Eastern Amhara Region Research Articles

Drug Resistance Pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Eastern Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in Amhara region, Ethiopia where the TB case detection rate is low (22%). This situation has been worsened by the emergence and spread of drug resistance strains which have been threatening efforts of TB control. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of drug resistance patterns of M. tuberculosis in Eastern Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among 230 (165 new and 65 retreated) smear positive TB patients (age ≥18 years old) from September 2010 to June 2011. Socio-demographic data of the study participants and possible factors for development of drug resistance were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaire. Smear positive sputum samples were processed and decontaminated by the modified Petrof method. Primary isolation and drug susceptibility testing (DST) were carried out on egg based Lowenstein –Jensen media (LJ). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Multivariate analysis using the logistic regression model was computed. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of drug resistance to at least a single drug was 77/230(33.5%). The prevalence of MDR-TB in all, new and re-treated patients was 15/230(6.5%), 3/165(1.8%) and 12/65 (18.5%), respectively. In the multivariate analysis previous exposure to anti-TB drugs and 1+ bacterial load were significantly associated with anti TB drug resistance (P<0.05). Conclusion: A high rate of drug resistance for main anti-tuberculosis drugs was observed on new and previously treated cases. Previous exposure to anti-TB drugs and bacterial load were important determinants of development of drug resistance. So, patient’s adherence to anti-TB drugs (especially re-treated cases) and scaling up of DST service at district hospital level will help to reduce the development of drug resistance in the study area.

Reproductive Performance and Mortality Rate in Local and Dorper &amp;amp;#215 Local Crossbred Sheep Following Controlled Breeding in Ethiopia

The reproductive and lamb mortality data (n = 187) of the Local and crosses of Dorper × Local ewes following natural controlled breeding in Ethiopia were analysed. Data were collected during 2009-2011 at Sirinka breeding, evaluation and distribution site, eastern Amhara region of Ethiopia. Breed, lamb sex, birth season, birth year, birth type and ewes’ parity were considered as fixed effects. Data analyses were performed using general linear model procedures. Breed was a significant source of variation: the local sheep attained faster the age at first lambing than the crossbred ewe lambs (469 ± 8.45 vs. 555 ± 6.25 days, p < 0.0001), whereas the crossbred ewes weighed more than the local sheep ewes at the age of first lambing (32.7 ± 0.63 vs. 22.8 ± 0.43 kg, p < 0.0001). Birth year had also important influence on the age and weight at first lambing of ewes. Ewes showed better performance during the later study years, differences attributed due to the improved management advantages in later years. The crossbred and local ewes were comparable in their litter size, despite the fact that the lambing interval of crossbred ewes was longer than the local ewes (306 ± 4.62 vs. 287 ± 2.38 days). Additionally, there was no significant difference in mortality rate between the two breeds. This study confirms that the local ewes had higher annual reproductive rate than that of the crossbred sheep ewes (1.49 ± 0.02 vs. 1.37 ± 0.01 lambs) under the same environmental conditions. The present results suggested that better management and breeding program probably will increase the productivity of the local sheep.

Assessment of patients' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding pulmonary tuberculosis in eastern Amhara regional state, Ethiopia: cross-sectional study.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in Ethiopia and the Amhara region. Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and health-seeking practice in this region is essential to plan, implement, and evaluate advocacy, communication, and social mobilization work. This may improve the case detection rate. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of patients toward TB in the Eastern Amhara region of Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among suspected and confirmed TB patients who were 18 years of age and older. For this purpose, 422 participants were enrolled. A structured and pre-validated questionnaire was used to collect data. In addition χ(2) and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to see an association with different variables. The mean and median knowledge score of respondents about pulmonary TB was 6.81 and 7, respectively. The majority of respondents had several misconceptions in all aspects of the most infectious form of TB. About half of the respondents did not know the current free cost of TB diagnosis and treatment. The 69.9% of respondents claimed that cost is the main reason for not getting care. The majority of respondents had several misconceptions about TB. The TB control program needs to consider advocacy, communication, and social mobilization for addressing the gap in the study sites.

Impact of Land Certification on Sustainable Land Resource Management in Dryland Areas of Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

This study investigates the impact of land certification on sustainable land resource management, long-term investments, and farmers’ perception and confidence on land ownership and land use rights in the dryland areas of Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Fifteen kebeles from three woredas and 20 households per kebele were selected using stratified random sampling techniques with whom face-to-face interviews were carried out. Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data showed that, 160 households have on average 0.40 ha of farmland on steep slope area; and about 21.0% and 15% of households have fear land redistribution and the government may take their farm plot at any time, respectively. However, respondents believe that land certification reduced landlessness of women, disable and poor of poor where as it increased youths’ landlessness. The participation of households in land management practices (LMP) has shown a 15.4% increment after land certification. Nonetheless, the mean comparison of major crop yields per household is insignificant except sorghum which decreased significantly at level of p<0.1 level. Generally, land certification improves tenure security; LMP and land use rights of women and marginal groups of societies but did not crop productivity.