Northwestern Ethiopia Research Articles

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Guhala Primary Hospital, Northwestern Ethiopia

BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections are global issues that disproportionately affect developing countries. Pregnancy-related HBV and HCV infections are associated with a high risk of vertical transmission and complications for the mother as well as the newborn. Therefore, this study aims to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Guhala Primary Hospital, Northwestern Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital-based retrospective study was conducted from July to September 2022 on HBV and HCV registered books from September 1, 2017, to August 30, 2019, for a year. The presence of HBsAg and anti-HCV in serum was detected using the One Step Cassette Style HBsAg and anti-HCV antibody test kit. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 software.ResultsIn this study, a total of 2252 participants for HBsAg and 538 participants for ant-HCV rapid tests of records in the laboratory logbook were included. The mean age of the study participants was 25.6years (± 5.8SD). The overall prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV was 6.0% (134/2252) and 2.4% (13/538), respectively. There were 0.4% (2/538) coinfection results between HBV and HCV among pregnant women.Conclusion and recommendationIn this study, intermediate seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infection was detected among pregnant women attending antenatal care. The Hepatitis B virus was predominantly higher among pregnant women aged between 25 and 34 years. To manage and stop the potential vertical transmission of these viral agents during the early stages of pregnancy, routine prenatal testing for HBV and HCV infections should be taken into consideration.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used to manage human ailments in Lay Gaint District, South Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Northwestern Ethiopia

The aim of this work is to document and record the use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments in the study area. A total of 84 informants, consisting of 54 men and 30 women, between 35 and 80 years of age were chosen. Additionally, 20 key informants were deliberately selected for their expertise. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, group discussions, and guided field walks using semi-structured interview questions. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using quantitative analytical tools such as preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, fidelity level and informant consensus factor. Forty-six medicinal plants belonging to 41 genera and 33 families were collected and identified. Brassicaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Polygonaceae had the highest abundance of medicinal plants used to treat various diseases in the study area. Most of the medicinal plants were herbs (43 %), followed by shrubs (35 %). The study revealed that leaves (45.7 %) were the most frequently used plant parts in the preparation of remedies. The most common mode of administration was oral ingestion (61 %), followed by dermal application (30 %). Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Allium sativum L.had the highest preference rank, whereas Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile was identified as the most popular medicinal plant due to its multipurpose use. while the value of fidelity level (FL) for medicinal plants in the study ranged from 34 % to 94 %. The study also identified several threats to medicinal plants in the study area, including charcoal production, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion. To prevent the eradication of these medicinal plants, the involvement of local communities in the management and conservation of plant resources is crucial.

Assessing the current and future trends of climate extremes at Zarima subbasin North Western Ethiopia

Climate extreme events in Ethiopia have increased, impacting the country’s agriculture dependent economy. Localized studies on rainfall extremes provides valuable insights to develop mitigation measures. This study focuses on the analysis of rainfall extremes for the observed (1984–2018) and the future mid time period (2031–2065) and end time period (2066–2100) projected under RCP4.5: moderate emissions reduction scenario aiming to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations by the mid-21st century and RCP8.5: high emissions scenario with continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions throughout the twenty-first century. Trend analysis was done using R statistical software modified Man Kendell package. The result revealed that the observed total rainfall in wet days (PRCPTOT) showed insignificant declining trend across the subbasin. Under the RCP4.5 scenario, mid time period projections indicated increasing trends in PRCPTOT at Maytsebri, Adiremet and Debarik stations while decreasing trends expected at Ketema Niguse and Zarima stations. In the RCP4.5 end time period, Debarik and Zarima stations showed increasing trends while other stations exhibited decreasing trends. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, PRCPTOT showed insignificant decreasing trend except Ketema Niguse station which showed significant increasing trend during the mid time period. The observed annual maximum 1-day rainfall (RX1day) and annual RX5day rainfall had both positive and negative trends over subbasin. The RCP4.5 scenario projected declining trends in annual RX1day rainfall, while the RCP8.5 scenario projected increasing trends, except the end time projection of Debarik station. Consecutive dry days (CDD) increased and Consecutive wet days (CWD) decreased insignificantly in majority the subbasin. Projections indicated higher CDD and decreased CWD are expected in majority of the subbasin area. These finding implied that further investigation is required on the impact of climate extremes.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci from bovine milk: Antibiogram profiles and virulent gene detection

