified by using health posts Vaccine registration book. Bivariable and multiple logistic regression model were used to identify important predictor of immunization defaulting. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as the level of significances. The study identified educational status, place of delivery, immunization related knowledge, ANC follow up and household wealth status as significant predictors of defaulting from immunization schedules. Sustained health education on vaccination related knowledge and institutional delivery services utilization will be needed. The household literacy and economic status should also get emphasis so as to decreases defaulting of children from immunization schedule.

The unmet need for family planning (FP) is a major impediment to achieving the sustainable development goal The COVID-19 pandemic and other contextual, individual, and hospital-related problems are major barriers that reduce FP service uptake. However, most of the studies are quantitative and give due focus to individual and community-level barriers. Therefore, this study tends to explore barriers to the utilization of FP in Ethiopia including health care and contextual barriers. A multiple explorative case study design was employed from October to December 2021 and a total of 41 Key-informant interviews, 32 in-depth interviews, and 13 focus group discussions were performed by using the purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed with a thematic content analysis approach using NVivo software. This study explored barriers to FP in four major teams; individual, community-related, health system, and contextual barriers. It reviled that the community's misconception, fear of side effects, lack of women's decision-making autonomy, existing socio-cultural norms, religious conditions, topography, covid 19 pandemic, and conflict were the major barriers to FP service utilization. Using the four teams mentioned above, this study identified different poor health professional skills, misconceptions, pandemics, functional, and structurally related barriers. As a result, it is recommended that health education for the community and training for health professionals are important. Collaboration between government and non-government organizations is also mandatory for strengthening mentorship and supervision systems and establishing resilient health care that can avoid future pandemics.