Urbanization in developing countries often negatively impacts water re-sources by polluting surface waters. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is currently experiencing rapid urbanization accompanied by significant water shortage...Urbanization in developing countries often negatively impacts water re-sources by polluting surface waters. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is currently experiencing rapid urbanization accompanied by significant water shortages, unmanaged stormwater, and increasing river water pollution. To supplement the need for non-potable water and address stormwater runoff pollution, we constructed a low cost stormwater filtration system. The filtration system is comprised of a sedimentation area followed by three gravel grain sizes arranged horizontally from coarse to medium to fine filter media. We compared the quality of pretreatment water with post-treatment water by measuring physicochemical parameters, heavy metals and nutrients. We found that the filtration system reduced turbidity by 87%, TSS by 80%, Cu by 87% and Zn by 90%. Further, it positively increased the concentration of DO by 42%. However, the filtration system did not remove nitrates and nitrites. Implementing this system at outfalls in the rapidly expanding condominium housing areas can increase residents’ supply of non-potable water and reduce the amount of polluted stormwater entering nearby streams and rivers.展开更多
Introduction: Alcohol drinking and risky sexual practices have become serious public health problem among teenagers and young adults globally, including many developing countries. The available reports are sparse, esp...Introduction: Alcohol drinking and risky sexual practices have become serious public health problem among teenagers and young adults globally, including many developing countries. The available reports are sparse, especially there is a lack of recent and representative data for high school students in developing countries including Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, identify determinants, and examine the association of alcohol drinking with sexual practices among high school students in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. Methods: School based cross sectional study was conducted from November to December 2010. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between students’ background characteristics and alcohol use, and alcohol use and sexual practices. Results: Among 2551 students surveyed, lifetime and current (past month) alcohol drinking was reported by 1166 (45.7%) and 676 (26.5%) students, respectively. Having sexual intercourse at least once in their lifetime was reported by 412 (16.2%) with151 (5.9%) of them being sexually active during a month prior to the survey. Having multiple sexual partners (52.5%), drinking alcohol before sexual intercourse (26.4%), and having sexual intercourse without the use of condom (47.3%) were also common among sexually active students. In adjusted logistic regression model, age (18 and 19 and older), living with 2 parents, getting pocket money, having alcohol drinking friends and attending general secondary school (grade 9-10) were positive predictors of current alcohol drinking. Nergative predictors of current alcohol drinking were being Protestant Christian and living with relatives or siblings. Conclusion: Alcohol drinking before sexual intercourse was a major problem among high school students in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Male gender, older age and higher school grade, friends influence, religious affiliation, living with parents and getting pocket money were significant predictors of current alcohol drinking. Educating about substance use and risky sexual behaviors, engaging students in extracurricular activities and restrict access to alcohol to high school students may help in solution of these problems on a local scale.展开更多
Currently,vehicle-related particulate matter is the main determinant air pollution in the urban environment.This study was designed to investigate the level of fine(PM_(2.5))and coarse particle(PM_(10))concentration o...Currently,vehicle-related particulate matter is the main determinant air pollution in the urban environment.This study was designed to investigate the level of fine(PM_(2.5))and coarse particle(PM_(10))concentration of roadside vehicles in Addis Ababa,the capital city of Ethiopia using artificial neural network model.To train,test and validate the model,the traffic volume,weather data and particulate matter concentrations were collected from 15 different sites in the city.The experimental results showed that the city average 24-hr PM_(2.5)concentration is 13%-144%and 58%-241%higher than air quality index(AQI)and world health organization(WHO)standards,respectively.The PM_(10)results also exceeded the AQI(54%-65%)and WHO(8%-395%)standards.The model runs using the Levenberg-Marquardt(Trainlm)and the Scaled Conjugate Gradient(Trainscg)and comparison were performed,to identify the minimum fractional error between the observed and the predicted value.The two models were determined using the correlation coefficient and other statistical parameters.The Trainscg model,the average concentration of PM_(2.5)and PM_(10)exhaust emission correlation coefficient were predicted to be(R^(2)=0.775)and(R^(2)=0.92),respectively.The Trainlm model has also well predicted the exhaust emission of PM_(2.5)(R~2=0.943)and PM_(10)(R^(2)=0.959).The overall results showed that a better correlation coefficient obtained in the Trainlm model,could be considered as optional methods to predict transport-related particulate matter concentration emission using traffic volume and weather data for Ethiopia cities and other countries that have similar geographical and development settings.展开更多
