Health Non-governmental Organizations Research Articles

Mobile Medicine in Ukraine

Global Care Force, an international health nongovernmental organization, sent teams of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners every month to Ukraine to provide primary care for war-affected communities. I had the opportunity to partner with GCF in May 2024 during its monthly mission trip to this conflict-ravaged country. I described this medical outreach initiative in a first-person narrative in order to relay to a wider audience the realities of warfare for Ukrainian patients and health care workers. Our team treated chronic diseases in northern as well as southern Ukrainian villages near the front line near Kherson. We set up mobile medical clinics in these regions and delivered medications to patients suffering from blast injuries, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

To rule or not to rule? The policy process of the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Indonesia

PurposeThe rising incidence of non-communicable diseases and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption in Indonesia is a concern to the central government. However, the excise tax policy proposal for SSBs, introduced by the Minister of Finance in a 2020 meeting with the Parliament, remains unapproved until 2023. This study analyzes the process and factors influencing stakeholders in managing the implementation of the excise tax policy on SSBs in Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Theory (MST), focusing on the problem, policy and politics streams. It employs a qualitative design and combines a literature review and in-depth interviews in data collection. Interviews were conducted with policymakers, civil servants, senior representatives from nongovernmental health and consumer organizations, trade associations and academics in nutrition, health and taxation.FindingsWe identified that policy entrepreneurs have not succeeded in aligning the policy with the ideology of decision-makers and broader government goals. Therefore, the Parliament has not ratified the SSB excise tax policy until 2023. The effectiveness of interventions is expected to be the primary driver of policy adoption. Despite the complexity of this policy process, we conclude that implementing some reinforcing strategies may be necessary to facilitate policy change. In the Indonesian context, other actors who proactively manage potential criticism from multiple stakeholders are needed. The power of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs is expected to navigate political complexities and interests among stakeholders. Support for adopting the SSB excise tax policy will likely rise when framing policy alternatives aligns with decision-makers values, involves coordination between ministries, and has a broad public appeal.Originality/valueDespite the constitutional mandate to regulate levies through legislation, there is no research on policy processes in Indonesia, specifically regarding levies and taxes. Examining the Indonesian institutional context in which a policy process takes place may improve the understanding of the many components of MST under unique conditions, providing insights into the specific factors that drive policy change in certain cases.

Community Power-Building Groups And Public Health NGOs: Reimagining Public Health Advocacy.

Public health frameworks have grappled with the inequitable distribution of power as a driver of the social conditions that determine health. However, these frameworks have not adequately considered building community power as a strategy to shift the distribution of power. Community power-building organizations build and organize a base of affected people to take collective action to transform their material conditions, using advocacy and other tactics. We conducted qualitative interviews with representatives of twenty-two national nongovernmental public health organizations (public health NGOs) and thirteen community power-building organizations to explore the nature and potential of partnerships between public health and community power-building organizations. Our findings suggest ways to close advocacy gaps within the public health ecosystem and ways in which public health can strategically leverage its power, resources, and expertise to support social justice campaigns and movements.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of blood donation: A cross-sectional survey in Khulna city, Bangladesh

BackgroundThere is evidence that the worldwide need for safe blood is not being met, particularly in poor nations like Bangladesh, where there is a scarcity of voluntary blood donors. This research intends to evaluate the public's knowledge, attitude, and practice of voluntary blood donation and the socio-demographic factors associated with blood donation in Khulna city, Bangladesh. Materials and methods720 interviews were taken using a structural questionnaire with Khulna city residents implementing the convenience sampling technique. After pre-processing and removing missing values, 697 records were left for further analysis. To investigate the association of sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, permanent address, and smoking status with knowledge, attitude, and practice of blood donation, the binary logistic regression model was used. ResultsAccording to this research, 478 (68.58%), 654 (93.83%), and 451 (64.71%) respondents were knowledgeable, had a favorable attitude, and practiced VBD, respectively. The study level higher secondary (AOR = 2.2; CI: 1.16–4.18), honors or degree (AOR = 2.37; CI: 1.3–4.3), and masters or above (AOR = 3.27; CI: 1.69–6.35) were associated with the knowledge. The favorable attitude was connected with being male (AOR = 2.24; CI: 1.23–4.06), learning about VBD through online social media (AOR = 2.61; CI: 1.13–6.05), and having knowledge of VBD (AOR = 3.05; CI: 1.82–5.12). Age between 26 and 35 years (AOR = 2.83; CI: 1.43–5.57) and older than 45 years (AOR = 3.74; CI: 1.34–10.4), being a man (AOR = 3.6; CI: 2.25–5.78), being a smoker (AOR = 1.87; CI: 1.17–2.98), knowing about VBD (AOR = 2.31; CI: 1.55–3.42), and having a positive attitude (AOR = 3.78; CI: 2.11–6.77) were significant factors for practicing blood donation. ConclusionThis research demonstrates poor blood donation practices and limited knowledge of blood donation among Khulna city residents. The awareness of the residents should be prolonged for voluntary blood donation by the health bureau, the government, and non-governmental organizations.

Experience of caregivers on the continuum of care and prevention of malnutrition among children with cholera in Ethiopia: a phenomenology study

IntroductionMalnutrition is a public health problem in low- and middle-income countries among children. Although illnesses such as diarrhea are common immediate drivers of childhood malnutrition, their consequences could be averted through optimal sick child feeding and care to ensure the continuum of care. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of mothers/caregivers on continuum of care to prevent malnutrition among children with cholera in Ethiopia.MethodsA phenomenology study design was applied to explore experiences of mothers/caregivers in the Bale and Guji zones of the Oromia region, southeast Ethiopia, from November to December 2022 using an unstructured interview guide. The saturation of ideas was used to stop the in-depth interview. Translated data were cleaned and imported into ATLAS.ti7 software for analysis. Using an open coding system, the data were coded into a meaningful context. Deeper immersion into data with repeated reading, creating themes, subthemes, and family/category were carried out. In coding and categorization, multiple coders were involved. The finding was presented using well-spoken verbatim/quotes as illustrations and in narratives.ResultsIn this qualitative study, ten participants were taken to explore their lived experience on the continuum of care for children with acute malnutrition and cholera. The study found that poverty, expensive cost of living, and poor utilization of diversified food were challenges. Moreover, health facilities did not provide any services to mothers whose child was admitted for malnutrition treatment. Children five years and above were excluded from both therapeutic food and screening for malnutrition program. Interruptions of supplies, low attention given to child feeding, inadequate knowledge, and lack of time to prepare diversified food were the main findings.ConclusionPoverty, poor feeding habits, supplies interruption and non-inclusion of malnourished children five and above in screening for malnutrition and in the therapeutic feeding program is missed opportunities that lead to decreased early detection and treatment of malnutrition among children with cholera. Moreover, mothers/caregivers did not receive any service from health facilities when their child was admitted for treatment of malnutrition. This situation forces them to stop treatment before their child recovers from malnutrition, which has a negative impact on the continuum of care and prevention of malnutrition. Therefore, we strongly recommend strengthening emergency nutrition within the country’s health system and revising the food and nutrition policy to incorporate emergency nutrition, with a particular focus on children under the age of fifteen. Additionally, it is important that the study’s recommendations underscore the significance of a multi-sectoral approach that involves collaboration among the health sector, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Moreover, adaptive agricultural products be made easily accessible to the community which is crucial in effective preventing and reducing malnutrition in children in the study and similar settings.

Exploring Volunteer Pharmacists' Experiences in Responding to 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study.

