Background: Novel coronavirus is a global pandemic and killed many individuals, including health care professionals. It caused stress on the health care system of all countries. Presently, studies are emerging regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in different aspects. However, a few have explored barriers that affecting the practice of preventive measures for the COVID-19. As such, the study aimed to fill these research gaps in the study setting. Methods: A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct this phenomenological study among 16 key informants. Key informants were recruited by the purposive sampling method. To analyze that data, thematic content analysis was employed by using an inductive approach in NVivo 12 Pro software. Results: In this study, six main themes were identified with the sub-themes. Overview of COVID-19 pandemic (with the six sub-themes), consequences (with the two sub-themes), perceived practice (with four sub-themes), perceived barriers (with four sub-themes), newfangled activities (with three sub-themes), and suggestion for improvement (with seven sub-themes) were the major themes. The participants perceived the influence of shortage of personal protective equipment and solutions for hand hygiene, negligence and ignorance, inadequate infrastructure, lack of training, and lack of attention and recognition for the staff on the practice of preventive measures. Conclusions: This study showed a gap in preventive measure practices for the COVID-19 in the health care system. Community influences, health care provider related barriers, institutional barriers, and lack of communication and support affect the practice. Hence, attention should give to fulfill the necessary supplies in the health facilities, improve the infrastructures, and equip health professionals by providing capacity-building activities. Besides, health care workers must recognize, and attention is needed.

Introduction: Health-care waste is a great concern because, in addition to containing conventional toxic pollutants like mercury, chlorinated plastics, and solvents; it also includes a number of toxic materials not found in typical waste. There were no scientific data in Ethiopia that reveal practice toward management of health-care waste. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the management of health professionals toward health-care waste in South Omo zone public health facilities, South West Ethiopia, 2018. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was used with in the period of February 1– 30, 2018. A total of 362 health-care workers were sampled using the lottery method. Coding and entry of data was done using Epi Info™ version: 7.2 and analyzed with SPSS version 20 computer software. Descriptive statistics were computed. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify predictor variables for practice of health-care providers. Results: The overall finding of safe practice on health-care waste management among health-care workers was only 29.3%. Receiving training regarding medical waste management, work hours per day among respondents, availability and usage of color coded containers and yellow plastic bags for infectious waste had significant association with safe practice on health-care waste management. Conclusions and Recommendation: The overall finding of safe practice on health-care waste management was only 29.3% among health-care workers. This study showed that most of health-care workers did not meet standard practice. Providing training on medical waste management is essential to encourage safe practices among health-care workers and more attention should be directed at the health-care attendants in order to close the yawning gap in their practice level of medical waste management.

Background: Most maternal deaths take place during labour and within a few weeks after delivery. The availability and utilization of emergency obstetric care facilities is a key factor in reducing maternal mortality; however, there is limited evidence about how these institutions perform and how many people use emergency obstetric care facilities in rural Ethiopia. We aimed to assess the availability, quality, and utilization of emergency obstetric care services in the Gamo Gofa Zone of south-west Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of three hospitals and 63 health centres in Gamo Gofa. Using a retrospective review, we recorded obstetric services, documents, cards, and registration books of mothers treated and served in the Gamo Gofa Zone health facilities between July 2009 and June 2010. Results: There were three basic and two comprehensive emergency obstetric care qualifying facilities for the 1,740,885 people living in Gamo Gofa. The proportion of births attended by skilled attendants in the health facilities was 6.6% of expected births, though the variation was large. Districts with a higher proportion of midwives per capita, hospitals and health centres capable of doing emergency caesarean sections had higher institutional delivery rates. There were 521 caesarean sections (0.8% of 64,413 expected deliveries and 12.3% of 4,231 facility deliveries). We recorded 79 (1.9%) maternal deaths out of 4,231 deliveries and pregnancy-related admissions at institutions, most often because of post-partum haemorrhage (42%), obstructed labour (15%) and puerperal sepsis (15%). Remote districts far from the capital of the Zone had a lower proportion of institutional deliveries (4% of deliveries, much higher than the average 1.9%). Conclusion: Based on a population of 1.7 million people, there should be 14 basic and four comprehensive emergency obstetric care (EmOC) facilities in the Zone. Our study found that only three basic and two comprehensive EmOC service qualifying facilities serve this large population which is below the UN’s minimum recommendation. The utilization of the existing facilities for delivery was also low, which is clearly inadequate to reduce maternal deaths to the MDG target.