BackgroundCoagulase-negative Staphylococcus species are an emerging cause of intramammary infection, posing a significant economic and public health threat. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species in bovine milk and dairy farms in Northwestern Ethiopia and to provide information about their antibiotic susceptibility and virulence gene profiles.MethodsThe cross-sectional study was conducted from February to August 2022. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were isolated from 290 milk samples. Species isolation and identification were performed by plate culturing and biochemical tests and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of each isolate was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test. The single-plex PCR was used to detect the presence of virulent genes. The STATA software version 16 was used for data analysis. The prevalence, proportion of antimicrobial resistance and the number of virulent genes detected from coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsCoagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were isolated in 28.6%, (95% CI: 23.5–34.2) of the samples. Of these, the S. epidermidis, S. sciuri, S. warneri, S. haemolyticus, S. simulans, S. chromogens, S. cohnii, and S. captis species were isolated at the rates of 11, 5.2, 3.4, 3.1, 3.1, 1, 1, and 0.7% respectively. All the isolates showed a high percentage (100%) of resistance to Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, and Cefotetan and 37.5% of resistance to Oxacillin. The majority (54.2%) of coagulase-negative isolates also showed multidrug resistance. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species carried the icaD, pvl, mecA, hlb, sec, and hla virulent genes at the rates of 26.5%, 22.1%, 21.7%, 9.6%, 9.6% and 8.4% respectively.ConclusionThe present study revealed that the majority of the isolates (54.2%) were found multidrug-resistant and carriage of one or more virulent and enterotoxin genes responsible for intramammary and food poisoning infections. Thus, urgent disease control and prevention measures are warranted to reduce the deleterious impact of coagulase-negative species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Ethiopia to detect coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species with their associated virulent and food poisoning genes from bovine milk.

Floristic Diversity of Natural Forest Patches Across Agroclimatic Zones in Northwestern Ethiopian

Background Natural forest resources in northwestern Ethiopia are currently under threat, requiring immediate conservation measures and a management strategy. Thus, an understanding of the present floristic diversity status is required. There is lack of such type of studies specific to fragmented forest patches and across environmental factors. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the existing state of these resources to apply sustainable forest management practices. Methods To achieve this, transects with 200 square plots measuring 400 m2 were set up at nine forest patches with 200m spacing between plots and transects. Vegetation and environmental data were collected and analyzed using R version 4.1. Results Significant variations (p 0.008) were found in vegetation features along the slope, forest patches, and agroclimatic zone. When compared to other forest patches, highland, and mid-altitude forest patches had the highest species diversity (2.48) and stocking (2578 trees/ha). The gentle slope has the most species diversity (2.83). The species similarity between highland and mid-altitude forest habitats was found significant (69%). The vegetation cover in the mid-altitude forest patches was also high (abundance: 5-12%). In all the forest patches examined, tree life forms exceeded shrubs, climbers, and herbs. Conclusions According to the study’s findings, the state of forest resources varies considerably across different environmental variations. Despite the impression of entire forest patches from the outside, the interiors are open, with only huge and mature trees covering the canopy. This state has been triggered by deforestation, degradation, and inappropriate human and grazing operations.

Oxygen therapy practice and associated factors among nurses working at an Ethiopian Referral Hospital

ObjectiveSupplemental oxygen therapy is suppling oxygen at quantities higher than those found in the atmosphere (>21 %) and is mostly prescribed for hypoxic patients. To avoid hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and oxygen poisoning, nurses closely monitor patients receiving oxygen therapy. There are considerable gaps in nurses' practice of oxygen therapy. Patients who receive inappropriate oxygen therapy may have negative effects, and it has financial repercussions for both individuals and nations. The aim of this study was to assess oxygen therapy practices and associated factors influencing oxygen administration among nurses in an Ethiopian Regional Hospital. MethodFrom March 1 to March 30, 2019, a cross-sectional institutional study using quantitative methods was performed amongst nurses working at a referral hospital in northwestern Ethiopia. Data was gathered using structured self-administered questionnaires. ResultIn this study, 147 participants (91.3 %) were found to have inadequate practice with oxygen therapy. Nurses' lack of knowledge about carbon monoxide, adult patients' typical breathing rates, cardiopulmonary function, and devices (face mask, nasal cannula, oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeter and others) that are difficult for patients to accept were found to be factors associated with oxygen administration practice. ConclusionThe findings of this study showed that nurses' use of oxygen administration was subpar. The institutional factors, knowledge gaps, and attitudes of nurses were identified as the determinants affecting oxygen administration practice. Nurses would do better to read up on oxygen administration, interact with one another and undertake further training.

