Menstrual hygiene management practices among schoolgirls in resource-limited settings of Bahir Dar City administration, Northwestern Ethiopia.

Background: Schoolgirls in resource-limited settings encounter significant challenges in maintaining proper menstrual hygiene management practices. Studies on associated factors in menstrual hygiene management practices among schoolgirls in Bahir Dar City are limited.

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the menstrual hygiene practices of schoolgirls and identify factors that influence these practices in the limited settings of Bahir Dar City.

Assessment of the barriers towards menstrual hygiene management: evidence from a qualitative study among school communities: lessons from Bahir Dar city in northwest Ethiopia.

Background: The challenges of safe menstrual hygiene management practices in low-income settings, including the study areas are pressing. However, Studies specifically focusing on barriers that schoolgirls face in managing monthly menstruation in schools of Bahir Dar are inadequate and scarce.

Method: To ensure the robustness of the findings, a comprehensive study was conducted among schoolgirls and boy students aged 12-20 in three schools.

In-Vivo Anti-Malarial Activity of 80% Methanol Leaf Extract of Pax and Thonn in Infected Mice.

Background: Malaria is causing high mortality and morbidity due to resistance to currently available anti-malarial drugs and mosquito's resistance to insecticides. Thus, there is a critical need to search for novel anti-malarial drugs from natural sources. Therefore, this study investigated in vivo antimalarial activities of two Ethiopian medicinal plants, Pax and Thonn, in infected Swiss albino mice.

Biological activities of aqueous leaf extract.

Content: Plant-based natural products have served as sources of remedies against pathogenic microorganisms. Although the biological activities of (Santalaceae) species are widely recognized, there is no scientific evidence for A. Rich.

Biological and phytochemical characterization of (Loranthaceae) from Ethiopia.

is a hemi-parasitic shrub. It is known for treating various health ailments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, toxicity, and chemical characterization of the leaf extracts of collected from the host plant in Ethiopia.

Toxicity Study and Antibacterial Effects of the Leaves Extracts of and .

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo toxicity and antibacterial activity of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea and Uvaria leptocladon.

Methods: Extraction was performed using 80% methanol by maceration and Soxhlet extraction method. Evaluation of the acute toxicity of the extracts was based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline.

Anti-Inflammatory and Phytochemical Analysis of the Crude Leaves Extracts of and .

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities and phytochemical composition of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv.

Methods: The powdered leaves of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv were extracted by maceration and soxhlet extraction methods. Anti-inflammatory activity of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv were evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw edema model.

Synthesis, antiplasmodial activity and in silico molecular docking study of pinocembrin and its analogs.

Background: Malaria remains the major health problem responsible for many mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Because of the development of resistance by Plasmodium species, searching effective antimalarial agents becomes increasingly important. Pinocembrin is a flavanone previously isolated as the most active antiplasmodial compound from the leaves of Dodonaea angustifolia.

Geographical Variability in Paromomycin Pharmacokinetics Does Not Explain Efficacy Differences between Eastern African and Indian Visceral Leishmaniasis Patients.

Introduction: Intramuscular paromomycin monotherapy to treat visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been shown to be effective for Indian patients, while a similar regimen resulted in lower efficacy in Eastern Africa, which could be related to differences in paromomycin pharmacokinetics.

Methods: Pharmacokinetic data were available from two randomized controlled trials in VL patients from Eastern Africa and India. African patients received intramuscular paromomycin monotherapy (20 mg/kg for 21 days) or combination therapy (15 mg/kg for 17 days) with sodium stibogluconate.

Phenotypic and genotypic drug sensitivity profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and associated factors in northeastern Ethiopia.

Background: Tuberculosis is a devastating and a deadly disease despite the novel advances in its diagnostic tools and drug therapy. Drug resistant Mycobacterium contributes a great share to tuberculosis mortality. Status of drug resistance and patients' awareness toward the disease is unknown in northeastern Ethiopia.

Antibacterial activity of essential oils from Ethiopian thyme (Thymus serrulatus and Thymus schimperi) against tooth decay bacteria.

In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial activities of the essential oils (EOs) of Thymus serrulatus and Thymus schimperi collected from Ofla (Ofl), Alamata (Ala), Yilmana Densa (Yil), Tarmaer (Tar), Butajira (Buta), and Bale (Bal) in Ethiopia against cariogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus) isolated from human teeth. Inhibition zones (IZs), minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were measures of the antibacterial activity. Significant bacterial inhibitions resulted in a dose-and EO-dependent manner.

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Roasted and Green Coffee Beans Originating from Different Regions of Ethiopia.

Coffee is among the most traded commodities and consumed beverages worldwide primarily for its stimulating effects. Moreover, coffee is known to contain various bioactive compounds with significant health benefits including antibacterial and antioxidant activities. However, Ethiopia as the origin of coffee and producer and exporter of varieties of has made little study on the health aspects of this beverage.

High helminthic co-infection in tuberculosis patients with undernutritional status in northeastern Ethiopia.

Background: Tuberculosis and parasitosis are the widely distributed diseases in Ethiopia with the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, respectively. There has been no information on the status of co-infections of tuberculosis and parasitosis in Oromia Zone of Amhara Region and South Wollo, Ethiopia. Hence, this study primarily focuses on determining the status of tuberculosis and parasitosis co-infections and associated factors.