Pharmacists are vital in disaster response efforts, dispensing essential medications, managing pharmacy services, consulting, and educating survivors regarding their medications. Their contributions, however, are often underrepresented in scientific literature. This study aimed to explore the experiences of pharmacists who provided pharmacy services to meet the pharmaceutical needs of the survivors after 2 major earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023. This study adopted a phenomenological approach. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to invite pharmacists who provided pharmacy services to survivors. Interview transcripts were analyzed following an inductive, reflexive thematic analysis. In total, 15 pharmacists were interviewed. Four main overarching themes "response to the earthquake," "preparedness for the earthquake," "experiences during service delivery," and "mental and physical experiences" were developed. From participants' experiences, it is essential to expand the clinical responsibilities of pharmacists and train them in providing wound care, administering immunization, and prescribing. Pharmacists should be integrated as essential members of disaster health teams. International health organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and governments are encouraged to work collaboratively and develop disaster management plans including pharmacists in early responders. This might help mitigate the deficiencies and overcome challenges in health-care systems to provide effective patient-centered care by health professionals and respond effectively to disasters.

Exploring Spatial Variation of Women’s Tetanus Vaccination in Ethiopia: Spatial Analysis of Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2016

Tetanus is a bacterial infection that causes painful muscular contractions throughout the body, usually starting in the jaw. Every year, 15,000 to 30,000 maternal deaths occur due to tetanus related to the delivery process. Exploring variations of women’s tetanus immunization is crucial for programmers’ planning and monitoring. As a result, this study aims to evaluate the spatial distribution of women’s tetanus vaccination coverage and risk areas of women’s tetanus vaccination clustering in Ethiopia. The study used Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data, which was conducted in 2016 using the Ethiopia Population and Housing Census 2007 sampling frame. From 15,683 women aged 15 to 49, a sample of 7,193 women was selected using eligible criteria. This study used spatial data analysis. To determine geographical danger zones for tetanus vaccination of women, cluster, hotspot analysis, spatial interpolation, and spatial scan statistics were used. At the regional level of Ethiopia, tetanus vaccination was spatially clustered (Global Moran’s I = 0.066, p = .0001). Western Tigray, eastern SNNP, and northern Oromia were identified as hotspots of poor tetanus vaccine coverage, whereas western Oromia, Afar, and southeast Amhara regions were designated as non-risky areas of Ethiopia. The spatial Bayesian kriging interpolation analysis predicted high-risk areas were the southwestern and eastern parts of Oromia, western Tigray, Harari, and Dire Dawa Western Tigray, the eastern SNNP, southern Amhara, and northern Oromia have been recognized as a significant hotspot. Health workers, programmers, government, and non-governmental organizations in Ethiopia will implement spatially based strategic interventions for women’s tetanus immunization.

STRUCTURAL MODERNIZATION OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Nowadays, both diversified channels of medical care for patients in remote mode, as well as extensive telemedical networks and systems of exchange of specialized medical information between all participants in the process of public reproduction of medical services at the national and supranational levels are actively being formed. As a result, we are all witnessing the development in global coordinates of a multi-level integrated system of a digital ecosystem of health care, which is based on digital technologies, forms qualitatively new channels of value creation for consumers of medical services and ensures deep convergent interaction of all key subjects of the medical care system citizens - from doctors, patients, health care institutions and states to health insurance companies, intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations, business communities, etc. In view of this, there is every reason to claim that the qualitatively new business models of the digital health care system implemented in a fragmented manner in the conditions of digitalization will already in the next decade accumulate a powerful institutional and technological resource for "undermining" traditional business models of medical care with their departure from the narrowed format of the primary link of medical services to deep penetration into all links of the value chain formed in health care, and therefore - the formation of sustainable cash flows for producers of medical services. The purpose of the article is to reveal conceptual approaches to the systematic implementation in global coordinates of the key priority of digital health – the formation of values for patients in an ethical, safe, reliable, fair and sustainable way, while fully complying with such principles of providing medical services as: its transparency, safety and accessibility to broad segments of the population, scalability of medical care and its regularity, digital compatibility of structural components of the digital ecosystem, and strict confidentiality of medical information.

