Publications by authors named "Yohannes Tefera Damtew"

Background: As temperatures rise, the transmission and incidence of enteric infections such as those caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter increase. This study aimed to review and synthesise the available evidence on the effects of exposure to ambient temperatures on non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter infections.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted for peer-reviewed epidemiological studies published between January 1990 and March 2024, in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the growing concerns about pesticide pollution, a comprehensive global understanding continues to be hampered by a lack of data from less developed countries. Ethiopia, being a typical agricultural country, is one of the top consumers of pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa. This study conducted a nationwide analysis to assess pesticide water pollution and human health risks in Ethiopia based on the available data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Ross River virus (RRV), Australia's most notifiable vector-borne disease transmitted through mosquito bites, has seen increased transmission due to rising temperatures. Quantifying the burden of RRV infection attributable to increasing temperatures (both current and future) is pivotal to inform prevention strategies in the context of climate change.

Methods: As RRV-related deaths are rare in Australia, we utilised years lived with disability (YLDs) associated with RRV infection data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Burden of Disease database between 2003 and 2018.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The ambitious sustainable development goal (SDG) 6 of the United Nations, which aims to achieve universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030, remains elusive for many developing countries like Ethiopia. This is often due to a multitude of intricate factors, including the escalating degradation of water quality. Here, we present a comprehensive nationwide and regional analysis of heavy metal pollution in drinking water sources and the associated human health risks in Ethiopia based on a dataset of 11 heavy metal concentrations (n = 975) collated from available studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the global ban on organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) since the 1970s, their use continues in many developing countries, including Ethiopia, primarily due to the lack of viable alternatives and weak regulations. Nonetheless, the extent of contamination and the resulting environmental and health consequences in these countries remain inadequately understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of reported concentrations (n=398) of OCPs (n=30) in distinct yet interconnected water matrices: water, sediment, and biota in Ethiopia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In most developing countries, including Ethiopia, a conspicuous gap exists in understanding risk of pesticides and establishing robust regulatory frameworks for their effective management. In this context, we present a detailed assessment of pesticide risks within Ethiopian aquatic ecosystems in at least 18 distinct surface water bodies, including 46 unique sample locations. Measured environmental concentrations (MECs; n = 388) of current-use pesticides (n = 52), sourced from existing field studies, were compared against their respective regulatory threshold levels (RTLs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In 2017 WHO reported that due to a lack of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) facilities, high costs, and ignorance, 2.3 billion girls and women worldwide do not manage their menstruation properly. This leads to the use of other options, such as old clothes or other unhygienic materials, which may make them a risk group for infections and other health consequences.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Studies have shown that dengue virus transmission increases in association with ambient temperature. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of both high temperatures and heatwave events on dengue transmission in different climate zones globally.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science from January 1990 to September 20, 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ross River virus (RRV) infection is one of the emerging and prevalent arboviral diseases in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Although many studies have been conducted to establish the relationship between temperature and RRV infection, there has been no comprehensive review of the association so far. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of temperature on RRV transmission.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Solid waste disposal is one of the challenging components in integrated solid waste management. Particularly the problem is prominent in cities with rapid population growth and waste generation. Harar, a capital city of Harari regional state located in the eastern part of Ethiopia, covers an area of 19.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Environmental health (EH) services have a long history in Ethiopia, but data on environmental health services quality and the magnitude of environmental health professionals' engagement has never been addressed. This study was conducted to assess the quality of environmental health services in different sectors and professionals' level of engagement in Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods: Institution based cross-sectional mixed study design was implemented.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Improved water sources are not equally available in all geographical regions. Populations dependent on unsafe water sources are recommended to treat their water at point-of-use using adequate methods to reduce associated health problems. In Ethiopia, the spatial distribution of households using unimproved water sources have been incomplete or ignored in most of the studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF