The flower industry in East Africa has grown in recent years, especially in the production and export of roses. The aim of this study was to assess pesticide use on selected flower farms in Ethiopia. Serum cholinesterase levels in workers were used as a marker of pesticide exposure. This study was a cross-sectional study involving 588 workers from 15 different flower farms. It had a response rate of 95.5%. The participants included 277 males (mean age 26 years; 148 pesticide sprayers and 129 non-sprayers) and 311 females (mean age 25 years; 156 working in greenhouses and 155 working outside the greenhouses). The researchers undertook structured interviews, blood sampling, and walkthrough surveys. Descriptive statistics and Poisson regression were used in the statistical analyses. A total of 154 different trade names of pesticides were found. Of them, 31 (27%) were classified as moderately hazardous by the WHO, and 9% were organophosphates. Serum levels of cholinesterase deviating from 50–140 Michel units were considered abnormal. Abnormal serum cholinesterase levels (above 140 Michel units) were found in 97 participants (16.5%, 95% confidence interval 13.7–19.7%). There were no differences between the four job groups regarding cholinesterase levels. The high prevalence of abnormal serum cholinesterase levels might indicate the presence of pesticide intoxication. Thus, there is a need for routine monitoring of all workers exposed to pesticides, not only sprayers.

Background: Pesticide use in Ethiopia has become a common practice in which large-scale flower farms are the main consumers. Workers on flower farms might be exposed to pesticides while spraying or while performing other tasks related to pesticide use and management. It is unclear whether working as a flower farm sprayer is associated with respiratory health problems. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare respiratory symptoms and lung function indices between pesticide sprayers and non-spraying workers. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 15 flower farms, involving all-male sprayers as the pesticide-exposed group and all other male workers as a control group. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire for respiratory symptoms developed by the British Medical Research Council and the American Thoracic Society. Lung function tests were performed to determine forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV₁), mid 50 expiratory flow, and the ratio of FEV₁ to FVC. Chi-squared tests and Poisson regression analyses were used to compare respiratory symptoms between the two working groups. General linear regression models were used to compare lung function test indices between spraying and non-spraying working groups. The significance level was set to 0.05. Results: A total of 285 male workers participated (152 sprayers and 133 non-spraying workers). The mean age of the workers was 25 years for sprayers and 24 years for non-sprayers. The proportions of cough, cough with sputum, breathlessness, and wheezing were similar in the two groups, while chest tightness was significantly high in the non-spraying group. Sprayers had significantly higher FVC and FEV1 than the non-spraying group. Conclusions: Respiratory symptoms were not different between the sprayers and non-spraying workers except that the non-spraying workers had increased chest tightness. FVC and FEV1 were significantly higher among sprayers relative to non-sprayers. The results must be interpreted with caution, as the sprayers used respiratory protective equipment, which probably reduced their exposure to the pesticides. Also, the workers were young, and a healthy worker effect might be present among the sprayers.

Fruit and vegetable market is an abundant source of bioaerosols. Exposure to organic and inorganic waste and long-term inhalation of bioaerosols during working hours leads to chronic respiratory symptoms. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and related factors among fruit and vegetable workers compared with the control group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021. Data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regressions were computed to depict the data and related factors. The culture method was done to count and compare bacterial and fungal concentrations between fruit and vegetable workers and office workers. In this study, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (PR = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.772–4.66) was significantly higher among fruit and vegetable workers (46.7%) than controls (23.4%). Sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.12–3.98), educational status (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.78–2.32), working hours per day (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.586–9.65), and working department (AOR = 3.20, 95% CI = 0.90–11.40) were associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were significantly higher in the air of the vegetable market (276 colony-forming unit) than the air in the workplace of controls (7 colony-forming unit). The fruit and vegetable market workers (greengrocers) had a higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms relative to office workers. Respiratory protective devices should be given to deliver preventive measures.

Background and Aims: Hypertension is becoming a major public health issue in Ethiopia. However, there is limited comprehensive evidence on hypertension care, including service availability, utilization, and care quality. This study aimed to determine the effect of the NORAD‐WHO‐NCD intervention in improving the availability, utilization, and quality of hypertension care in public healthcare facilities.Methods: A multicenter, quasi‐experimental study comprising 31 interventions and 62 control public healthcare facilities was conducted across Ethiopia's six regions and one city administration between November 12 and December 31, 2023. A data abstraction form was used to collect relevant data spanning 54 months from various departments. To determine the independent effects of the intervention, a differences‐in‐difference regression model was used and p < 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance.Results: From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of healthcare facilities treating hypertension increased to 93.6% for intervention facilities and 90.3% for control facilities. The average monthly number of screenings performed in 2023 was 682 (95% CI 592, 772) among intervention and 278 (95% CI 238, 318) among control health facilities. In 2023, the average monthly number of newly diagnosed patients was 6 (95% CI 5, 7) by intervention and 4 (95% CI 3, 5) by control health facilities. Similarly, the average monthly number of patients receiving pharmacologic treatment was 138 (95% CI 103, 173) in intervention and 49 (95% CI 41, 57) in control facilities. In the intervention and control facilities, the average monthly number of patients with controlled blood pressure was 121 (95% CI 89, 154) and 49 (95% CI 40, 58), respectively. The intervention led to a monthly average increase of 425 hypertension screenings across all age groups (95% CI 131, 719, p = 0.04).Conclusions: While intervention facilities showed notable improvements, hypertension care services remain limited nationwide, underscoring the need for scalable interventions to address regional disparities.