Influenza activity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) in 2020-2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: A global reduction in influenza virus activity during the COVID-19 pandemic has been observed, including in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). However, these changes have not been thoroughly evaluated scientifically in the EMR.

Objective: We aim to present data on seasonal influenza activity during the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) and compare it to the pandemic period (2020-2021) in EM countries.

Revision of the Ethiopian Essential Health Service Package: An Explication of the Process and Methods Used.

To make progress toward universal health coverage, countries should define the type and mix of health services that respond to their populations' needs. Ethiopia revised its essential health services package (EHSP) in 2019. This paper describes the process, methodology and key features of the new EHSP.

Improving immunization capacity in Ethiopia through continuous quality improvement interventions: a prospective quasi-experimental study.

Background: Strong scientific evidence is needed to support low-income countries in building effective and sustainable immunization programs and proactively engaging in global vaccine development and implementation initiatives. This study aimed to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of system-wide continuous quality improvement (CQI) interventions to improve national immunization programme performance in Ethiopia.

Methods: The study used a prospective, quasi-experimental design with an interrupted time-series analysis to collect data from 781 government health sectors (556 healthcare facilities, 196 district health offices, and 29 zonal health departments) selected from developing and emerging regions in Ethiopia.