Background: The lack of cause of death information is the main challenge in monitoring the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in countries where the majority of deaths occur a...Background: The lack of cause of death information is the main challenge in monitoring the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in countries where the majority of deaths occur at home. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of physician reviewers of verbal autopsies in diagnosing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in the adult population of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Methods: This study was done within the context of a burial surveillance system in Addis Ababa. Trained interviewers completed a standard verbal autopsy questionnaire and an independent panel of physicians reviewed the completed form to assign cause of death. Physicians' review was compared to a reference standard constructed based on prospectively collected HIV-serostatus and patients' hospital record. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to validate the physicians' verbal autopsy diagnoses against reference standards. Results: Physicians accurately identified AIDS-related deaths with sensitivity and specificity of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80 - 0.93) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.64 - 0.87), respectively. Generally, there was high level of agreement (Cohen's Kappa Statistic (K > 0.6) between the first two physicians with some yearly variations. In 2008 and 2009 there was an almost perfect agreement (K > 0.80). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the agreement level between two independent physicians in diagnosing AIDS-related death is very high and thus using a single verbal autopsy coder is practical for programmatic purposes in countries where there is critical shortage of doctors.展开更多
Back Ground: Risky sexual behavior among orphans and vulnerable children and its associated physical, psychological and social consequences is becoming a major public health concern globally. Objectives: To assess the...Back Ground: Risky sexual behavior among orphans and vulnerable children and its associated physical, psychological and social consequences is becoming a major public health concern globally. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its determinants among orphan and vulnerable children in Addis Ababa. Methodology: A community based cross sectional study was conducted on three support and care giving organizations for orphans and vulnerable children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from March to June 2014. A total of 422 orphan and vulnerable children were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected using pre tested self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Result: A total of 407 (96.4%) respondents participated in this study. Among them 112 (27.5%) had sexual intercourse in their life time, of these 50 (44.6%) started sex before the age of 15, 94 (83.9%) had forced sex, 84 (75.0%) had multiple sexual partners, only 16 (14.3%) used condom the first time they had sex and 96 (85.7%) participated in transactional sex. Females were about 3.25 (2.67 - 7.3) times more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than male respondents, double orphans had 4.32 (2.45 - 9.54) odds of risky sexual behavior compared to their counterparts. Those respondents who had knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention were less likely to be involved in risky sexual behavior 0.58 (0.41 - 0.93). Conclusion: Orphan and vulnerable children are at a higher likelihood of risky sexual behavior. Intervention targeted at multilevel such as orphan survival training, assertive communication skills, sexuality education and education about HIV risk perception, physical, psychological and human right protection, social support, and economic access for basic needs need to be given consideration.展开更多
Today Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is used as a tool to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems.The capital city of Ethiopia,Addis Ababa,aims t...Today Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is used as a tool to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems.The capital city of Ethiopia,Addis Ababa,aims to promote a sustainable transportation system by launching its first Light Rail Transit (LRT) network.Mitigate the need for mass transport,congestion,make transit a better choice,and encourage local economic development.Hence,a method was introduced to analyze the spatial and statistical conditions of accessibility on the existing transit stations of Addis Ababa.The methodology proposed measured the impact of accessibility around the existing TOD by defining a criterion that establishes the accessibility level[5-6].These criteria included proximity,urban densities,land-use diversity,and design of the urban spaces.The urban form of a place depends on accessibility.Mobility changes the character of a place.If the place changes,accessibility is likely to change.Therefore,TOD features that directly correlated with accessibility along the rail-based train stations will be explored.展开更多
