Armed conflict and maternal health service utilization in Ethiopia's Tigray Region: a community-based survey.

Background: Evidence generated on utilization of maternal health services during times of conflict can inform the development of targeted interventions. The deadly war in Tigray caused the health system to collapse. However, utilization of maternal health services is not well documented that might help in design effective interventions applicable during armed conflict.

Mapping national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia using geospatial analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to map the national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia.

Design And Setting: Nationwide cross-sectional survey in Ethiopia combined with georeferenced ecological level data from publicly available sources.

Participants: 9801 participants aged between 15 and 69 years.

Explaining health inequalities in Australia: the contribution of income, wealth and employment.

Background: Studies show widespread widening of socioeconomic and health inequalities. Comprehensive primary health care has a focus on equity and to enact this requires more data on drivers of the increase in inequities. Hence, we examined trends in the distribution of income, wealth, employment and health in Australia.

Characteristics and impacts ofSystematic review nutritional programmes to address undernutrition of adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of evidence.

Objectives: Although some studies have identified various challenges affecting nutritional programmes to effectively tackle undernutrition among people living with HIV, evidence about the characteristics and impacts of these programmes on weight-related nutritional outcomes varies based on country contexts, specific programme goals and the implementation processes. This systematic review sought to synthesise evidence on the characteristics and impact of nutritional programmes on weight-related nutritional outcomes of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: Systematic review.

The COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare systems in Africa: a scoping review of preparedness, impact and response.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in both developed and developing nations alike. Africa has one of the weakest health systems globally, but there is limited evidence on how the region is prepared for, impacted by and responded to the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL to search peer-reviewed articles and Google, Google Scholar and preprint sites for grey literature.

The impact of war on the health system of the Tigray region in Ethiopia: an assessment.

The war in Tigray region of Ethiopia that started in November 2020 and is still ongoing has brought enormous damage to the health system. This analysis provides an assessment of the health system before and during the war. Evidence of damage was compiled from November 2020 to June 2021 from various reports by the interim government of Tigray, and also by international non-governmental organisations.

Experience of nutritional counselling in a nutritional programme in HIV care in the Tigray region of Ethiopia using the socio-ecological model.

Background: In many resource-poor settings, nutritional counselling is one of the key components of nutrition support programmes aiming to improve nutritional and health outcomes amongst people living with HIV. Counselling methods, contents and recommendations that are culturally appropriate, locally tailored and economically affordable are essential to ensure desired health and nutritional outcomes are achieved. However, there is little evidence showing the effectiveness of counselling in nutritional programmes in HIV care, and the extent to which counselling policies and guidelines are translated into practice and utilised by people with HIV suffering from undernutrition.

Risk factors for COVID-19 infection, disease severity and related deaths in Africa: a systematic review.

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive evidence on risk factors for transmission, disease severity and COVID-19 related deaths in Africa.

Design: A systematic review has been conducted to synthesise existing evidence on risk factors affecting COVID-19 outcomes across Africa.

Data Sources: Data were systematically searched from MEDLINE, Scopus, MedRxiv and BioRxiv.

COVID-19 in Ethiopia: a geospatial analysis of vulnerability to infection, case severity and death.

Background: COVID-19 has caused a global public health crisis affecting most countries, including Ethiopia, in various ways. This study maps the vulnerability to infection, case severity and likelihood of death from COVID-19 in Ethiopia.

Methods: Thirty-eight potential indicators of vulnerability to COVID-19 infection, case severity and likelihood of death, identified based on a literature review and the availability of nationally representative data at a low geographic scale, were assembled from multiple sources for geospatial analysis.

