Establishing an Ultrasound Screening Protocol for Chronic Liver Disease with a Handheld Device: A Pilot Project in Southern Ethiopia.

Chronic liver disease (CLD) poses significant challenges in the developing world. The prevalence of this problem and the health burden on local health services are not well understood. The diagnosis and monitoring of CLD are difficult in these settings because of limited access to expensive imaging with limited mobility and/or liver biopsy.

Provider and household costs of malaria episodes: a multicountry comparative analysis of primary trial data.

Objective: To determine household and health-care provider costs associated with infection across a range of endemic settings.

Methods: We collected cost data alongside three multicentre clinical trials of treatment in Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Philippines, Peru, Thailand and Viet Nam conducted between April 2014 to December 2017. We derived household costs from trial participant surveys administered at enrolment and again 2 weeks later to determine the costs of treatment and transportation, and the number of days that patients and their household caregivers were unable to undertake their usual activities.

Methicillin- and Inducible Clindamycin-Resistant among Patients with Wound Infection Attending Arba Minch Hospital, South Ethiopia.

Background: Wound infection is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections. Different bacteria cause infection, of which is one of the known bacteria in causing infection with increased drug-resistant isolates.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of methicillin and inducible clindamycin-resistant among patients with wound infections attending Arba Minch Hospital.

Reducing stillbirths in Ethiopia: Results of an intervention programme.

Previous studies from South Ethiopia have shown that interventions that focus on intrapartum care substantially reduce maternal mortality and there is a need to operationalize health packages that could reduce stillbirths. The aim of this paper is to evaluate if a programme that aimed to improve maternal health, and mainly focusing on strengthening intrapartum care, also would reduce the number of stillbirths, and to estimate if there are other indicators that explains high stillbirth rates. Our study used a "continuum of care" approach and focussed on providing essential antenatal and obstetric services in communities through health extension workers, at antenatal and health facility services.

Safety and Effectiveness of Sodium Stibogluconate and Paromomycin Combination for the Treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Eastern Africa: Results from a Pharmacovigilance Programme.

Introduction: In 2010, WHO recommended a new first-line treatment for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Eastern Africa. The new treatment, a combination of intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) sodium stibogluconate (SSG) and IM paromomycin (PM) was an improvement over SSG monotherapy, the previous first-line VL treatment in the region. To monitor the new treatment's safety and effectiveness in routine clinical practice a pharmacovigilance (PV) programme was developed.

Reducing Maternal Deaths in Ethiopia: Results of an Intervention Programme in Southwest Ethiopia.

Background: In a large population in Southwest Ethiopia (population 700,000), we carried out a complex set of interventions with the aim of reducing maternal mortality. This study evaluated the effects of several coordinated interventions to help improve effective coverage and reduce maternal deaths. Together with the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia, we designed a project to strengthen the health-care system.

Adjunctive dexamethasone therapy in unconfirmed bacterial meningitis in resource limited settings: is it a risk worth taking?

Background: Bacterial meningitis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite advances in medical care. The main objective of this study was to assess the association of adjunctive dexamethasone treatment with discharge outcome of patients treated as bacterial meningitis in low income setting.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at four teaching hospitals across Ethiopia.

Challenges of bacterial meningitis case management in low income settings: an experience from Ethiopia.

Objective: To investigate the current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies used in the care of patients with suspected bacterial meningitis at teaching hospitals in Ethiopia.

Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study conducted at four teaching hospitals in different regions of Ethiopia. Participants were patients aged 14 years and older treated for suspected bacterial meningitis.

Pyometra in childhood.

Background: Pyometra, an accumulation of pus in the uterine cavity, occurs rarely in children but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an intra-abdominal or pelvic abscess.

Case: A 10-month-old infant presented with an increasing abdominal mass. She had previous respiratory and diarrheal illnesses.

Comparison of point-of-care tests for the rapid diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in East African patients.

The development of rK39-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has greatly aided the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis, especially in the Indian subcontinent and Brazil, by offering high sensitivity and specificity. However, these tests have been less sensitive and less specific in sub-Saharan Africa. To improve upon the performance of rK39 in Africa, we engineered the fusion molecule rK28, which retained some of the rK39 repeats and combined them with repeat sequences from two additional Leishmania genes.

Safety and efficacy of single dose versus multiple doses of AmBisome for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Africa: a randomised trial.

Background: Anti-leishmanial drug regimens that include a single dose AmBisome could be suitable for eastern African patients with symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) but the appropriate single dose is unknown.

Methodology: A multi-centre, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial with an adaptive design, was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of a single dose and multiple doses of AmBisome for the treatment of VL in eastern Africa. The primary efficacy endpoint was definitive cure (DC) at 6 months.

Patients present earlier and survival has improved, but pre-ART attrition is high in a six-year HIV cohort data from Ethiopia.

Background: Previous studies showed higher early mortality rates among patients treated with antiretroviral drugs in settings with limited resources. One of the reasons was late presentation of patients to care. With improved access to HIV services, we expect improvements in disease stage at presentation.

Antiretroviral therapy at a district hospital in Ethiopia prevents death and tuberculosis in a cohort of HIV patients.

Background: Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces mortality in the developed world, it remains undocumented in resource-poor settings. We assessed the effect of HAART on patient mortality and tuberculosis incidence rate under routine clinical care conditions in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of HAART on patient mortality and tuberculosis incidence rate under routine clinical care conditions in a resource-limited setting in south Ethiopia.

Extracranial meningioma of the scalp: case report.

A 70-year-old man was admitted with a swelling on the left parietal region, which had grown progressively but slowly for three years. During the last six months the swelling increased in size relatively faster. The lesion was excised totally and sent for pathological examination.

Disease progression among untreated HIV-infected patients in South Ethiopia: implications for patient care.

Context: The natural course of HIV disease progression among resource-poor patient populations has not been clearly defined.

Objective: To describe predictors of HIV disease progression as seen at an outpatient clinic in a resource-limited setting in rural Ethiopia.

Design: This prospective cohort study included all adult HIV patients who visited an outpatient clinic at Arba Minch hospital in South Ethiopia between January 30, 2003 and April 1, 2004.

The prevention of traditional bone setter's gangrene.

A two-year retrospective survey in southern Ethiopia revealed that 49 amputations had been performed, 25 of which were for gangrene following tight splintage applied by traditional bone setters. The aim of this study was to determine if it was possible to reduce this incidence of gangrene by offering one-day instructional courses to bone setters. In ten separate one-day courses 112 tradition healers attended.

Disease Progression Among Untreated HIV-Infected Patients in South Ethiopia: Implications for Patient Care.

Context: The natural course of HIV disease progression among resource-poor patient populations has not been clearly defined.

Objective: To describe predictors of HIV disease progression as seen at an outpatient clinic in a resource-limited setting in rural Ethiopia.

Design: This prospective cohort study included all adult HIV patients who visited an outpatient clinic at Arba Minch hospital in South Ethiopia between January 30, 2003 and April 1, 2004.

Hydatid disease in the Hamar of Ethiopia: a public health problem for women.

A population-based study of hydatid disease was conducted among the Hamar of Ethiopia. Seven of 990 patients examined with a portable ultrasound scanner proved to have cysts (0.7% prevalence).