Efficacy and safety of chloroquine plus primaquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Hamusit site, Northwestern Ethiopia

BackgroundPlasmodium vivax malaria is still an important public health problem in Ethiopia. Unlike Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax has a dormant liver stage (hypnozoite) that can be a risk of recurrent vivax malaria unless treated by radical cure with primaquine. Drug resistance to chloroquine is threatening malaria control and elimination efforts. This study assessed the therapeutic efficacy and safety of chloroquine plus 14 days of primaquine on P. vivax infection based on parasitological, clinical, and haematological parameters.MethodsA single-arm in vivo prospective therapeutic efficacy study was conducted to assess the clinical and parasitological response to the first-line treatment of P. vivax in Ethiopia, chloroquine plus 14 days low dose of (0.25 mg/kg/day) primaquine between December 2022 and March 2023 at Hamusit Health Centre using the standard World Health Organization (WHO) protocol. A total of 100 study participants with P. vivax mono-infection who were over 6 months old were enrolled and monitored for adequate clinical and parasitological responses for 42 days. The WHO double-entry Excel sheet and SPSS v.25 software were used for Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, and a paired t-test was used for analysis of haemoglobin improvements between follow up days.ResultsA total of 100 patients were enrolled among those, 96% cases were rural residents, 93% had previous malaria exposure, and predominant age group was 5–15 years (61%). 92.6% (95% CI 85.1–96.4%) of enrolled patients were adequate clinical and parasitological response, and 7.4% (95% CI 3.6–14.9%) recurrences were observed among treated patients. The fever and parasite clearance rate on day 3 were 98% and 94%, respectively. The baseline haemoglobin levels improved significantly compared to those days 14 and 42 (p < 0.001). No serious adverse event was observed during the study period.ConclusionsIn this study, co-administration of chloroquine with primaquine was efficacious and well-tolerated with fast resolution of fever and high parasites clearance rate. However, the 7.4% failure is reported is alarming that warrant further monitoring of the therapeutic efficacy study of P. vivax.

Understanding goat keepers’ breeding objectives and selection criteria in northwestern Ethiopia: application of participatory own-flock and group-animal ranking experiments

Understanding goat keepers’ breeding objectives and selection criteria in northwestern Ethiopia: application of participatory own-flock and group-animal ranking experiments

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Sekela District, northwestern Ethiopia

BackgroundPeople in Sekela District, like others in Ethiopia, have a long tradition of using medicinal plants to treat human and livestock ailments. However, medicinal plants and their associated indigenous knowledge are currently under threat. Thus, the study was carried out to compile ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in the district. MethodsA total of 352 informants from six study sub-districts (328 general and 24 key informants) were selected randomly and purposefully. Individual interviews, focus group discussions, guided field walks, and market surveys were used to acquire ethnobotanical data using semi structured interview questions. The informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, medicinal use, and Analysis of Variance were used. ResultsA total of 121 medicinal plants belonging to 106 genera and 55 families were documented. The Asteraceae family had the most species with 11 (9 %), followed by Lamiaceae with 8 (6.6 %), while leaves were the most utilized part with 56 (37 %). The majority of the remedies were made as a concoction (32, 17 %) and delivered orally (98, 57 %). There was a statistically significant difference in indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants among genders, ages, marital status, educational levels, and occupations (p ˂ 0.05). The dermatological disease categories had the highest ICF (0.92) in human ailments. ConclusionThe study revealed that Sekela District is rich in medicinal plants for treating human and livestock ailments, and has indigenous knowledge to utilize these resources effectively. However, overgrazing, agricultural expansion, and improper harvesting techniques threaten medicinal plants. This signals the need to make significant efforts to raise public awareness about their conservation and sustainable use.

Determinants of the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices by smallholder wheat farmers in northwestern Ethiopia

Frequent climate variability and change had the strongest direct influences on the availability and accessibility of food through reducing agricultural productivity and cropping patterns. Despite the Ethiopian government having made substantial efforts to boost production and productivity through the introduction of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices (CSAPs), the implementation of these practices by smallholder wheat farmers has remained low. This study, therefore, tried to investigate the determinants of the adoption of CSAPs in Northwestern Ethiopia. The primary data were gathered from 385 randomly selected wheat producers (including 702 plot-level observations). The CSAPs considered in this investigation were wheat row planting, crop rotation, and improved wheat varieties. The factors that influence the adoption of CSAPs were determined using a multivariate probit (MVP) model. The results revealed that the age of the sampled wheat producer farmers, education level of sampled wheat farmers, livestock holding, contact with development agents, credit access, off-farm activities participation, distance to input supply institution, slope of the plot, and soil fertility status of the plot were the major determinants of the adoption of CSAPs. The study suggested that policy-makers and stakeholders should strengthen farmers’ skills by providing sufficient and effective short-term training. Moreover, encouraging mixed crop-livestock production systems, strengthening credit access, development agents, and access to near-input supply institutions are required to scale-up the adoption of CSAPs.

