Despite improving access to Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) management, information on the quality of the service, as measured by timely recovery, is scare. This study is designed to assess treatment outcomes and factors affecting time-to-recovery from SAM in children 6–59 months admitted to a stabilizing center in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HU-CSH), Southern Ethiopia. Institutional-based retrospective cohort study was conducted on 420 randomly selected children aged 6–59 months. The children were managed at the hospital from July, 2015 to June, 2017. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to extract data from medical records. Data were analyzed using Kaplan Meir (KM) curve, Log rank test and Cox-Proportional hazards model. The outputs of the bivariable and multivariable Cox model are presented using Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) with the respective 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). After a maximum of 59 days treatment 69.3% of the children recovered and 10.8% died. The mean (±SD) weight gain rates was 12.7 (±8.9) g/kg/days. The overall incidence density rate of recovery was 3.8 per 100 person-days. The overall median (IQR) time of recovery was 17(10, 24) days. F-100 intake (AHR = 0.502, 95%, CI: 0.29–0.86), Tuberculosis infection (AHR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.00–1.91) and provision of special medication (IV fluid, IV antibiotic and blood transfusion) (AHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.52–0.99) at admission were found to be significant predictors of time-to-recovery from SAM. The overall recovery from complicated SAM children admitted at HU-CSH after a maximum of 59 days treatment was low (69.4%) and a very high proportion of children (10.8%) end up in death. Therefore, HU-CSH should give special focus for those children present with medical comorbidities during admission.

Background: Early initiation of breast feeding (EIBF) and exclusive breast feeding (EBF) are the cheapest, feasible and simplest nutritional interventions for infants. Effects of maternal education on EIBF and EBF are not consistent across studies. This study assessed the effects of maternal education on EIBF and EBF. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done based on data collected for phase 7 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 16 sub-Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2019. Data of the last-born children younger than 6 (n=19 103) and 24 (n=75 293) months were analysed to assess associations between maternal education and EIBF and EBF practices, respectively. To assess the associations, X ² test and logistic regression were done. Adjusted ORs (AORs) and their 95% CIs were used to declare statistical significance of the associations. Results: After controlling for all other potentially confounding variables, mothers who completed primary school were 1.29 (95% CI AOR: 1.24 to 1.34) times more likely to initiate breast feeding within the first 1 hour of delivery compared with mothers without education. However, mothers with secondary (AOR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.06) or higher (AOR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.05) level of education were not significantly different from mothers without education concerning EIBF. Similarly, mothers educated to primary school were 1.37 (95% CI AOR: 1.27 to 1.48) times more likely to exclusively breast feed compared with mothers without education. However, mothers educated to secondary (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.17) or higher (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.27) level of education were not significantly different from uneducated mothers regarding EBF practices. Conclusions: Effects of maternal education on EIBF and EBF depend on the level of educational attainment. Future studies should look for reasons for the lower rate of EIBF and EBF among mothers with higher educational status.

Background: Globally, at least 1 billion people have a vision impairment that could have been easily prevented or easily treated. Cataract is the leading preventable and most treatable causes of blindness and bilateral low vision among adults. Despite being the leading cause of preventable and most treatable blindness, the lack of knowledge about the disease and its option of treatment is still a major barrier in reducing the blindness owing to cataract in the developing countries particularly in Ethiopia. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the level of knowledge about cataract and associated factors among adults in Yirgalem Town, Sidama National Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2020. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among randomly selected 599 adult’s age 18 years and above from May 10–30, 2020. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using pre-tested and structured face-to-face interview questionnaires. The collected data were entered to Epi data version 3.1 and then exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associated factors of knowledge about cataract. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) together with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was used to declare the statistical association between dependent and independent variables. Results: Of the total study participants, 379 (64.7%), [(95% CI: 60.7–68.6%)] of them had good knowledge about cataract. Age (≥40 years) [AOR = 2.29(95% CI 1.18–4.44)], Elementary school completed [AOR = 2.31(95% CI 1.30–4.10)], High school & above [AOR = 5.55(95% CI 2.81–10.89)], governmental and non-governmental employed [AOR = 5.62 (95% CI 2.78–11.38)], Merchant [AOR = 1.72(95% CI 1.03–2.88)], Positive Attitude [AOR = 3.85(95% CI 2.94–6.47)] were positively significantly associated with knowledge about cataract. Whereas, rural residence [AOR = 0.19 (95% CI: 0.12–0.31)] was negatively associated with knowledge about cataract. Conclusions: More than one third of the participants still had poor knowledge about cataract. This implies that health facilities should be engaged and raises the awareness of the community and empowers people about eye care needs.