In the heart of Addis Ababa,where tradition meets modern ambition,a gleaming structure of steel and glass is quietly reshaping Africa’s future.The new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC)Head...In the heart of Addis Ababa,where tradition meets modern ambition,a gleaming structure of steel and glass is quietly reshaping Africa’s future.The new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC)Headquarters is more than just a building-it’s a bold statement of partnership,progress,and a shared commitment to advancing public health across the continent.展开更多
The aim of transit-oriented development(TOD)is to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems.The capital city of Ethiopia,Addis Ababa,aims to promote a ...The aim of transit-oriented development(TOD)is to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems.The capital city of Ethiopia,Addis Ababa,aims to promote a sustainable transportation system by launching its first light rail transit(LRT)network to control the current pattern of increased congestion and the need for mass transport.Planning for TOD around existing transit stations helps achieve improved transit choice and encourages local economic development.Therefore,this article proposes a methodology to quantitatively measure the existing TOD in terms of a TOD index within the walkable distance of transit nodes by measuring the criteria that define TOD levels.The TOD index is calculated for areas of 22 stations on the East-West LRT line of Addis Ababa.Depending on the value of the TOD index,certain stations are identified to have a potential TOD but poor transit accessibility.With these results,the recommendation to improve TOD planning can become accurate for each station,depending on its relevant factors.Such results also help identify each station’s potential for TOD planning and its improvements toward future local developments.展开更多
Background:One way of addressing malnutrition among HIV/AIDS patients is through the Food by Prescription program(FBP)and many studies have explained the treatment outcomes after therapeutic food supplementation,thoug...Background:One way of addressing malnutrition among HIV/AIDS patients is through the Food by Prescription program(FBP)and many studies have explained the treatment outcomes after therapeutic food supplementation,though available evidences on adherence levels and factors associated with these sorts of programs are limited.The findings of this study would therefore contribute to the existing knowledge on adherence to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic/Supplementary Food(RUF)in Ethiopia.Methods:A facility-based,cross-sectional study supplemented with qualitative methods was conducted among 630 adult HIV+patients.Their level of adherence to RUF was measured using the Morisky 8-item Medication Adherence Scale(MMAS-8).The total score on the MMAS-8 ranges from 0 to 8,with scores of<6,6 to<8,and 8 reflecting low,medium,and high adherence,respectively.Patients who had a low or a moderate rate of adherence were considered non-adherent.Results:The level of adherence was found to be 36.3%with a 95.0%response rate.With the exception of the educational status,other socio-demographic variables had no significant effect on adherence.Those who knew the benefits of the FBP program were 1.78 times more likely to adhere to the therapy than the referent groups.On the other hand,patients who were not informed on the duration of the treatment,those prescribed with more than 2 sachets/day and had been taking RUF for more than 4 month were less likely to adhere.The main reasons for non-adherence were not liking the way the food tasted and missing follow-up appointments.Stigma and sharing and selling food were the other reasons,as deduced from the focus group discussion(FGD)findings.Conclusion:The observed level of adherence to the FBP program among respondents enrolled in the intervention program was low.The major factors identified with a low adherence were a low level of education,poor knowledge on the benefits of RUF,the longer duration of the program,consuming more than two prescribed sachets of RUF per day,and not being informed about the duration of the treatment.Therefore,counseling patients on the program’s benefits,including the treatment plans,would likely contribute to improved adherence.展开更多
文摘Urbanization in developing countries often negatively impacts water re-sources by polluting surface waters. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is currently experiencing rapid urbanization accompanied by significant water shortages, unmanaged stormwater, and increasing river water pollution. To supplement the need for non-potable water and address stormwater runoff pollution, we constructed a low cost stormwater filtration system. The filtration system is comprised of a sedimentation area followed by three gravel grain sizes arranged horizontally from coarse to medium to fine filter media. We compared the quality of pretreatment water with post-treatment water by measuring physicochemical parameters, heavy metals and nutrients. We found that the filtration system reduced turbidity by 87%, TSS by 80%, Cu by 87% and Zn by 90%. Further, it positively increased the concentration of DO by 42%. However, the filtration system did not remove nitrates and nitrites. Implementing this system at outfalls in the rapidly expanding condominium housing areas can increase residents’ supply of non-potable water and reduce the amount of polluted stormwater entering nearby streams and rivers.