Antiplasmodial activity of Vernonia adoensis aqueous, methanol and chloroform leaf extracts against chloroquine sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei in vivo in mice.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the antiplasmodial effects of the crude aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts of the leaves of Vernonia adoensis in Plasmodium berghei infected Swiss albino mice using Peters' 4-day suppressive test.

Results: The number of mice used for the toxicity test was 20 (5/group) and for each extract and control groups 5 mice per group was used. The aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts of V.

Perceptions of health and illness among the Konso people of southwestern Ethiopia: persistence and change.

Background: Cross-cultural studies indicate that every culture has its own particular explanations for health and illness and its own healing strategies. The Konso people have always practiced indigenous medicine and have multifaceted accounts or multiple dimensions of illness perceptions and health-care beliefs and practices. This paper describes how perceptions of health and illness are instrumental in health and treatment outcomes among the Konso people in southwestern Ethiopia.

Antiplasmodial Compounds from Leaves of .

Background: Dodonaea angustifolia is used in Ethiopian traditional medicine to treat malaria. The objective of this work was to conduct bioassay guided fractionation of the leaves of D. angustifolia using Plasmodium berghei infected mice.

Antidiabetic activity and phytochemical screening of extracts of the leaves of Ajuga remota Benth on alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

Background: Ajuga remota Benth is traditionally used in Ethiopia for the management of diabetes mellitus. Since this claim has not been investigated scientifically, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic effect and phytochemical screening of the aqueous and 70% ethanol extracts on alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

Methods: After acute toxicity test, the Swiss albino mice were induced with alloxan to get experimental diabetes animals.

Molecular typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolated from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in central Ethiopia.

Background: Identification of the types of strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) complex causing tuberculosis (TB) could contribute to TB control program of specific geographic region as well as it could add knowledge onto the existing literature on TB worldwide. The objective of the present study was to identify the species and strains of M.

Evaluation of the GenoType MTBDRplus assay for detection of rifampicin- and isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in central Ethiopia.

Objective/background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is growing globally and becoming a major challenge for national TB control programs. Therefore, rapid identification of MDR strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and monitoring their transmission could contribute significantly to the control of TB. The GenoType MTBDRplus assay has been recommended by the World Health Organization to identify rifampicin (RIF)- and isoniazid (INH)-resistant M.

Prevalence of intestinal helminth infection among school children in Maksegnit and Enfranz Towns, northwestern Ethiopia, with emphasis on Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Background: Schistosomiasis is endemic in Ethiopia and previously unknown transmission foci have been reported from time to time in different parts of the country. Further surveys are required in areas where endemicity of the disease is not known to cover them with control program if transmission is taking place. This study, therefore, aims to assess the magnitude of schistosomiasis mansoni and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Maksegnit and Enfranz Towns, northwestern Ethiopia.

Laboratory assessment of molluscicidal and cercariacidal effects of Glinus lotoides fruits.

Background: The negative impact of synthetic molluscicides on the environment and their high cost necessitated search for an alternative approach of using plant extracts for the control of schistosomiasis. The objective of this study was, therefore, to evaluate aqueous and ethyl acetate crude extracts of Glinus lotoides fruits for their cercariacidal activity and molluscicidal effect against schistosome snail intermediate hosts.

Methods: Assessment of the molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria pfeifferi was made by immersion method in accordance with WHO guideline.

Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) & paromomycin combination compared to SSG for visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Alternative treatments for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are required in East Africa. Paromomycin sulphate (PM) has been shown to be efficacious for VL treatment in India.

Methods: A multi-centre randomized-controlled trial (RCT) to compare efficacy and safety of PM (20 mg/kg/day for 21 days) and PM plus sodium stibogluconate (SSG) combination (PM, 15 mg/kg/day and SSG, 20 mg/kg/day for 17 days) with SSG (20 mg/kg/day for 30 days) for treatment of VL in East Africa.

Further studies on the phlebotomine sandflies of the kala-azar endemic lowlands of Humera-Metema (north-west Ethiopia) with observations on their natural blood meal sources.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been known to exist in northwest Ethiopia (Humera-Metema lowlands) since the early 1970s associated with large scale agricultural development activities, often resulting in outbreaks. The latest outbreak of the disease that has started around 1995 in both regions, has led to the present preliminary entomological surveys (1996-2005) the results of which are reported here. Sandflies were collected using CDC light traps and Phlebotomus females were dissected for Leishmania detection and isolation; freshly fed Phlebotomus females collected were subsequently tested for their blood meal sources using ELISA.

Febrile illnesses of different etiology among outpatients in four health centers in Northwestern Ethiopia.

Fever of different etiology is common in tropical and subtropical countries of the world. Etiological agents of febrile illnesses were assessed in 653 acute febrile patients aged 3 to 17 years who attended the outpatient departments of Dembecha Health Center, Jiga Health Center, Quarit Health Center, and Finoteselam Hospital in western Gojjam zone, northwestern Ethiopia. Malaria was the most prevalent illness, infecting 62% of all cases.

Spasmolytic effects of artemisia afra and artemisia rehan in tissue preparations.

Background: The genus Artemisia of Family Compositae (Asteracea) is widely used in many parts of the world as herbal remedies for a variety of illnesses.

Methodology: Ethanol and aqueous extracts of powdered dried leaf and root of Artemisia afra and leaf of Artemisia rehan were tested on isolated mouse duodenum (MD) and guinea pig ileum (GPI). Different concentrations of each extract of the plants (ranging from 20-200 microg/ml) were tested in the presence of agonist control, acetylcholine (in MD) and histamine (in GPI) as contraction stimulators.