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<jats:p>Background. Client satisfaction with seeking healthcare is generally regarded as one of the core outcomes of the health system. Various efforts are underway to provide hospitals with the necessary manpower, medical equipment, and other services to suit the demands of their patients. The goal of this study was to determine the level of client satisfaction with outpatient department services and the factors that influence it at Dilla Referral Hospital in Ethiopia. Methodology. A cross-sectional investigation was undertaken in a hospital setting. An interviewer-administered quantitative data were collected on socio demographic characteristics of respondents and their satisfaction level with the different components of the outpatient services. SPSS version 20 was used to conduct the analysis. The connection between independent and dependent variables was evaluated using bivariate analysis (<jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>&lt;</mo> <mn>0.25</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>). To discover the determinants of client satisfaction and control cofounding, multivariate logistic regression was performed (<jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>≤</mo> <mn>0.05</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>). Result. The study enrolled a total of 419 individuals, with a response rate of 98.3%. Overall, 52.2 percent of clients were satisfied with the health services provided by the hospitals’ outpatient departments. Client satisfaction was significantly predicted by the cleanliness of the consultation room (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.06–3.95), payment status (AOD = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.08–2.63), and telling clients about the etiology of sickness (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34–0.87). Conclusion. The general satisfaction of outpatients with Dilla referral hospital’s OPD clinics healthcare services was low. The cleanliness of the consultation room, payment status, and readiness to suggest the service to others were all linked to a positive outcome.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Introduction. Public perceptions of pandemic risk and prevention measures influence adherence to COVID-19 prevention efforts. Even though several factors influence public perceptions, there has been no research on the predictors of COVID-19-related perception in Ethiopia and there are few articles among academic staff worldwide. Thus, this study aims to assess predictors of COVID-19-related perception among Gondar University academic staff. Method. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 10 to May 10, 2021. Daniel Soper’s calculator was used to determine the sample size. A simple random sampling technique was employed. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Stata V14. Structural equation modeling was performed to identify determinants of COVID-19 related perception. A <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>p</mi> </math> </jats:inline-formula> value less than 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval of β were used to declare the statistical significance of the variables. Result. A total of 602 academic staff participated. Mean age of participants was 32.38 (±5.83) years. Family size (β = 0.12), chronic illness (β = −0.19), knowledge (β = 0.11), and cues to action (β = 0.43) were significantly associated with perceived susceptibility. Similarly, educational status (β = −0.11), perceived susceptibility (β = 0.61), and cues to action (β = 0.13) were significantly associated with perceived severity. Likewise, knowledge (β = 0.11) and cues to action (β = 0.62) were significant predictors of self-efficacy. Correspondingly, knowledge (β = 0.23), chronic illness (β = 0.09), profession (β = −0.09), perceived susceptibility (β = 0.19), perceived severity (β = 0.23), and self-efficacy (β = 0.29) were significant predictors of perceived benefit. Similarly, age (β = −0.18), profession (β = 0.10), and perceived susceptibility (β = −0.39) were significantly associated with perceived barriers. Conclusion. Several sociodemographic and other factors affect COVID-19 related perceptions. Intervention should consider those factors to improve COVID-19 prevention practice.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Background. Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among under-five children in various localities of Ethiopia. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of pneumonia and its associated factors among under-five children who were visiting Ginde Woyin health center, Goncha Siso Enesie District, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A health center-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 participants by a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaires and sputum diagnosis. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26.0. Binary and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze the risk variables, and <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>P</mi> </math> </jats:inline-formula> values &lt; 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results. The overall prevalence of pneumonia among under-five children was 24.3% (95% CI: 20.1, 28.3). The significant predictors for under-five pneumonia identified were the use of wood as a source of fuel for cooking (AOR = 2.769; <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <mi>P</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.049</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>), starting complementary food before six months of age (AOR = 2.080; P = 0.033), and mixed breastfeeding conditions (AOR = 5.229; <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"> <mi>P</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.001</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>). The highest under-five pneumonia was observed among children of age below one year (33.6%), rural dwellers (30.4%), family sizes above five (31.8%), children from families with a monthly income of less than 1000 Ethiopian Birr (&lt;19.03 USD) (27.8%), whose mothers were students (61.5%), houses where cooking took place in the living room (37.8%), homes that lacked windows in the kitchens (28.4%), homes that lacked windows (41.5%), and mixed breastfeeders (44.1%). Conclusion. The prevalence of under-five pneumonia in the present study was relatively high. The findings in the present study will help policy makers and program officers to design pneumonia-preventive interventions.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Background. Traditional medicine (TM) is widely used in both developing and developed countries to assist in the attempt to curtail the prevalence and increase in diabetes mellitus. Approximately 53% of South Africans use TM to prevent and treat their diseases. There is no conclusive evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of TM versus prescribed medicine. The most common therapies used by diabetics in Africa include herbal treatments, nutritional products, spiritual healing, and relaxation techniques. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of TM in patients with T2DM who are on chronic therapy and living in KwaZulu-Natal. Method. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a district hospital, in which purposive sampling was used to recruit participants and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Information collected included demographic data, information pertaining to home remedies/TM, and self-care practices employed by participants while using TM. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-squared test, t-test, and multivariate logistic regressions to determine predictors of TM usage. Results. Only 92 (27%) of 340 participants reported using TM, with Indians being the most frequent users (58.24%). Approximately, 83.72% (n = 72) used TM in conjunction with prescribed medication. Most participants (56.32%) acquired TM knowledge from family. The most frequently used TM was lemon and honey, Aloe vera, bitter gourd, green tea, and cinnamon. Traditional medicine use among African participants was 0.56 times (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.34, 0.93) lower than Indian participants. There were no significant predictors for TM usage among the variables tested. Conclusion. A low prevalence rate of TM usage in T2DM patients was found. A significant correlation was noted between ethnicity and TM use. Large-scale studies are required to determine the additive and synergistic effects of TM in health care. Consideration should also be given to integrating TM into mainstream health care.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Rich literature abounds concerning the clinical effectiveness of programs aiming to produce weight gain/obesity prevention outcomes. However, there is very little evidence on how these outcomes are produced, and what interplay of factors made those programs effective (or not) in the environment that produced those effects. This study aims to describe the application of realistic evaluation in the field of obesity prevention, as an approach to unravel those components that influence the capacity of a program to produce its effects and to examine its significance in an effort to understand those components. The concepts of critical realism have informed the development of an interview topic guide, while three European programs were selected as case studies after a rigorous selection process. In total, 26 in-depth semi-structured interviews were taken, paired with personal observation and secondary data research. Several grounded context-mechanisms-outcomes (CMO) configurations were described within the respective context of each location, with the mechanisms introduced from each project resulting in distinctive outcomes. This study highlights the potential of realistic evaluation as a comprehensive framework to explain in which contextual circumstances of each program’s effects are produced, how certain underlying mechanisms produce those effects, and how to explicitly connect the context and the acting mechanisms into distinct outcome patterns, which will ultimately form unique configuration sets for each of the analyzed projects.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Introduction. Human activities create waste, and the improper ways that waste is handled, stored, collected, and disposed of can pose risks to public health. The highest proportion of households practice their solid waste improperly in many developing countries, and the household’s status of solid waste management practices and its association with sociodemographic, knowledge, and institutional-related factors have never been clearly understood in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the status of solid waste management practice and its associated factors among households in Gessa town, Dawro Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 686 study participants from April 30 to June 15, 2021. Study participants were selected by using a computer-generated simple random sampling technique. The interviewer administered a semistructured questionnaire that comprised sociodemographic, household-related, and institutional-related factors were used for data collection. All collected data were entered into epi data version 4.6 and then exported to STATA version 14.0 for further analysis. Each independent variable with a <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>p</mi> </math> </jats:inline-formula> value &lt;0.25 in the bivariable logistic regression was included in the multivariable logistic regression model. In multivariable logistic regression, variables having a <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <mi>p</mi> </math> </jats:inline-formula> value &lt;0.05 were considered statistically significant. Result. In this study, improper solid waste management practice was 86.2%. Unpracticed solid waste reduction at source (AOR = 5, 95% CI 2.9–8.9), householders’ poor knowledge about solid waste management (AOR = 5.2, 95% CI 2.6–10.3), and distance to the municipality disposal site greater than 30 minutes to one hour from householders' (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3–5.0) were found to be statistically significant associated factors for improper solid waste management practices of the households. Conclusions and Recommendations. The magnitude of improper solid waste management practices was high. Unpracticed solid waste reduction at source, householders’ poor knowledge about solid waste management, and distance from home to the waste disposal site were significantly associated factors. Therefore, policymakers, local government, and Gessa town health work units have to teach the community about solid waste management and solid waste generation minimization at the source and prepare standardized near-distance waste disposal sites to tackle contributing factors of improper solid waste management practice.