文摘Introduction: Alcohol drinking and risky sexual practices have become serious public health problem among teenagers and young adults globally, including many developing countries. The available reports are sparse, especially there is a lack of recent and representative data for high school students in developing countries including Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, identify determinants, and examine the association of alcohol drinking with sexual practices among high school students in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. Methods: School based cross sectional study was conducted from November to December 2010. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between students’ background characteristics and alcohol use, and alcohol use and sexual practices. Results: Among 2551 students surveyed, lifetime and current (past month) alcohol drinking was reported by 1166 (45.7%) and 676 (26.5%) students, respectively. Having sexual intercourse at least once in their lifetime was reported by 412 (16.2%) with151 (5.9%) of them being sexually active during a month prior to the survey. Having multiple sexual partners (52.5%), drinking alcohol before sexual intercourse (26.4%), and having sexual intercourse without the use of condom (47.3%) were also common among sexually active students. In adjusted logistic regression model, age (18 and 19 and older), living with 2 parents, getting pocket money, having alcohol drinking friends and attending general secondary school (grade 9-10) were positive predictors of current alcohol drinking. Nergative predictors of current alcohol drinking were being Protestant Christian and living with relatives or siblings. Conclusion: Alcohol drinking before sexual intercourse was a major problem among high school students in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Male gender, older age and higher school grade, friends influence, religious affiliation, living with parents and getting pocket money were significant predictors of current alcohol drinking. Educating about substance use and risky sexual behaviors, engaging students in extracurricular activities and restrict access to alcohol to high school students may help in solution of these problems on a local scale.
文摘Currently,vehicle-related particulate matter is the main determinant air pollution in the urban environment.This study was designed to investigate the level of fine(PM_(2.5))and coarse particle(PM_(10))concentration of roadside vehicles in Addis Ababa,the capital city of Ethiopia using artificial neural network model.To train,test and validate the model,the traffic volume,weather data and particulate matter concentrations were collected from 15 different sites in the city.The experimental results showed that the city average 24-hr PM_(2.5)concentration is 13%-144%and 58%-241%higher than air quality index(AQI)and world health organization(WHO)standards,respectively.The PM_(10)results also exceeded the AQI(54%-65%)and WHO(8%-395%)standards.The model runs using the Levenberg-Marquardt(Trainlm)and the Scaled Conjugate Gradient(Trainscg)and comparison were performed,to identify the minimum fractional error between the observed and the predicted value.The two models were determined using the correlation coefficient and other statistical parameters.The Trainscg model,the average concentration of PM_(2.5)and PM_(10)exhaust emission correlation coefficient were predicted to be(R^(2)=0.775)and(R^(2)=0.92),respectively.The Trainlm model has also well predicted the exhaust emission of PM_(2.5)(R~2=0.943)and PM_(10)(R^(2)=0.959).The overall results showed that a better correlation coefficient obtained in the Trainlm model,could be considered as optional methods to predict transport-related particulate matter concentration emission using traffic volume and weather data for Ethiopia cities and other countries that have similar geographical and development settings.
文摘Background: The lack of cause of death information is the main challenge in monitoring the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in countries where the majority of deaths occur at home. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of physician reviewers of verbal autopsies in diagnosing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in the adult population of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Methods: This study was done within the context of a burial surveillance system in Addis Ababa. Trained interviewers completed a standard verbal autopsy questionnaire and an independent panel of physicians reviewed the completed form to assign cause of death. Physicians' review was compared to a reference standard constructed based on prospectively collected HIV-serostatus and patients' hospital record. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to validate the physicians' verbal autopsy diagnoses against reference standards. Results: Physicians accurately identified AIDS-related deaths with sensitivity and specificity of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80 - 0.93) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.64 - 0.87), respectively. Generally, there was high level of agreement (Cohen's Kappa Statistic (K > 0.6) between the first two physicians with some yearly variations. In 2008 and 2009 there was an almost perfect agreement (K > 0.80). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the agreement level between two independent physicians in diagnosing AIDS-related death is very high and thus using a single verbal autopsy coder is practical for programmatic purposes in countries where there is critical shortage of doctors.
文摘Back Ground: Risky sexual behavior among orphans and vulnerable children and its associated physical, psychological and social consequences is becoming a major public health concern globally. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its determinants among orphan and vulnerable children in Addis Ababa. Methodology: A community based cross sectional study was conducted on three support and care giving organizations for orphans and vulnerable children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from March to June 2014. A total of 422 orphan and vulnerable children were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected using pre tested self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Result: A total of 407 (96.4%) respondents participated in this study. Among them 112 (27.5%) had sexual intercourse in their life time, of these 50 (44.6%) started sex before the age of 15, 94 (83.9%) had forced sex, 84 (75.0%) had multiple sexual partners, only 16 (14.3%) used condom the first time they had sex and 96 (85.7%) participated in transactional sex. Females were about 3.25 (2.67 - 7.3) times more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than male respondents, double orphans had 4.32 (2.45 - 9.54) odds of risky sexual behavior compared to their counterparts. Those respondents who had knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention were less likely to be involved in risky sexual behavior 0.58 (0.41 - 0.93). Conclusion: Orphan and vulnerable children are at a higher likelihood of risky sexual behavior. Intervention targeted at multilevel such as orphan survival training, assertive communication skills, sexuality education and education about HIV risk perception, physical, psychological and human right protection, social support, and economic access for basic needs need to be given consideration.