Common Risk Factors for CD4 Cell Count and Hemoglobin Level among Female Adult HIV-Positive Patients: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

HIV is one of the most significant worldwide health concerns of the twenty-first century and a serious threat to human society. Hemoglobin level and CD4 cell count are two of the most important biomarkers of HIV progression and patient survival. The objective of this study was to identify common risk factors associated with CD4 cell count and hemoglobin level among adult female HIV-positive patients treated with ART at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. The source of data in this study was secondary data conducted in the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from September 2015 to March 2022 . Data exploration in this study was normal histogram plot, box plot, and Q-Q plot considered to gain some visions of the data related to CD4 cell count and hemoglobin level. A Bayesian joint model was used in this longitudinal data set to get a wide range of information about adult female HIV-patients. The mean with a standard deviation of hematocrit (%), red blood cell (106/μl), lymphocyte (%), and weight (kg) of female patients were 37.2 (3.8), 4.0 (1.6), 43.6 (11.8), and 44.9 (9.4), respectively. In this study, the random intercept model for CD4 cell count and the random intercept and slope model for hemoglobin level were considered as the best selected model. Visit time, hematocrit, weight, RBC, lymphocyte count, educational status, marital status, disclosure, and substance use were common risk factors for CD4 cell count and hemoglobin level. This study concluded that, the risk factors visit time, weight, secondary educators, tertiary educators, married patients, patients who disclosed their HIV status to family members were associated with high CD4 cell count and hemoglobin level. While, hematocrit, RBC, lymphocyte count, separated marital status, widowed marital status, and substance-addicted patients were associated with low CD4 cell count and hemoglobin level. The author recommended that FMOH or other health professionals, program planners, decision makers, project implementers, government, and nongovernmental organizations should be given special attention for adult female patinets to minimize the risk of HIV progression and improve their health status. The author also recommended that health staff should conduct health-related studies for patients to examine continuous checkups. Health professionals also should give more attention to types of ART medication to reduce the progression of disease when the patients come back again into the hospital. Finally, adult female HIV-positive patients should be given special attention based on these important factors to improve their CD4 cell count, hemoglobin level, and better health quality.

Responsible leadership actions and achievement of societal purpose: Perspectives from the Kenyan health NGO sector

The primary goal of this study was to provide empirical evidence to improve understanding of how responsible leadership actions drive the societal purpose of health non-governmental organisations (NGOs). What impact have such efforts had on organizational performance in terms of achieving societal goals? Although researchers continue to investigate the domain of responsible leadership, none have focused on the health NGO sector, particularly in developing countries, and with a focus on providing evidence-backed adaptation practices for the future. A cross-sectional mixed study approach was applied, with positivist and constructivist phenomenological viewpoints being incorporated. The study respondents were sustainable health system experts working in health NGOs on a national and international scale as well as the health ministry. The perspectives of 33 randomly selected respondents were gathered using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and 10 purposively selected key informants using open-ended interview questions were empirically and thematically analysed respectively. The findings indicate that responsible leadership embedded on organisational purpose benefits the organisation and adds value to society. Responsible leaders in the studied organisations built trust, used open communication, mindful actions and collective consciousness to positively and effectively engage with their employees. The prospection and future-orientation of responsible leaderships of health NGOs could stimulate adaptive responses in postmodern society, allowing them to deepen sustainable value for society. Leadership actions are an essential component of these NGO adaptation to change. That must be taken into account by managers for smooth adjustments to the changing context, allowing these NGOs to remain relevant and authentic to their organisations’ societal purpose. Despite the fact that researchers are continuing to investigate the domain of responsible leadership, no one has focused on the health NGO sector in developing countries like Kenya. The empirical evidence in this article shows that responsible purpose-driven leadership, combined with responsible actions, has an impact on organisations’ adaptation to contextual changes.