Evaluating released Maize hybrids parents for yield producibility and nicking time in mid altitude of western and north western Ethiopia

Evaluating released Maize hybrids parents for yield producibility and nicking time in mid altitude of western and north western Ethiopia

Farmer’s adoption of indigenous knowledge-based off-farm and non-farm livelihoods and its determinants in Takusa Woreda, North-Western Ethiopia

Farmer’s adoption of indigenous knowledge-based off-farm and non-farm livelihoods and its determinants in Takusa Woreda, North-Western Ethiopia

Association and Path Coefficient Analysis Studies in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Genotypes at Adet, Northwestern Ethiopia

The experiment was conducted during main rain fall season from June to October, 2018 in Adet, Ethiopia with the objective of estimating the correlation and identifying the direct and indirect effect of yield contributing traits on potato crop. 36 potato genotypes were evaluated in simple lattice design in two replications. The analysis of variance revealed that highly significant (p&lt;0.001) difference among potato genotypes for all traits except average stem number. Total tuber yield was positively correlated with days to maturity, plant height, average stem number, marketable, unmarketable, total tuber number and marketable yield while it was negatively correlated with late blight severity percentage at both phenotypic and genotypic level. High correlation was observed between total tuber yield and marketable tuber yield (rp=0.982 and rg=0.986) followed by total tuber number (rp=0.735 and rg=0.789), and marketable tuber number (rp=0.700 and rg=0.737). Days to flowering, days to maturity, average stem number, marketable and unmarketable tuber number, starch content percentage, average tuber weight, and unmarketable tuber yield had positive direct effect on the total tuber yield at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Highly direct effect on total tuber yield was observed by marketable and unmarketable tuber number (3.65 and 1.17 respectively) and average tuber weight (0.56). Therefore, traits with significant positive correlated and direct effect on total tuber yield such as days to maturity stem number, marketable tuber number, marketable tuber yield and average tuber weight should be considered in selection criteria for enhancing tuber yield in potato.

Genotype × Environment Interaction and Stability of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Genotypes for Seed Yield in Northwestern Ethiopia

Genotype × Environment Interaction and Stability of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Genotypes for Seed Yield in Northwestern Ethiopia

Monitoring small-scale irrigation performance using remote sensing in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Temporal and spatial irrigation performance indicators are crucial in informing decisions for improving the efficiency and sustainability of water and land resources. However, evaluating these indicators requires reliable and cost-effective data, which is challenging to obtain, particularly for small-scale irrigation schemes. This study aimed to assess the performance of a small-scale irrigation scheme using remote sensing and ground truth data for the 2021/22 and 2022/2023 irrigation seasons employing the Shimburit irrigation scheme in Northwestern Ethiopia, predominantly cultivated with wheat, as a case study. The performance indicators, including equity, adequacy, overall consumed ratio (OCR), and productivity, were assessed. The actual evapotranspiration (ET), the main input for performance assessment, was estimated using the surface energy balance for land – improved (SEBALI) model in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The results revealed good equity within the scheme, with a coefficient of variation of ETa value per field inside the scheme are 1.90 and 1.63 for the respective seasons. The water use adequacy across the fields was assessed to be very good in the two seasons. The scheme's overall consumed ratio (OCR) was 0.54 and 0.43 during the two subsequent seasons. Water productivity of wheat is 3.03 kg/m3 and 3.06 kg/m3 in the two seasons. However, due to untimely rainfall during harvest, land productivity declined from 3.25 tons/ha in the first season to 2.08 tons/ha in the second season. The study demonstrates the potential of using remote sensing to evaluate irrigation performance indicators and water productivity in smallholder irrigated fields.

Effects of integrated fertilizer application on soil properties and yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) on Nitisols in Pawe District, Northwestern Ethiopia

Effects of integrated fertilizer application on soil properties and yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) on Nitisols in Pawe District, Northwestern Ethiopia

Enhancing maize (Zea mays L.) productivity through optimization of brewery sludge and blended NPS fertilizer in North Mecha District, Northwestern Ethiopia