Relapse into Undernutrition in a Nutritional Program in HIV Care and the Impact of Food Insecurity: A Mixed-Methods Study in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

The relapse into undernutrition after nutritional recovery among those enrolled in a nutritional program is a common challenge of nutritional programs in HIV care settings, but there is little evidence on the determinants of the relapse. Nutritional programs in HIV care settings in many countries are not well designed to sustain the gains obtained from enrolment in a nutritional program. This study examined relapse into undernutrition and associated factors among people living with HIV in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Burden of disease attributable to suboptimal diet, metabolic risks and low physical activity in Ethiopia and comparison with Eastern sub-Saharan African countries, 1990-2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

Background: Twelve of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are related to malnutrition (both under- and overnutrition), other behavioral, and metabolic risk factors. However, comparative evidence on the impact of behavioral and metabolic risk factors on disease burden is limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Ethiopia. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, we assessed mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to child and maternal undernutrition (CMU), dietary risks, metabolic risks and low physical activity for Ethiopia.

Prevalence and predictors of implanon utilization among women of reproductive age group in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia.

Background: The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health introduced provision of the contraceptive Implanon at community level by trained health extension workers in 2009. However, little is known regarding the utilization and factors associated with Implanon use among rural women since the introduction of the community based intervention. Thus, this study assessed the utilization of Implanon and associated factors among reproductive aged women in rural areas of Saesie-Tsaeda Emba and Ofla districts in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Child and Adolescent Health From 1990 to 2015: Findings From the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 Study.

Importance: Comprehensive and timely monitoring of disease burden in all age groups, including children and adolescents, is essential for improving population health.

Objective: To quantify and describe levels and trends of mortality and nonfatal health outcomes among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2015 to provide a framework for policy discussion.

Evidence Review: Cause-specific mortality and nonfatal health outcomes were analyzed for 195 countries and territories by age group, sex, and year from 1990 to 2015 using standardized approaches for data processing and statistical modeling, with subsequent analysis of the findings to describe levels and trends across geography and time among children and adolescents 19 years or younger.

Factors that hinder or enable maternal health strategies to reduce delays in rural and pastoralist areas in Ethiopia.

Objectives: To document factors that hinder or enable strategies to reduce the first and second delays of the Three Delays in rural and pastoralist areas in Ethiopia.

Methods: A key informant study was conducted with 44 Health Extension Workers in Afar Region, Kafa Zone (Southern Nation, Nationalities and Peoples' Region), and Adwa Woreda (Tigray Region). Health Extension Workers were trained to interview women and ask for stories about their recent experiences of birth.

Health Extension Workers' and Mothers' Attitudes to Maternal Health Service Utilization and Acceptance in Adwa Woreda, Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

Background: The maternal health system in Ethiopia links health posts in rural communities (kebeles) with district (woreda) health centres, and health centres with primary hospitals. At each health post two Health Extension Workers (HEWs) assist women with birth preparedness, complication readiness, and mobilize communities to facilitate timely referral to mid-level service providers. This study explored HEWs' and mother's attitudes to maternal health services in Adwa Woreda, Tigray Region.

Poor linkages in maternal health care services-evidence on antenatal care and institutional delivery from a community-based longitudinal study in Tigray region, Ethiopia.

Background: Progress towards attaining the maternal mortality and maternal health targets set by Millennium Development Goal 5 has been slow in most African countries. Assessing antenatal care and institutional delivery service utilization and their determinants is an important step towards improving maternal health care services.

Methods: Data were drawn from the longitudinal database of Kilite-Awlaelo Health and Demographic Surveillance System.

Causes of death among females-investigating beyond maternal causes: a community-based longitudinal study.

Background: In developing countries, investigating mortality levels and causes of death among all age female population despite the childhood and maternal related deaths is important to design appropriate and tailored interventions and to improve survival of female residents.

Methods: Under Kilite-Awlealo Health and Demographic Surveillance System, we investigated mortality rates and causes of death in a cohort of female population from 1st of January 2010 to 31st of December 2012. At the baseline, 33,688 females were involved for the prospective follow-up study.

Causes of death among adults in northern Ethiopia: evidence from verbal autopsy data in health and demographic surveillance system.

Background: In countries where registration of vital events is lacking and the proportion of people who die at home without medical care is high, verbal autopsy is used to determine and estimate causes of death.

Methods: We conducted 723 verbal autopsy interviews of adult (15 years of age and above) deaths from September 2009 to January 2013. Trained physicians interpreted the collected verbal autopsy data, and assigned causes of death according to the international classification of diseases (ICD-10).