Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic on 11th March, 2020. In Ethiopia, more than 90,490 and 1,300 confirmed cases and deaths were reported by the Federal Ministry of Health at the time of writing up this project. As health care providers are frontline workers managing the COVID-19 pandemic, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled level of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 among health professionals in Ethiopia. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and African Journal of Online (AJOL) were searched. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using STATA version 14. Publication bias was checked by funnel plot and more objectively through Egger’s regression test, with P < 0.05 considered to indicate potential publication bias. The heterogeneity of studies was checked using I² statistics. Pooled analysis was conducted using a weighted inverse variance random-effects model. Subgroup analysis was done related to geographic region and time. A leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was also employed. Result: A total of 11 studies with 3,843 study participants for knowledge, eight studies with 2,842 study participants for attitude and 10 studies with 3, 435 study participants for practice were used to estimate the pooled level of good knowledge, positive attitude and poor practice among health professionals. The overall estimated good level of knowledge, positive attitude and poor practice towards COVID-19 was found to be 79.4% (95% CI: 73.5%-85.2%; I2 = 96%), 73.7% (95%CI: 63.09%-84.4%; I2 = 98.3%) and 40.3% (95%CI: 31.1%-49.6%; I2 = 97.1%) respectively. Conclusion: Study findings showed that there were significant gaps in COVID-19 related knowledge, attitude and practice with respect to World Health Organization recommendations on COVID-19 management and personal protection practices. This study therefore recommends that institutions provide with immediate effect accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19 and training that encourages improved knowledge, attitude and practice to mitigate this pandemic.

Background. Birth weight has a vital role in determining newborns survival in vulnerable conditions. Low birth weight is associated with fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, impairment of growth and development and also chronic disease later in life. This study was aimed to assess the magnitude of low birth weight and its determinants in Wolaita Sodo University teaching and referral hospital, southern Ethiopia. Methods. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2018. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data was collected by interviewing mothers through structured questionnaire and reviewing neonates' medical records using a checklist. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with neonatal jaundice. Results. The proportion of low birth weight in the study area was found to be 15.8% (95% CI 11.7-19.9). Being primiparity [AOR=5.798; 95% (1.572-21.377)], anemia during pregnancy [AOR=3.808; 95% (1.513-9.586)], pregnancy induced hypertension [AOR= 6.955; 95% (2.386- 20.275)], intake herbal medication during pregnancy [AOR=35.762; 95% (4.571-279.764)], drinking alcohol during pregnancy [AOR=8.111; 95% (2.359-27. 895)] were predictors of low birth weight. Conclusion. The proportion of low birth weight among newborns delivered at Wolaita Sodo University teaching and referral hospital was comparable with the global prevalence of low birth weight. Parity, anemia, alcohol, herbal medication, and pregnancy-induced hypertension were significantly associated with low birth weight.

Background. Jaundice in the neonate is one of the most common clinical problems. Globally, every year about 1.1 million babies develop it and the vast majority reside in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Study on magnitude and local factors associated with neonatal jaundice is limited in Ethiopia. So this study was aimed at assessing magnitude and predictors of neonatal jaundice among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of public hospitals in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia. Methods. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2016 in neonatal intensive care unit of Mekelle city public hospitals. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data was collected by interviewing mothers through structured questionnaire and reviewing neonates’ medical records using checklist. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with neonatal jaundice. Results. A total of 209 neonates with their mothers were included. The proportion of neonatal jaundice was found to be 37.3%. Prolonged labor [AOR = 4.39; 95% CI (1.8-10.69)], being male [AOR = 3.7; 95% CI (1.54-8.87)], maternal “O” blood group [AOR = 5.05; 95% CI (1.53-16.72)], sepsis [AOR = 2.64; 95% CI (1.15-6.05)], and blood type incompatibility [AOR = 18.21; 95% CI (6.36-52.13)] were positively associated with neonatal jaundice while night time delivery [AOR 0.42; 95% CI (0.18-0.96)] showed negative association. Conclusion. The magnitude of neonatal jaundice among neonates was found to be high. Duration of labor, time of delivery, sexes of neonate, sepsis, maternal blood group, and blood type incompatibility were significantly associated with neonatal jaundice. Therefore, improving newborn care and timely intervention for neonates with ABO/Rh incompatibility are recommended.

Hypertension poses a significant public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa due to various risk factors. Community-based intervention for prevention and control of hypertension is an effective strategy to minimize the negative health outcomes. However, comprehensive systematic review evidence to inform effective community-based interventions for prevention and control of hypertension in low resource settings is lacking. This study aimed to synthesize the effectiveness of community-based interventions on prevention and control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa. A comprehensive search for studies was carried out on PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, Scopus, and Google scholar databases. The result of the review was reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies published in English language were included. Two independent reviewers conducted critical appraisal of included studies and extracted the data using predefined excel sheet. Experimental, quasi experimental, cohort and analytical cross-sectional studies conducted on adults who have received community-based interventions for prevention and controls of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa were included. In this systematic review, a total of eight studies were included, comprising of two interventional studies, two quasi-experimental studies, three cohort studies, and one comparative cross-sectional study. The interventions included health education, health promotion, home-based screening and diagnosis, as well as referral and treatment of hypertensive patients. The sample sizes ranged from 236 to 13,412 in the intervention group and 346 to 6,398 in the control group. This systematic review shows the effect of community-based interventions on reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, the existing evidence is inconsistence and not strong enough to synthesize the effect of community-based interventions for the prevention and control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, further primary studies need on the effect of community-based interventions for the prevention and control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42022342823.

Background. The postpartum period is an important transitional time for couples to put the decision on family planning utilization. However, women in Ethiopia are usually uncertain about the use of family planning during this period. This cross‐sectional study was, therefore, aimed at determining the intention of modern contraceptive use and associated factors among postpartum women attending the immunization clinic in Sodo town, Ethiopia. Method. This institution‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted among 416 study participants from May 25 to June 20, 2019. The data were collected by using a systematic random sampling technique of interviewer‐administered questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was done, and results were presented in texts and tables. Variables at bivariate analysis with a p value < 0.2 were moved to the multivariate logistic regression model to control potential confounding variables. Statistical tests at p value < 0.05 during multivariate analysis were considered as a cutoff point to determine statistical significance. Results. A total of 416 postpartum women participated in the study yielding a response rate of 98.1%. The prevalence of intention on modern contraceptive use among study participants was 70%. The odds of intention on modern contraceptive use was higher among study participants who had secondary school education (AOR = 2.052, 95% CI: 1.064‐3.958), antenatal care visit (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.02‐2.95), knowledge on modern contraceptive use (AOR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.50‐4.28), menses resumption (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.14‐3.68), and husband approval to use contraceptives (AOR = 2.395, 95% CI: 1.501‐5.458). Conclusion. The intention of modern contraceptive use among postpartum women was low. Family planning providers should emphasize reducing barriers of intention like lack of education, knowledge, male partner approval, antenatal care visit, and advise the impact of menses on fertility.