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.

Objective This analysis is to present the burden and trends of morbidity and mortality due to lower respiratory infections (LRIs), their contributing risk factors, and the disparity across administrative regions and cities from 1990 to 2019. Design This analysis used Global Burden of Disease 2019 framework to estimate morbidity and mortality outcomes of LRI and its contributing risk factors. The Global Burden of Disease study uses all available data sources and Cause of Death Ensemble model to estimate deaths from LRI and a meta-regression disease modelling technique to estimate LRI non-fatal outcomes with 95% uncertainty intervals (UI). Study setting The study includes nine region states and two chartered cities of Ethiopia. Outcome measures We calculated incidence, death and years of life lost (YLLs) due to LRIs and contributing risk factors using all accessible data sources. We calculated 95% UIs for the point estimates. Results In 2019, LRIs incidence, death and YLLs among all age groups were 8313.7 (95% UI 7757.6–8918), 59.4 (95% UI 49.8–71.4) and 2404.5 (95% UI 2059.4–2833.3) per 100 000 people, respectively. From 1990, the corresponding decline rates were 39%, 61% and 76%, respectively. Children under the age of 5 years account for 20% of episodes, 42% of mortalities and 70% of the YLL of the total burden of LRIs in 2019. The mortality rate was significantly higher in predominantly pastoralist regions—Benishangul-Gumuz 101.8 (95% UI 84.0–121.7) and Afar 103.7 (95% UI 86.6–122.6). The Somali region showed the least decline in mortality rates. More than three-fourths of under-5 child deaths due to LRIs were attributed to malnutrition. Household air pollution from solid fuel attributed to nearly half of the risk factors for all age mortalities due to LRIs in the country. Conclusion In Ethiopia, LRIs have reduced significantly across the regions over the years (except in elders), however, are still the third-leading cause of mortality, disproportionately affecting children younger than 5 years old and predominantly pastoralist regions. Interventions need to consider leading risk factors, targeted age groups and pastoralist and cross-border communities.

Background: Trachoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world affecting the poorest communities. Despite many interventions undertaken on prevention and control for trachoma, Ethiopia has failed to achieve the 2020 elimination goal. Objective: To assess knowledge, attitude, practice and its associated factors toward trachoma infection among people living in Arba Minch Zuria district Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to June 2020. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire from 796 randomly selected individuals. Epi Info version 7 was used to enter and clean the data and exported to SPSS V20 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis model was fitted to identify factors associated with the outcome variables. Findings: Among 796 interviewed participants, 611 (76.8%) had inadequate knowledge toward trachoma infection and 244 (30.7%) had unfavorable attitude. Individuals who had no formal education (AOR=0.365, 95%CI: 0.212– 0.626) and primary education (AOR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.35– 0.962) were negatively associated with adequate knowledge towards trachoma infection. Being a farmer (AOR=0.063, 95%CI: 0.008– 0.52), merchant (AOR=0.022, 95%CI: 0.003– 0.194), student (AOR=0.026, 95%CI: 0.003– 0.225) or housewife (AOR=0.03, 95%CI: 0.004– 0.256) were negatively associated with adequate knowledge. Those study subjects whose wealth index were lowest (AOR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.27– 0.878), second (AOR=0.38, 95%CI: 0.21– 0.69) and middle (AOR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.199– 0.658) percentiles negatively associated with adequate knowledge. A short distance to fetch water (AOR=2.53, 95%CI: 1.18– 5.415) was positively associated with adequate knowledge about trachoma infection. Environmental cleanliness (AOR=2.224, 95%CI: 1.518– 3.257), being male (AOR=1.848, 95%CI: 1.332– 2.565) and distance from home to health facility (AOR=1.845, 95%CI: 1.308– 2.600) were significantly associated with attitude status. Conclusion: Considerable numbers of people have unfavorable attitude and inadequate knowledge about trachoma infection. Awareness creation through community mobilization and sensitization should be strengthened.