Digital formats of the global healthcare service industry

Nowadays, both diversified channels of medical care for patients in remote mode, as well as extensive telemedical networks and systems of exchange of specialized medical information between all participants in the process of public reproduction of medical services at the national and supranational levels are actively being formed. As a result, we are all witnessing the development in global coordinates of a multi-level integrated system of a digital ecosystem of health care, which is based on digital technologies, forms qualitatively new channels of value creation for consumers of medical services and ensures deep convergent interaction of all key subjects of the medical care system citizens - from doctors, patients, health care institutions and states to health insurance companies, intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations, business communities, etc. In view of this, there is every reason to claim that the qualitatively new business models of the digital health care system implemented in a fragmented manner in the conditions of digitalization will already in the next decade accumulate a powerful institutional and technological resource for "undermining" traditional business models of medical care with their departure from the narrowed format of the primary link of medical services to deep penetration into all links of the value chain formed in health care, and therefore - the formation of sustainable cash flows for producers of medical services. In the systemic processes of the global digital transformation of economic activity, a special place has been occupied by the service industry in recent years, which, as international experience shows, in the post-industrial paradigm of world economic development largely determines the structural dynamics of the national economies of most countries of the world. The purpose of the article is to reveal conceptual approaches to the systematic implementation in global coordinates of the key priority of digital health — the formation of values for patients in an ethical, safe, reliable, fair and sustainable way, while fully complying with such principles of providing medical services as: its transparency, safety and accessibility to broad segments of the population, scalability of medical care and its regularity, digital compatibility of structural components of the digital ecosystem, and strict confidentiality of medical information.

Unnecessary Hysterectomies Among Premenopausal Women in Developed and Developing Countries: A Critical Review of Steps Taken to Improve Women's Health.

Women with pelvic organ disease often require a hysterectomy for better health. Still, in countries like India, there are many challenges for them as they are subjected many a time to unnecessary hysterectomies. Through this article, we suggest many ways to address this menace, such as proper health education and sensitization of women of premenopausal age group by health workers and mass media. Many preventable hysterectomies can be avoided if we guide women about their pathology before giving consent for surgery. Role enhancement of health agencies and nongovernmental organizations for early identification of such women in the society of all segments, stopping the greed of various health institutions using government-sponsored insurance health schemes for personal gain, and law enforcement by courts and health departments should also be our main focus. This study aims to review nonsurgical procedures adopted to decrease unnecessary hysterectomies and make suitable directions by government and lawful agencies to curb this menace. All states and union territories received the "Guidelines to Prevent Unnecessary Hysterectomies" recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for compliance. The recommendations suggest creating hysterectomy monitoring committees at the district, state, and federal levels. The duration of hospital stays and associated expenditures can decrease by performing minimally invasive treatments as outpatient operations. Minimally invasive options may shape the future of gynecology in developed nations.

Outlining a ‘Semantic Anthropology of Data Science’

Abstract This work intends to describe the humanitarian response to the cholera epidemic carried out by the international health non-governmental organisation Doctors with Africa CUAMM in the provinces of Zambezia, Sofala and Tete in Mozambique. The knowledge and practices of applied medical anthropology have proved to be fundamental in the management of prevention and monitoring activities in homes where cases of cholera have been identified and confirmed. The collection and management of data relating to the epidemiological curve has represented a challenge in the field and pose considerable theoretical problems with respect to the representation, public discourse and policies of local government and large international donors in response to health emergencies caused by the ecological crisis-climate, especially in Africa and Mozambique.

The impact of compliance with health literacy principles in Facebook posts on user engagement