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Background. The goal of Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance is to comprehensively investigate and report any case of a child below 15 years with a floppy weakness. This is essential for the poliovirus eradication initiative. Objective. In this study, we analyzed the results of nine-year surveillance (2010–2018) of AFP in Morocco. Method. This was a descriptive, retrospective study of cases with AFP routinely documented at the National Referral Laboratory of Polio (NRLP) from 2010 to 2018. Results. Among the 884 AFP cases identified and analyzed, we identified 11 polioviruses as Sabin-like vaccine strains (PSL). PSL were isolated in 11 samples of AFP cases received at the laboratory, including one PSL1, three PSL2 + PSL3, one PSL1 + PSL2, and one PSL1 + 2 + 3. The annualized nonpolio AFP rate per 100,000 children under 15 years ranged from 0.84 during 2011–2015 to 2.29 in 2018. The stool adequacy indicator was poor and may be improved with better delivery times and maintaining the cold chain. The incidence of isolated nonpolio enteroviruses (NPEV) varied between 2.27% and 12.6%, with the average not exceeding 6.35%; the incidence remained low compared to the indicator set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Conclusion. Morocco was certified polio-free by WHO in 2015, and since then no cases of wild poliovirus have been reported. Overall, although the nonpolio AFP rate has risen to the WHO standard, stool adequacy and the proportion of nonpolio enteroviruses need to be improved. The laboratory can adopt alternative techniques, independent of cell culture, to ensure that imported cases of poliovirus are not missed, especially in this era of eradication.</jats:p>

<jats:p>This study assessed the magnitude of hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) and cognitive deficits of 130 school-aged children (6–13 years old) living in three selected orphanages in Kumasi, Ghana. Sociodemographic data assessment, anthropometric assessment (BMI for age and height for age), dietary assessment (3-day repeated 24-hour dietary recall), urinary iodine level assessment, and cognitive performance assessment (Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices) were performed. Boys formed 50.8% of the study population, while girls formed 49.2%. The median age of participants was 10.50 years. About 12.3%, 7%, and 10.0% of participants were stunted, thin, and overweight/obese, respectively. The prevalence of mild iodine deficiency (i.e., 50–99 μg/L) was 16.2%. Iodine deficiency was significantly higher (23.6%) in participants who had lived for at least 7 years in the orphanage compared to those who had lived less than 7 years (10.7%) (<jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.047</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>). About 17% of the participants performed poorly (&lt;50%) on the cognition test. Mean cognition test scores were significantly different among the orphanages (<jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.027</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>). The majority of participants, 89.2%, 54.6%, 76.9%, and 77.7%, had adequate intake of iron, zinc, vitamin C, and folate, respectively, whereas intake of vitamins A and B12 was inadequate for the majority of participants (90.8% and 50.8%, respectively). There was no significant correlation between micronutrient intake and cognitive performance. However, mean cognition test scores were significantly different between participants with adequate and inadequate iron and vitamin A intake (<jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.007</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula> and <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>&lt;</mo> <mn>0.001</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>, respectively). The findings of this study warrant a closer look at nutritional intakes in orphanages to improve hidden hunger and cognitive performance.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Background. Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a highly contagious virus, is a circular partial double-stranded DNA virus. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus with a major blood-borne infection worldwide. Infection of HBV and HCV among blood donors is an important public health problem. Objective. To assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses and associated factors among blood donors at Bahir Dar Blood Bank, Northwest Ethiopia. Method. Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahir Dar Blood Bank from May 18, 2020 to July 27, 2020. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 426 participants. Variables having a <jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>p</mi> </math> </jats:inline-formula> value of &lt;0.05 with 95% CI and AOR were considered statistically significant. Results. From 426 proposed participants, 418 (98.1%) of them completed the face-to-face interview. The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV among study participants was 4.07% and 0.48%, respectively. Having multiple sexual partners (AOR = 10.356: 95% CI: (2.277–47.099)), having a family history of hepatitis (AOR = 8.106: 95% CI: (1.278–51.403)), and having sharp materials sharing experience (AOR = 11.313, 95% CI: (1.144–111.864)) have a significant association with HBV infection. No risk factors were found for HCV infectious markers. Conclusion and Recommendations. This study showed that the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infections confirmed with positive tests among voluntary blood donors in Bahir Dar Blood Bank was 4.07% and 0.48%, respectively. HBV seroprevalence among blood donors in this study has remained stable when compared to a study done in 2013 in the same population. Strict donor selection, safe sex practice, using proper safety precautions when offering care to a family member, and immunization of people at risk could constitute an important package of a prevention program.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Introduction. Bystanders at overdose events often hesitate to call 911 due to fear of police involvement. To address this, in 2016, British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) introduced a policy to not routinely inform police of overdose events. This study explores change in police attended overdose events after the policy was implemented. Methods. Data on police attended overdose events were derived from naloxone administration forms in BC’s Take-Home Naloxone (THN) kits returned before and after the policy change. Segmented regression was conducted to quantify change in police attended overdose events. Results. The average proportion of police attended overdose events pre-policy was 55.6% compared to 37.9% post-policy. The segmented regression model demonstrated a 0.98% (95% CI: (−1.70 to −0.26)) decline (<jats:inline-formula> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <mi>p</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.01</mn> </math> </jats:inline-formula>) in police attended overdose events each month following the policy. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the BCEHS policy contributed to a decrease in police attended overdose events.</jats:p>