Background: Podoconiosis is entirely preventable, non‐communicable disease with high potential of elimination. The prevalence of podoconiosis in Ethiopia was 7.45%. One of the pillars for elimination of podoconiosis is morbidity control and management. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices and associated factors of health professionals towards podoconiosis cause, prevention and treatments.Methods: Facility based cross‐sectional study was conducted. The source population was all health professionals currently working in public health facilities. The final estimated sample size was 349. A pretested self‐administrated structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were coded, entered, and cleaned by using Epi.info version7, and analyzed by using SPSS version 20.Result: A total of 320 health professionals participated in the study. Sixty eight (23.1%) health professionals had poor knowledge towards podoconiosis. Seventy (21.9%) identified podoconiosis as infectious disease. Profession, address of health facility, service year and attitude of participants were significantly associated with knowledge towards podoconiosis. More than half (56%) had favorable attitude towards podoconiosis patients. Knowledge score (95%CI: 1.389, 4.059, p‐value = 0.002) was the independent predictor for attitude status. Very few (11.6%) respondents treated podoconiosis patients. Age group 45 years old and above and training on lymphedema morbidity management and disability prevention were significantly associated with clinical experience in treating affected patients, (AOR = 17.345; 95%CI: 4.62, 65.119) and (AOR = 7.385; 95%CI: 2.5, 21.797), respectively.Conclusion: Despite, high percent of good knowledge of health professionals towards podoconiosis, clinical experience of health professionals in treating podoconiosis patients was very low. In‐service trainings will be given for health professionals to improve treatment. In podoconiosis endemic districts hygiene supplies and other referencing materials should be made available for podoconiosis case management.

Purpose of the Study: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome and associated factors among diabetic patients in Arba Minch General Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the second most common cause of absence from work which causes functional loss of the hands and leads to disability. However, it is understudied among diabetic patients in Ethiopia. Patients and Materials: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1 to October 1, 2021. Systematic random sampling method was used to select 353 study participants. CTS-6 Evaluation tool was applied to assess carpal tunnel syndrome. The data was coded and entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 statistical packages and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary logistic regression model was applied to assess the association between outcome variable and independent variables. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI and p-values < 0.05 were used to identify significantly associated factors with an outcome variable. Results: The study was conducted among 353 diabetic patients. The cumulative prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among diabetes was 3.1%. CTS was statistically significantly associated with high body mass index; AOR=0.34 (0.12, 0.97, 95% CI) (p=0.04. Majority of participants 322 (91.2%) had type 2 DM. Mean fasting blood sugar level ± standard error of study participants was 157.52 ± 1.91 mg/dl. Conclusion: The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome was relatively low. High body mass index (BMI) was significantly but negatively associated with carpal tunnel syndrome compared to diabetic patients with normal BMI. Diabetic patients with normal BMI should be screened for CTS for early management of the disease and prevention of further complications. Further investigations are recommended.

Background: Sexually transmitted infection is an infection that is typically transmitted by sexual contact and may either end or develop into a sexually transmitted disease. Today, young people are recognized as groups with special health-related vulnerabilities like drug use, unprotected sex and sexually transmitted infections. Despitea number of strategies which focused on young people’s health, there was limited evidence of sexually transmitted infection among young incarcerated persons. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the self-reported syndromes of sexually transmitted infections and associated factors among young incarcerated persons (18– 29 years) in correctional facilities of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to 15, 2019. Simple random sampling was used to select a total of 414 prisoners. The data were entered into Epi.info version 7 and exported and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out. Statistical significance was declared by using the p value of < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval. The Results: In this study, 403 respondents participated with the response rate of 97.3%. The overall prevalence of self-reported STIs was 35 (8.7%). STI syndromes before incarceration (AOR: 5.267 (95% CI: 1.863, 14.893)), not having family support (AOR; 6.645 (95% CI: 2.327, 18.975)), history of imprisonment (AOR; 2.871 (95% CI: 1.065, 7.42)), not always using condom (AOR; 7.417, (95% CI 2.526, 21.781)), alcohol use (AOR; 5.926, (95% CI 2.282, 15.392)), chat use (AOR; 4.736, (95% CI (1.387, 16.172)) and having sex with commercial sex workers (AOR; 2.764, (95% CI 1.034, 7.388)) were significantly and independently associated with self-reported STIs. Conclusion: Prevalence of self-reported syndromes of STI was high. Attention is needed about sexually transmitted infections for incarcerated young people by concerned bodies, including governmental and non-governmental organizations.