Gebrie Kassaw Yirga

Background: Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease of public health concern, resulting from infection with Leishmania parasites and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. Community awareness is an essential component of disease control and prevention. This study aimed to synthesize evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and practices about leishmaniasis among community members. Methodology : A comprehensive literature search was conducted through search engine includes Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, Sciurus, Science Direct, HINARI databases, PubMed and reference lists of previous studies. Published articles were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall knowledge, attitude, and practices of study participants regarding the mode of leishmaniasis transmission. Results were presented in funnel plot, the forest plot, and figures with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI). To assess heterogeneity, we used inconsistency index (I2) test statistics. And also, we used random effect model and STATA software version 17 statistical software to compute the analysis of the data. The analysis was conducted and reported in accordance with Meta-analyses guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review. Results: After excluded articles which did not fulfill the inclusion criteria, a total of 11 original articles that reporting the leishmaniasis knowledge, attitude, and practice levels of communities in Ethiopia were included in the analysis. The overall good knowledge of community towards leishmaniasis was 23% with 95% CI (0.20;0.27), pooled positive attitude was 46% with 95% CI (0.42;0.51), and pooled good practice of 51% with 95% CI (0.28; 0.73). Sub-group analyses showed that there were slight differences in leishmaniasis practice among regions. In Oromia region 59% of respondents had good practice with 95% CL (-0.16;1.34), I2 = 54.6%, p-value < 0.0001 where as in SNNP region was 37% of respondents had good practice about leishmaniasis Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that the overall knowledge regarding leishmaniasis among Ethiopian communities is considerably low, and hence has large gaps in awareness about disease transmission, symptoms, prevention, and treatment. While attitude toward leishmaniasis is relatively better. In contrast, preventive practices showed a comparatively higher pooled level, which may suggest that some protective actions could be influenced by contextual factors, community norms, or public health interventions rather than adequate knowledge.

Chronic kidney disease is defined by the presence of kidney damage or decreased kidney function for at least three months, irrespective of the cause. Hypertensive kidney disease is one of the long-term complications of poorly controlled hypertension. It is the second leading cause of developing chronic kidney disease, next to diabetic mellitus. The literature was searched using an international electronic database (PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari, and Open Google) to get significant studies on chronic kidney disease among hypertensive patients. This study is conducted to determine the pooled prevalence and associated factors of chronic kidney disease among hypertensive patients up to May 20, 2024. Heterogeneity between studies was checked using I2 test statistics, and small study effects were checked using graphical and Egger’s statistical tests at a 5% significance level. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were checked. A random-effects model was used to guess the pooled effect size across studies. In this meta-analysis, 16 studies in sub-Saharan Africa were included with a total of 6648 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The estimated prevalence of CKD among hypertension patients was found to be 29.01% (95% CI: 23.03–34.99, I2 = 97.10%) in sub-Saharan Africa. Age greater than 60 years old (OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.02–3.71, I2 = 99.11%), uncontrolled blood pressure (OR = 6.57; 95% CI: 2.44–10.71, I2 = 97.38%), hypertensive patients with diabetes comorbidity (OR = 3.27; 95% CI: 1.65–4.89, I2 = 95.79%), Bing overweight (OR = 2.75; 95% CI: 1.04–4.46, I2 = 98.22%), and proteinuria (OR = 4.64, 95% CI: 4.09–5.18, I2 = 0.00%). Hypertension is one of the major causes of chronic kidney disease. Most patients living with hypertension develop CKD over time in sub-Saharan Africa. The highest prevalence of CKD among hypertension was observed in West Africa and Middle Africa.

Providing compassionate and respectful care is essential to quality health care, and it is the backbone of our health care system. This study was conducted to assess the provision of respectful care and human dignity and its associated factors among healthcare providers in South Gondar hospitals in 2024. A cross-sectional study design was conducted from March 18 to April 18, 2024. From 1177 care providers, 420 study units were selected by the simple random sampling technique. The collected data was entered into Epi Data version 3.1, and it was exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 Windows statistical software for analysis. Factors that have a p-value ≤ 0.25 in binary logistic regression were a candidate for multivariate logistic regression. Factors with a p-value < 0.05 were considered predictors of the outcome variable. Respectful care among health care providers was reported as 52.4%. Income (P = 0.039), professional attitude (P < 0.001), and training (P = 0.032) were significantly associated with respectful care. In this study, about half of the health care providers had good, respectful practices. Healthcare providers should have a positive attitude towards respectful care according to strategy; different stakeholders in health sectors should be involved by providing supplies, facilitating training, and performing continuous monitoring and evaluation.