Background: The HIV global epidemic continues to be the most serious of infectious disease challenges to the public health and it remains as a major threat to socioeconomic development. AIDS accounts for a leading cause of mortality and resulted in the deaths of 25 million people. Everyday 5,700 persons die from AIDS worldwide. The HIV prevalence in the student populations hadn’t adequately studied, but there is some undependable reports suggesting widespread of unsafe sexual practices making the young vulnerable to HIV infection. Hence the current study assesses HIV Sero-prevalence among St. Marry University students in Ethiopia to narrow the gap of studies in the young population. A cross sectional study design with self-administered questioners and clinical blood specimen collection were done among 900 St. Marry University, Ethiopia study participant in March, 2012.The sample size were determined with single population formula with considering none respondent rate. Statistical tests were carried out for HIV Sero positivity and its association to predisposing factors to HIV infections. Detail explanation were given the study participant, a written consent was obtained from each participant after clear explanation to the procedure, merits and demerits of being tested for HIV. The study shows, 98.7% of response rate. According to the finding the overall HIV Sero-prevalence among the participants was found to be 3.8% and more specifically, HIV prevalence shown among students come from urban areas 14(5.7%), small town15 (4.5%) and rural areas 5(1.6%). Unsafe sexual behaviors, risky habits of styles of life involving alcohol beverages drinking, chat chewing, substance use, drug abuse, men to men sex, change and exchange of several sex partners, rapes, revealed positive association with HIV positive Sero status. HIV remains as a serious health problem to those who were positive as well as to those who practice risk behaviors and comparably, lower prevalence of HIV was noticed in the study. There is a need to be further studies in depth for contributing factors which predispose to new HIV infection to prevent HIV infection among the late adolescence and adult population. Moreover, as a result of higher institution expansion, there is a need to provide organized HIV prevention activities to decrease HIV new infection.

Introduction: Despite the critical importance of complementary feeding, a significant number of young children in developing countries have suboptimal complementary feeding practices (OCFPs). After 6 months, a nutrient-dense, varied diet containing fruits and vegetables is crucial to complement breastfeeding. These appropriate complementary feeding practices have the potential to prevent all deaths among children. There were evidence gaps on OCFPs among children in the study area. Therefore, this study was conducted to fill this gap in order to design context-specific intervention.Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Konso Zone, in South Ethiopia, among 337 randomly selected mothers having children 6–23 months of age. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire using the Kobo Toolbox and exported to SPSS Version 25 for cleaning and analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to determine independent predictors of OCFP of mothers. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI) were considered statistically significant in the final model.Results: The overall prevalence of OCFP was 14.8% (95% CI: 11.80%, 19.10%). The practices of timely initiation of complementary feeding, minimum meal frequency, and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) were 63.20%, 92.60%, and 20.50%, respectively. Mothers who were in advanced age (>35 years) (AOR = 3.32, 95% CL: 1.59, 6.95), exchanged food items from the market (AOR = 2.23, 95% CL: 1.03, 4.77), and had accessibility and availability of fruit and vegetables (AOR = 4.16, 95% CL: 1.83, 9.43) were independent predictors of OCFP.Conclusion: The findings indicate that a significantly low proportion of children met the minimum World Health Organization (WHO) complementary feeding recommendations. However, meal frequency showed relatively better adherence. Only one-fifth of young children achieved MDD, while more than two-thirds began complementary feeding earlier than the recommended 6-month threshold. To improve complementary feeding practices, cost-effective interventions such as increasing access to fruits and vegetables and encouraging mothers to trade homegrown food items in local markets to diversify their children’s diets could be beneficial. Additionally, targeted efforts should focus on enhancing key complementary feeding indicators of meal frequency, timely introduction of complementary foods, and achieving MDD to improve children’s nutritional needs.