Background: Despite it is easily preventable; malaria is still remains to be a major public health problem in globally as well as in Ethiopia. The disease can be easily prevented through individual and societal combined efforts by keeping the environment safe, effective utilization of long lasting Insecticide Nets and early treatment. However, the factors for poor knowledge and practices of malaria prevention is not well studied in Ethiopia; particularly, in the study area. Hence, this study aimed to provide concrete evidence towards malaria prevention practices and associated factors among Households of Hawassa City Administration, Southern Ethiopia, 2020. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among a randomly selected 598 households at Hawassa City Administration from April 1–15, 2020. Multistage sampling technique was employed to recruit the study households. Data were collected by trained data collectors through a face-to-face interview with pretested structured questionnaire, which was adapted from previous peer reviewed articles. Then the data were checked for the completeness and consistencies, then, coded and entered into Epi data 3.1 and it was exported to SPSS IBM version 23 for analysis. Descriptive mean with standard deviation was used to summarize the continuous variables. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess factors affecting prevention and control of Malaria. Finally, adjusted odds ratio together with 95% CI and p-value <0.05 was used to declare the statistical significances. Results: The overall 317 (54.3%) of households practiced good measure of malaria prevention and control measures. Urban residence [AOR = 1.95 (95%CI: 1.17–3.24)], Secondary school completed [AOR = 5.02(95%CI 2.24–12.03)], Tertiary school completed [AOR = 7.27(95%CI: 2.84–18.55)], Positive Attitude [AOR = 8.20(95%CI: 5.31–12.68)] and Good knowledge about malaria [AOR = 2.81(95%CI: 1.78–4.44)] were significantly associated with malaria prevention practices. Conclusions: Nearly half of the households were still practiced poor measure of malaria prevention and control measures. Hence, health officials and stake holders need attention by providing continuous health education and follow up to control malaria.

Background: Regardless of its benefit in promoting maternal health, contributing to a healthy pregnancy, little is known concerning the prevalence of utilization of preconception care and its determinant in southern Ethiopia. Hence, this study designed to determine the prevalence of utilization of preconception care and contributing factors among pregnant women in West Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among systematically selected 660 pregnant women in West Guji from June 15 to July 30, 2021. A pretested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data entry was done in Epidata version3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. To identify the factors associated with the utilization of preconception care binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% CI were estimated to assess the strength of associations and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. Results: One hundred-forty seven, 22.3% [95% CI (19.2, 25.4)] of mothers utilized preconception care. Being college and above [(AOR = 5.51 95%CI 91.43-21.19)] and secondary [(AOR = 4.46 95%CI (1.38-14.39)] in educational status, rich [(AOR = 4.23 95%CI (1.32-13.55)], having good knowledge about preconception care [AOR = 2.34 95%CI (1.05-5.28)], having a positive attitude towards preconception care [(AOR = 9.99 95%CI (4.25-23.48)] and deciding with her husband regarding maternal health services [(AOR = 4.71 95%CI (1.91-11.56)] were factors positively affecting utilization of preconception care. Conclusions: The utilization of preconception care in the study area is low. Being college and above and secondary in educational status, rich, good knowledge, positive attitude towards preconception care, and deciding with her husband regarding maternal health services were independent factors promoting the utilization of preconception care. Information, education, and communication activities should be strengthened to increase awareness of mothers about preconception care.

Background: Despite significant efforts made to control malaria in Ethiopia, the disease remains one of the top public health problems in the country. Baseline malaria prevalence and associated factor at high malaria area is important to guide malaria control interventions, there was paucity of information regarding the study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine prevalence of malaria and associated factors among febrile adults in Siraro district health facilities, West Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 317 febrile adult patients at Siraro district health facilities. Structured pre-tested questionnaires were used to collect data. Epi-data version 3.1 and SPSS version 23 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. In order to identify factors associated with malaria infection bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed, The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value of < 0.05 was computed to show the strength of the association. Results: The overall prevalence of malaria at the study area was 130 (41.0%) [(95% CI 35.3–46.7)]. Occupation (being farmer) [(AOR = 6.05; 95% CI 1.38, 26.49)], having poor knowledge on malaria transmission [(AOR = 2.95 95%; CI 1.48–5.88)], house with wood wall [(AOR = 2.71; 95% CI 1.34–5.49)], and number of windows (≥ 3) in the house [(AOR = 6.82; 95% CI 1.05, 44.40)] were identified to be significantly associated with magnitude of malaria in the study area. Conclusion: The prevalence of malaria at the study area was high as compared with the national wide figures. Being farmer, having poor knowledge on malaria transmission, and housing condition (house with wood wall and houses with three and above windows) were found to be significantly associated with malaria infection in the study area. Therefore, there has to be an emphasis on addressing the factors by providing sustainable health education for the communities to improve their housing condition and knowledge of community on the way of malaria prevention.