Enhancing Malaria Research, Surveillance, and Control in Endemic Areas of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Malaria control programs in Africa encounter daunting challenges that hinder progressive steps toward elimination of the disease. These challenges include widespread insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors, increasing outdoor malaria transmission, lack of vector surveillance and control tools suitable for outdoor biting vectors, weakness in malaria surveillance, and an inadequate number of skilled healthcare personnel. Ecological and epidemiological changes induced by environmental modifications resulting from water resource development projects pose additional barriers to malaria control.

Entomological and Anthropological Factors Contributing to Persistent Malaria Transmission in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Cameroon.

Introduction: In order to improve our understanding of the fundamental limits of core interventions and guide efforts based on prioritization and identification of effective/novel interventions with great potentials to interrupt persistent malaria transmission in the context of high vector control coverage, the drivers of persistent disease transmission were investigated in three eco-epidemiological settings; forested areas in Cameroon, coastal area in Kenya and highland areas in Ethiopia.

Methods: Mosquitoes were sampled in three eco-epidemiological settings using different entomological sampling techniques and analysed for Plasmodium infection status and blood meal origin in blood-fed specimens. Human behavioural surveys were conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of the population on malaria and preventive measures, their night activities, and sleeping pattern.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Use, Perceptions, and Barriers among Young People in Southwest Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: Utilizations of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among young people is vital in reducing sexual and reproductive health problems. This study investigated young people's perceptions and barriers towards the use of sexual and reproductive health services in Southwest Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross sectional study was employed to collect data from 1,262 in-school youths.

Mapping insecticide resistance and characterization of resistance mechanisms in Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) in Ethiopia.

Background: The emergence and spread of insecticide resistance in the major African malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae (s.s.) and An.

Transmission dynamics of co-endemic Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum in Ethiopia and prevalence of antimalarial resistant genotypes.

Ethiopia is one of the few African countries where Plasmodium vivax is co-endemic with P. falciparum. Malaria transmission is seasonal and transmission intensity varies mainly by landscape and climate.

Household satisfaction with a community-based health insurance scheme in Ethiopia.

Background: Community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes are an emerging tool for providing financial protection against health-related poverty. In Ethiopia, CBHI is being piloted in 13 districts, but community experience and satisfaction with the scheme have yet to be studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the experiences and satisfaction of households enrolled in a pilot CBHI scheme.

Pharmaceutical Regulatory Framework in Ethiopia: A Critical Evaluation of Its Legal Basis and Implementation.

Background: Effective and enforceable national regulations describing the manufacture and (re)packaging, export and import, distribution and storage, supply and sale, information and pharmaco-vigilance of medicines are required to consistently ensure optimal patient benefit. Expansion of pharmaceutical industries in many countries with advancement in transport technologies facilitated not only trade of genuine pharmaceutical products but also the circulation of poor quality medicines across the globe. In Ethiopia, even though "The Pharmacists and Druggists Proclamation No 43/1942" was used to regulate both the professions and the facilities where they were practiced, comprehensive regulation of the pharmaceutical market was introduced in 1964 by a regulation called "Pharmacy Regulation No.

Analysis of asymptomatic and clinical malaria in urban and suburban settings of southwestern Ethiopia in the context of sustaining malaria control and approaching elimination.

Background: Malaria intervention in Ethiopia has been strengthened significantly in the past decade. The Ethiopian government recently stratified the country based upon annual parasite incidence into malaria free, low, moderate and high transmission strata. Districts with low transmission were targeted for indigenous transmission elimination.

The Role of Empowerment in the Association between a Woman's Educational Status and Infant Mortality in Ethiopia: Secondary Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys.

Background: Socioeconomic status at national, sub-national, household, and individual levels explains a significant portion of variation in infant mortality. Women's education is among the major determinants of infant mortality. The mechanism through which a woman's own educational status, over her husband's as well as household characteristics, influences infant mortality has not been well studied in developing countries.

Molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria among Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative populations in Ethiopia.

Background: Malaria is the most prevalent communicable disease in Ethiopia, with 75% of the country's landmass classified as endemic for malaria. Accurate information on the distribution and clinical prevalence of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in endemic areas, as well as in Duffy-negative populations, is essential to develop integrated control strategies.

Methods: A total of 390 and 416 community and clinical samples, respectively, representing different localities and age groups across Ethiopia were examined.

Malaria incidence and assessment of entomological indices among resettled communities in Ethiopia: a longitudinal study.

Background: Population resettlement has been considered among factors that may increase risk of malaria transmission. This study reports, the impact of resettlement on malaria incidence and entomological indices among communities resettled in suburbs of Jimma town, southwestern Ethiopia.

Methods: A cohort of 604 study participants (302 resettlers and 302 non-resettlers) was monthly followed-up from September to November 2013 using active case detection.

The effect of dams and seasons on malaria incidence and anopheles abundance in Ethiopia.

Background: Reservoirs created by damming rivers are often believed to increase malaria incidence risk and/or stretch the period of malaria transmission. In this paper, we report the effects of a mega hydropower dam on P. falciparum malaria incidence in Ethiopia.

Bio-efficacy of selected long-lasting insecticidal nets against pyrethroid resistant Anopheles arabiensis from South-Western Ethiopia.

Background: The emergence and spread of insecticide resistance in the major African malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles arabiensis may compromise control initiatives based on insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) or indoor residual spraying (IRS), and thus threaten the global malaria elimination strategy.

Private hospital sector development: an exploratory study on providers perspective in addis ababa, ethiopia.

Background: Over the past decade there is a trend of fast development in the private hospital sector in Ethiopia. This important component of the health care system has received policy attention and federal government is a promoter for private health care. Yet lack of basic data on the factors affecting the growth of private health care provision in the country and no studies are available on this issue in Ethiopia.

Health workforce deployment, attrition and density in East wollega zone, Western ethiopia.

Background: In East Wollega Zone, despite the success in creating considerable number of health facilities, short-age of health personnel, geographical imbalance and increasing attrition is found to be a persistent barrier to the effectiveness of the health system. However, available data is not rich enough to provide reliable information as to what extent these problems exist in the Zone. Hence, this study was conducted to assess health workforce density, deployment and attrition in East Wollega Zone.

The influence of the Gilgel-Gibe hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia on caregivers' knowledge, perceptions and health-seeking behaviour towards childhood malaria.

Background: Malaria remains the most important public health problem in tropical and subtropical areas. Mothers' or caregivers' ability to recognize childhood malaria-related morbidity is crucial as knowledge, attitudes and health seeking behavior of caregivers towards childhood malaria could influence response to signs of the disease.

Methods: A total of 1,003 caregivers in 'at-risk' villages in close proximity to the Gilgel-Gibe hydroelectric dam in south-western Ethiopia, and 953 caregivers in 'control' villages further away from the dam were surveyed using structured questionnaires to assess their knowledge, perceptions and health seeking behaviour about childhood malaria.

Households willingness to pay for long-lasting insecticide treated nets in three urban communities of Assosa Zone, western Ethiopia.

Background: Achieving the target coverage of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) has to be preceded by understanding their demands, willingness to pay (WTP) and determinants of WTP for those who could not get free of charge.

Objective: To assess WTP for long lasting ITN using contingent valuation method and determinants of maximum WTP for long lasting ITN among households in Assosa Zone, Western Ethiopia.

Methods: The contingent valuation method was used to assess WTP for long-lasting ITN among households selected from the three urban communities.