Abstract Background Addressing health literacy in designing health messages can improve understanding and application of health information by the audience. However, the impact of health literacy-compliant social media posts on user engagement remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between compliance with health literacy principles in Facebook posts and user engagement by governmental and non-governmental health organizations in Taiwan. Methods A total of 3,305 Facebook posts were collected from two governmental and four non-governmental health organizations. Using a proportional sampling method, 600 posts were selected for analysis. A quantitative content analysis was conducted. Compliance with health literacy principles was assessed using a Chinese tool adapted from the US CDC Clear Communication Index, which provided health literacy scores for the text and visual components of each post. User engagement was measured by the number of likes, shares, and comments. Non-parametric statistical methods were used for analysis. Results The use of pictures had a positive impact on the number of likes (z = 4.77, p < .001) and shares (z = 2.45, p = .014) received. Posts with higher health literacy scores in their text and visual components received more likes (Spearman's r = .21, p < .001 for text; r = .25, p < .001 for visual), shares (r = .24, p < .001; r = .24, p < .001), and comments (r = .12, p = .002; r = .13, p = .002). Posts with text components that fully corresponded to health literacy indicators received more likes (z = 3.78, p < .001), shares (z = 4.05, p < .001) and comments (z = 2.21, p = .027) than those that only partially corresponded to. The same trend was found in visual components (z = 4.95, p < .001 for likes; z = 4.92, p < .001 for shares; z = 2.73, p = .006 for comments). Conclusions Compliance with health literacy principles and/or using pictures in Facebook posts positively affects user engagement for health organizations. Key messages • Health organizations should consider health literacy principles when creating social media posts to improve user engagement. • Applying visual aids on Facebook posts enhances user engagement for health organizations.

Development of a country specific flow chart to the effective vaccination of migrants in Italy

Abstract Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is a key priority for promoting health equity. However, migrants face significant barriers to accessing health services, including vaccination. Within the “Access To Vaccination for Newly Arrived Migrants”(AcToVax4NAM) project (Grant No. 101018349, 3° EU Health Programme), this study aims to develop Italian country-specific action-oriented flow chart to overcome system barriers to the effective vaccination of newly arrived migrants (NAM). Methods Taking advances from AcToVax4NAM's prior research on vaccination barriers and solutions related to NAM immunization, Italian Professionals for Health (PfH) were engaged in participatory activities to ensure context-specific and relevant flow charts. The stakeholders invited were professionals working in Local Health Authorities (LHA), Non-Governmental Organizations and Universities. Two Focus Groups (FGs) were organized in order to validate and finalize the flow chart. Results A total of 29 PfH participated in the two FGs. The Italian country-specific flow chart resulted in a comprehensive approach to addressing barriers to effective vaccination of NAM in LHA. The flow chart includes steps such as entitlement, reachability, adherence, achievement and evaluation which are critical to ensuring vaccination coverage among migrants. A total of 58 tools also provides practical resources to support PfH in implementing the flow chart and addressing system barriers. Further evaluation of the impact of this flow chart on vaccination coverage and health outcomes is needed to assess their effectiveness and inform future efforts to improve health equity. Conclusions The development of Italian country-specific flow charts represents an important step towards achieving UHC and reducing health inequity among migrants. This flow chart and the tools identified to address the barriers have the potential to be a powerful support resources for equitable and guaranteed vaccination for NAM. Key messages • The Italian country-specific flow chart by addressing barriers to effective vaccination of NAM have the potential to significantly improve the health of migrants by reducing health inequity. • The AcToVax4NAM’s approach to creating context-specific flow charts ensures health equity for newly arrived migrants and their access to necessary vaccinations, promoting optimal health outcomes.

Risk Factors Associated with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women Who Were Attending Postnatal Services at Thika Level Five Hospital Kiambu County, Kenya