1.IntroductionAdequate nutrition throughout infancy is vital for a child's optimal growth and development later in life [1]. The first two years are critical for physical and cognitive development, yet infants are vulnerable to developmental insults caused by inadequate nutrition and diseases [2]. Optimal complementary feeding practice entails fulfilling dietary diversity, meal frequency, early breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding up to six months, and continued breastfeeding until the age of two [3,4]. At six months, an infant's energy and nutrient demand increases. Complementary feeding should be timely initiated, nutritionally adequate, and diverse to meet the child’s growing needs while continuing breastfeeding [5,6]. However, many infants and children do not receive adequate or appropriate feeding. Globally, only 44% of infants are exclusively breastfed for six months, 29.4% receive the minimum dietary diversity, and 52.2% receive the minimum required meal frequency [7]. In Ethiopia, only 59% of children aged 0-6 months were exclusively breastfed, and just 8% of infants aged 6–23 months received complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding. The 2019 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) reported minimum dietary diversity (MDD) at 14%, minimum meal frequency (MMF) at 55%, and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) at 11% [8,9]. A study conducted in the Somali regional state of Ethiopia revealed that 49.40% had optimal complementary feeding practices, with 57% initiating complementary feeding between 6–8 months, 52% achieving minimal meal frequency, and 45% attaining dietary diversity [10]. Similarly, a study conducted in the Jimma Zone of West Ethiopia found the overall proportion of optimal complementary feeding practices (OCFP) was 9.40% [11]. Several factors influence optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding, including maternal knowledge gaps, perceived breast milk insufficiency, excessive workload, limited partner support, and food price inflation [12,13]. Childhood malnutrition remains a pressing issue in low- and middle-income countries, driven by inadequate nutrition and poor feeding practices in infancy [14]. Recognizing the importance of adequate and appropriate nutrition for child health and survival, the Ethiopian government implements health extension programs at the household and community level to improve optimal complementary feeding for children aged 6–23 months [15]. Despite child health being a priority under Ethiopia’s Health care development program [16], the national prevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months was extremely low and is below international standards. There was evidence of gaps in optimal complementary feeding practices, and related factors are crucial for prioritizing, designing, and implementing intervention programs to reduce childhood undernutrition. Thus, this study aimed to assess optimal complementary feeding practices and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in the Konzo Zone, South Ethiopia. 2.Materials and methods 2.1.Study settings and target population A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken among 337 mothers who had children aged 6-23 months in Konso Zone, Southern Ethiopia, from May 10 to June 30, 2024. In this zone there are 3 districts, which consist of 3-5 health posts and 3-8 Kebeles. The Zone is characterized by rugged and rocky highlands cut by deep valleys. The altitude of the area is between 501 and 2000 meters above sea level, and the main agro-ecological divisions of Konso are 70% lowland and 30% tropical midland [17]. 2.2.Sample size determination and procedures The sample size was determined by using the single population proportion estimation formula. To calculate the actual sample size, a 30% proportion from a previous related study on optimal complementary feeding practice [18], 95% confidence level, 5% margin of error, and a 10% non-response rate were considered. The final sample size comprised 354 children aged 6 to 23 months paired with their mothers. Two districts were selected randomly from a total of 3 districts in the Konso Zone, South Ethiopia. In the case of Ethiopia, at least one health post was built for one to two kebeles for the provision of primary health care. From each district, one kebele that had a nearby health post was selected purposively. Then a census was conducted in two kebeles who had nearby health posts (the lowest administrative level in the case of Ethiopia) to register eligible households who had children aged 6-23 months. After getting the number of mothers who had children 6-23 months of age from all selected kebeles. The number of children assigned is based on the proportion of the size of the eligible population at all levels. Finally, the required number of mothers who had children in each kebele was selected randomly for interview. 2.3.Data collection tools and measurement A structured and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics [19], dietary practices, and related characteristics. Data on dietary diversity and meal frequency data were collected by using a 24-hour recall method [20]. Mothers were asked to recall all food items given to their children in the past 24 hours before the day of the survey. According to the WHO 2021 guidelines, minimum dietary diversity for children 6-23 months was collected by using eight food groups: (1) grains, roots, or tubers; (2) legumes and nuts; (3) vitamin A-rich FV; (4) other fruits or vegetables; (5) flesh foods (meat, poultry, fish, organ meat); (6) eggs; (7) dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese); and (8) breast milk [6]. In addition, the household food security was collected using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to measure the degree of food security level in the past 30 days [21].Exchange of food items grown on their own...