Hypertension is a persistent systemic Blood Pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or greater which is a preventable cause of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. To assess non-adherence to appointment follow-up and its associated factors among Hypertensive patients in the follow-up clinics in South Gondar Hospitals 2023. Institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed in hospitals in South Gondar from January to February to assess missed appointment follow-up and its associated factors among Hypertensive patients in follow-up clinics. There is one comprehensive specialized hospital and 9 primary hospitals in this zone. Using simple random methods four hospitals were selected by lottery method. The sample was calculated by using the single population proportion formula. The collected data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association factors. A total of 401 hypertensive patients on hypertensive follow-up were involved with a response rate of 95.02%. Age ranged from 25 to 86 years with a median age of 58.47 years. Of the total of participants, 211 (52.6.) were rural residents. Among the total hypertensive patients in the hypertensive follow-up clinic, 39.2% were non-adherent for their appointment follow-up. Living far from follow-up health facility (AOR: 2.53; 95% CI 1.349–4.743), absence of perceived symptoms (AOR: 4.98; 95% CI 2.888–8.590), patient complaints Pill burdens (AOR: 3.50; 95% CI 2.108–5.825), and poor Awareness about complication of hypertension (AOR: 2.62; 95% CI 1.471–4.673) were significantly associated with missing of their appointment follow-up for the most hypertensive patients. The prevalence of non-adherence to medical follow-up in hypertension is high as compared to different national health policy recommendations. Distance from the health facility, absence of perceived symptoms, Pill burdens, and lack of knowledge about complications of hypertension were significantly associated with Missed appointment follow-up in Hypertensive patient.

Non-communicable diseases are the current global burden including in sub-Saharan Africa, which increasing the incidence of cardiovascular disorders and their complications due to a lack of health checks and delayed treatments. To assess health checkup practice among adults in the South Gondar zone of northeast Ethiopia in 2022. A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed from July 30, 2022, to August 30, 2022. Three woredas (Debre Tabor, Guna Beyemidir, and Andabet) were selected by using a simple random sampling method from the south Gondar zone, and three kebeles were selected randomly from each woreda. A complete of 422 samples were selected by random sampling technique. Data were collected in a face-to-face interview using structured questionnaires. The collected data were entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 for analysis. Binary logistic regression was done to identify the association between each variable with the outcome variable. A variable that had a p-value < 0.25 in binary logistic regression became a candidate for multivariate logistic regression then after factors p value < 0.05 was considered as predictors to the outcome variable. In this study, health checkup practice was 40.2%. Living with families (AOR 3.36; 95% CI 1.47–7.66), presence chronic disease (AOR 2.52; 95% CI 1.49–4.26), No self-medication practice (AOR 5.39; 95% CI 3.06–9.49) and having health insurance (AOR 3.02; 95% CI 1.68–5.430) were significantly associated with regular health checkup practice. Health checkup practice was low as compared to health policy recommendations and its health maintenance value. Creating awareness about health check-ups and prevention of disease complications will be taken by different stakeholders in the health care system

Human immunodeficiency virus remains a global public health problem. Despite efforts to determine the prevalence of non-adherence to ART and its predictors in Ethiopia, various primary studies presented inconsistent findings. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of non-adherence to ART and identify its predictors. We have searched PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science databases extensively for all available studies. A weighted inverse-variance random-effects model was used to compute the overall non-adherence to ART. The pooled prevalence of non-adherence to ART was 20.68% (95% CI: 17.74, 23.61); I² = 98.40%; p < 0.001). Educational level of primary school and lower [AOR = 3.5, 95%CI: 1.7, 7.4], taking co-medications [AOR = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.35, 0.59], not using memory aids [AOR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.13, 0.71], depression [AOR = 2.0, 95%CI: 1.05, 3.79], comorbidity [AOR = 2.12, 95%CI: 1.16, 3.09), under-nutrition [AOR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.20, 3.43], not believing on ART can control HIV [AOR = 2.31, 95%CI: 1.92, 2.77], lack of access to health facilities [AOR = 3.86, 95%CI: 1.10, 13.51] and taking ART pills uncomfortably while others looking [AOR = 5.21, 95%CI: 2.56, 10.53] were significantly associated with non-adherence to anti-retroviral therapy. The overall pooled prevalence of non-adherence to ART was considerably high in Ethiopia. Educational status, taking co-medications, not using memory aids, depression, comorbidity, under nutrition, not believing on anti-retroviral therapy controls HIV, lack of access to health facilities and taking ART pills uncomfortably were independent predictors of non-adherence to ART in Ethiopia. Therefore, healthcare providers, adherence counselors and supporters should detect non-adherence behaviors and patients’ difficulties with ART early, and provide intensive counseling to promote adherence.