Stillbirths, preterm deliveries and neonatal deaths are examples of adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes that continue to be a global public health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO), States, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) have invested a lot of time, money, and resources into promoting the benefits of safe pregnancy and delivery. Despite efforts to promote healthy pregnancy, delivery, and maternal mortality, these numbers continue to be high. Pregnant mothers and their fetus are put in danger due to several risk issues. Despite the limited data from Thika level five hospitals, concern about poor pregnancy outcomes have been growing. The study’s goal is to pinpoint the risk factors connected to pregnancy outcomes at Thika level five hospitals. An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on women between the age of 15 and 49 who were attending postnatal services at Thika level 5. The study used qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. 80 samples were chosen out of 100 population. A Convenience sampling and purposive sampling were used. structured questionnaires were used at the health care facility. The mean age was 15 to 19. Most of them were married almost both living in urban and rural areas. According to education, most have reached college education but unfortunately, 55% of them are unemployed and 51% of them are living in temporally house, most generating income below 5000. Most of them live 5km away from the nearest health facility. 55% of them attended antenatal and its essential services in public facilities, motivated by self-motives. 47% of the respondents delivered via spontaneous vertex delivery followed by 37% of caesarean sections. Most complications were obstructed labor and most adverse outcomes were preterm labor. The most common pre-existing medical conditions were anemia and HIV/AIDS. The most common adverse pregnancy outcome found in this study included PPH, Obstructed labor, APH, neonatal mortality, preterm babies, and stillbirth and low birth weight babies. Inferential statistics including correlation and bivariate analysis were used. The regression coefficients results portrays that socio-demographics characteristics score 0.983 with standard error of 0.361. Pre-existing medical conditions scored 0.897 with a standard error of 0.323. Intrapartum care scored 0.920 with a standard error of 0.240. Chi-square analysis for all the variables was calculated at 47.633 and the p value less than 0.05 (p< 0.05). Correlation study indicates a positive significance between pregnancy risk and socio-demographics, pre-existing medical conditions with a value of 0.934. The researcher concludes that numerous pregnancy problems arise from lack of medical knowledge and financial structure coming from the women who are pregnant. Concluding to the fact that when it comes to risk in pregnancy there are a number of factors that come into play. This ranges from ages of the women to pre-existing medical conditions when it comes to childbirth. Overall it is highly important for women who are prone to have complications in child labor to have medical checkups constantly so that any complications cane be dealt within a reasonable timeframe and with little consequences to the women or their unborn babies.

Suicidal ideation, attempt and associated factors among people with cancer attending cancer center, eastern Ethiopia.

Suicide is one of the most common public health problems and the second leading cause of death among individuals 15-29 years of age. Suicidal ideation and attempt are one of the common psychiatric emergence in patients with cancer that needs early detection and management before patients end their lives. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the magnitude of suicidal ideation, attempts, and associated factors among people with cancer in Eastern Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 362 participants. A composite international diagnostic interview was used to evaluate suicidal ideation and attempt. Epi-Data version 4.6.2 was used for data entry, and SPSS version 20 was used for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify associated factors for both suicidal ideation and attempt. p-values less than 0.05 are considered statistically significant, and the strength of the association will be represented by an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. The magnitude of suicidal ideation and attempt among people with in this study was 22.9% [95% CI, 18.7-27.4] and 9.8% [95%CI, 6.7-12.8] respectively. Being living alone [AOR = 4.90, 95% CI, 2.08-11.90], and having depressive symptoms [AOR = 3.28, 95% CI, 1.37-7.73], female ([AOR = 1.53, 95% CI, 1.30-3.23], anxiety symptoms [AOR = 3.06, 95% CI, 1.35-6.73)] and having poor social support [AOR = 3.08, 95% CI, 1.72-5.05], were significantly associated suicidal ideation whereas, Being living alone [AOR = 2.89, 95% CI, 1.09-7.65], having a depressive symptoms [AOR = 4.88, 95% CI, 1.45-13.28], being divorced/widowed [AOR = 3.46, 95% CI, 1.09-10.09] and stage four cancer [AOR = 5.53, 95% CI 2.97-7.47] were significantly associated with suicidal attempt. Nearly one-quarter and one-tenth of people with cancer have suicide ideation and attempt, respectively. Suicidal behavior among cancer patients was found in this study to be a common problem. Living alone, having depressive and anxiety symptoms, being a female, having poor social support, and being in forth stage of cancer were risk factors for suicide. Therefore, early screening, diagnosing, and treating suicide and its factors will be mandatory and expected from health care providers and non-governmental organizations.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Generalized Anxiety Disorder During Covid19 Pandemic among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Facility in Edo State, Nigeria

