PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION, ANEMIA, ASYMPTOMATIC URINARY TRACT INFECTION, SYPHILIS, HIV AND HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING AN ANTENATAL CLINIC AT A RURAL HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA.

Antenatal care (ANC) is provided to prevent, diagnose early and treat pregnant women for a variety of diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalences of syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HVB) and asymptomatic urinary tract infections and the prevalence of hypertension and anemia among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Gambo Rural Hospital in southern Ethiopia. The following tests were conducted among study subjects: hemoglobin (Hgb) level, rapid plasma reagin (RPR) for syphilis, anti-HIV antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and urine analysis.

Field Evaluation of Malaria Microscopy, Rapid Malaria Tests and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification in a Rural Hospital in South Western Ethiopia.

Background: In up to one third of the hospitals in some rural areas of Africa, laboratory services in malaria diagnosis are limited to microscopy by thin film, as no capability to perform thick film exists (gold standard in terms of sensitivity for malaria diagnosis). A new rapid molecular malaria diagnostic test called Loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification (LAMP) has been recently validated in clinical trials showing exceptional sensitivity and specificity features. It could be a reliable diagnostic tool to be implemented without special equipment or training.