AbstractMaize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in Ethiopia. However, its yield is lower than its potential mainly due to low soil fertility problems caused by continuous cultivation, limited use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, erosion, and leaching. Therefore, this field experiment has been conducted to optimize brewery sludge and blended NPS fertilizer rates to harness the maximum productivity potential of maize in North Mecha District, northwestern Ethiopia. The experiment was designed in a factorial arrangement of three levels of brewery sludge (0, 10, and 20 t ha−1) and four levels of blended NPS fertilizer (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The analysis of variance showed that the main effects of the blended NPS fertilizer had significant effects on the ear length, number of kernels per row, stover yield, and 1000‐kernel weight. Their interactions also had a significant effect on leaf area, leaf area index, aboveground dry biomass yield, grain yield, plant height, number of ears per plant, number of rows per ear, number of kernels per row, number of kernels per ear, and harvest index. Accordingly, the combined application of 10 t ha−1 brewery sludge and 100 kg ha−1 blended NPS fertilizer resulted in the highest grain yield (9163.4 kg ha−1), net benefit (145,590.1 ETB [Ethiopian Birr] ha−1), and marginal rate of return (3789.30%) of maize. Thus, this treatment can be tentatively recommended for the North Mecha district.

Impacts of Integrated Watershed Management Interventions on Land Use/Land Cover of Yesir Watershed in Northwestern Ethiopia

Since 2002, numerous sustainable land management (SLM) interventions have been implemented in Ethiopia, such as agroforestry, area closure, forage development, gully rehabilitation, and conservation agriculture. In addition, watershed-based developments contributed comprehensively to a better use of existing natural resources. This study determined the impact of Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) on land use/land cover for the Yesir watershed in Northern Ethiopia. Supervised image classification algorithms were applied to a time series of Landsat 5 (2002) and Landsat 8 (2013 and 2022) images to produce land use/land cover maps. A Geographic Information System was applied to analyze and map changes in land use/land cover for settlements, agricultural land, grazing land, and land covered with other vegetation. In focus group discussions, the time series maps were analyzed and compared with the integrated watershed management practices to analyze their impacts. The results document that integrated watershed management practices have contributed to a significant change in land use/land cover in the study area over the past 20 years. The quantitative analysis of land use/land cover between the years 2002 and 2022 only revealed a downward trend in agricultural land. Considering the value of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a biophysical feature for the increase of green mass, this indicator also documents an improvement in land use/land cover with regard to sustainable land management and consequently poverty alleviation.

GIS-based MCDM approach for landslide hazard zonation mapping in east Gojjam zone, central Ethiopia

Landslides are prevalent in the Ethiopian highlands, particularly in the east Gojjam zone, which is highly affected by landslide problems. This research was carried out in the east Gojjam zone, northwestern Ethiopia. The study area is part of an economically important area in the country, and it is the main source of water for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The main objective of this work was to undertake a detailed inventory of past landslide locations and prediction of present and future landslide hazards, as well as the preparation of a landslide zonation map in the East Gojjam zone by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the GIS technique. The parameters used for this study were slope degree, slope aspect, land use and land cover, road proximity, rainfall, lithology, altitude, and river proximity. The various causative parameters were collected from the field, and suitable modifications were made to the thematic maps. Finally, the ratings for various parameters were used as the basis to prepare the LHZ map in GIS windows. The landslide susceptibility and inventory mapping were produced in the GIS environment. The results of the study show that the main driving factors for the landslide hazards in the area were river proximity, rainfall, and manmade activities. Validation of this LHZ map revealed that more than 80% of past landslides match within the "high hazard zone" and reasonably accepted the rationality of the adopted methodology. The considered parameters, as well as their evaluation of the production of LHZ-Map, were confirmed. The produced landslide inventory map is very important for urban planners, agricultural studies, environmentalists, and future landslide hazardous prevention and mitigation strategies.

Allometric equations for estimation of above- and below-ground biomass of Acacia mearnsii in northwestern Ethiopia

Correct estimation of tree biomass is important when calculating uptake or emission of CO2 in relation to land-use and land-use change. The objectives of this study were (1) to estimate the root/shoot ratio for the estimation of root biomass based on the above-ground biomass (AGB) of Acacia mearnsii, and (2) to develop allometric equations for the estimation of the above-and below-ground biomass (BGB) of Acacia mearnsii. To estimate the AGB and BGB, twenty-four trees of varying ages (3, 4, 5, and 6 years) were harvested, with six trees per age group. We measured the dry biomass for different tree parts and developed allometric models using tree height (H) and diameter at breast height (DBH) as independent variables. The results showed that the biomass of the stem accounted for 69% of the total biomass, followed by branches (14%), roots (8.1%), and leaves (7.3%). The recorded mean root/shoot ratio was 0.11. The biomass of the stem and coarse roots increased with increasing tree age, while a contrary trend was observed for the other tree components. Each component has its unique allometric model.