Background: The potential risk of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the psychological challenges that accompanied the pandemic posed a major threat and evoked high levels of anxiety among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Nigeria. Thus, this study aimed to assess healthcare workers' perceived threat of COVID-19, determine the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among respondents and elucidate the factors associated with GAD.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study that used the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scale, 8-item Perceived Threat Scale, and a socio-demographic data collection sheet was used to obtain information from eligible healthcare workers who were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21, at a statistical significance level of p <0.05.
 Results: Two hundred and thirteen HCWs participated in the study. COVID-19 posed moderatesevere threats to 57.3% of the participants, and the prevalence of GAD among respondents was 25.4%. Having a moderate-severe perception of threat by COVID-19 (p=0.039), being unmarried (p= .026), being previously suspected to have COVID-19 (p=0.018) and being directly involved in the care of COVID-19 patients (p=0.031) were significantly associated with anxiety disorder after adjusting for other variables.
 Conclusion: COVID-19 posed a substantial threat to HCWs and the prevalence of GAD among the study group was high. Government, public health institutions and non-governmental organizations have the responsibility to practically demonstrate concern for the mental well-being of HCWs by investing in mental health resources and providing adequate physical, material and psychological support for HCWs to guarantee their well-being.

Socio-cultural factors perceived to influence sexual behaviours of adolescents in Ethiopia.

Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood. It is the age of experimentation. They are vulnerable to the undesirable effect of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems such as human immunodeficiency virus, sexually transmitted infections and unsafe abortion and childbirth-related risks. To explore and describe perceived organisational, community and societal level factors that influence sexual behaviours among adolescents in Ethiopia. The study was conducted by public health care organisations, youth centres and non-governmental organisations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A qualitative descriptive study design was conducted with purposively selected health professionals and adolescents in Addis Ababa from June 2019 to February 2020. The data were collected using in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Transcribed interviews were imported to ATLAS. ti 7 for coding, categorising and creating themes using thematic analysis. Lincoln and Guba's model was used to ensure trustworthiness and ethical standards were applied. Poor school involvement, social norms on sexual behaviour and lack of condom acceptability by the general population, financial problems and the gap in law enforcement were found perceived factors influencing sexual behaviour of adolescents. Adolescents are engaging in various risky sexual behaviours because of various organisational, community level and societal level factors, which emphasises the need to introduce social and culturally acceptable age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents and other multilevel interventions.Contribution: Provide an in-depth understanding of the influence of sociocultural issues related to adolescent sexual behaviour for health system stakeholders.

Determining the mothers’ first-aid self-efficacy in-home accidents in Turkey

<b>Aim:</b> This study aims to determine the first-aid self-efficacy of mothers with children aged 0-4 years.<br /> <b>Methods:</b> This descriptive study is conducted in a university hospital in Ankara, Turkey with 403 mothers who have children aged 0-4 years. The questionnaire method has been used to collect data in the study. The questionnaire consists of two parts. In the first part of it ‘‘the socio-demographic characteristics form’’ and in the second part of it ‘‘the first-aid self-efficacy scale’’, which is used to determine the mothers’ first-aid self-efficacy, were included. The analysis of the research data is performed with SPSS statistical program.<br /> <b>Results: </b>The age range of the participants in the study is 19-46 years and the mean age is 29.41±7.40 years. 46.2% of the mothers are 19-28 years old, 93.3% are married, 39.2% are graduated from high school, and 54.8% are housewives. 86.3% of the mothers state that they have not had the first-aid training and 42.9% of them state that they have encountered a situation requiring the first-aid resulting mostly (60.1%) in an injury. The mean score of the scale is 30.90±9.50.<br /> <b>Conclusions:</b> In our study, it is found that the first-aid self-efficacy of mothers is low. The mothers with an undergraduate degree have higher first-aid self-efficacy than the ones who graduated from a primary school and those who had the first-aid training have higher first-aid self-efficacy than the ones who did not receive the first-aid training. To increase the first-aid self-efficacy of mothers, the first-aid trainings should be organized by public/private health institutions and non-governmental organizations, practices should be made on models and repeated periodically. It is suggested that more centers and fathers to be included in these trainings in the future.