文摘Today Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is used as a tool to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems.The capital city of Ethiopia,Addis Ababa,aims to promote a sustainable transportation system by launching its first Light Rail Transit (LRT) network.Mitigate the need for mass transport,congestion,make transit a better choice,and encourage local economic development.Hence,a method was introduced to analyze the spatial and statistical conditions of accessibility on the existing transit stations of Addis Ababa.The methodology proposed measured the impact of accessibility around the existing TOD by defining a criterion that establishes the accessibility level[5-6].These criteria included proximity,urban densities,land-use diversity,and design of the urban spaces.The urban form of a place depends on accessibility.Mobility changes the character of a place.If the place changes,accessibility is likely to change.Therefore,TOD features that directly correlated with accessibility along the rail-based train stations will be explored.
文摘In the heart of Addis Ababa,where tradition meets modern ambition,a gleaming structure of steel and glass is quietly reshaping Africa’s future.The new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC)Headquarters is more than just a building-it’s a bold statement of partnership,progress,and a shared commitment to advancing public health across the continent.
文摘The aim of transit-oriented development(TOD)is to create a livable urban environment by improving the integration between land-use and transportation systems.The capital city of Ethiopia,Addis Ababa,aims to promote a sustainable transportation system by launching its first light rail transit(LRT)network to control the current pattern of increased congestion and the need for mass transport.Planning for TOD around existing transit stations helps achieve improved transit choice and encourages local economic development.Therefore,this article proposes a methodology to quantitatively measure the existing TOD in terms of a TOD index within the walkable distance of transit nodes by measuring the criteria that define TOD levels.The TOD index is calculated for areas of 22 stations on the East-West LRT line of Addis Ababa.Depending on the value of the TOD index,certain stations are identified to have a potential TOD but poor transit accessibility.With these results,the recommendation to improve TOD planning can become accurate for each station,depending on its relevant factors.Such results also help identify each station’s potential for TOD planning and its improvements toward future local developments.
文摘Background:One way of addressing malnutrition among HIV/AIDS patients is through the Food by Prescription program(FBP)and many studies have explained the treatment outcomes after therapeutic food supplementation,though available evidences on adherence levels and factors associated with these sorts of programs are limited.The findings of this study would therefore contribute to the existing knowledge on adherence to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic/Supplementary Food(RUF)in Ethiopia.Methods:A facility-based,cross-sectional study supplemented with qualitative methods was conducted among 630 adult HIV+patients.Their level of adherence to RUF was measured using the Morisky 8-item Medication Adherence Scale(MMAS-8).The total score on the MMAS-8 ranges from 0 to 8,with scores of<6,6 to<8,and 8 reflecting low,medium,and high adherence,respectively.Patients who had a low or a moderate rate of adherence were considered non-adherent.Results:The level of adherence was found to be 36.3%with a 95.0%response rate.With the exception of the educational status,other socio-demographic variables had no significant effect on adherence.Those who knew the benefits of the FBP program were 1.78 times more likely to adhere to the therapy than the referent groups.On the other hand,patients who were not informed on the duration of the treatment,those prescribed with more than 2 sachets/day and had been taking RUF for more than 4 month were less likely to adhere.The main reasons for non-adherence were not liking the way the food tasted and missing follow-up appointments.Stigma and sharing and selling food were the other reasons,as deduced from the focus group discussion(FGD)findings.Conclusion:The observed level of adherence to the FBP program among respondents enrolled in the intervention program was low.The major factors identified with a low adherence were a low level of education,poor knowledge on the benefits of RUF,the longer duration of the program,consuming more than two prescribed sachets of RUF per day,and not being informed about the duration of the treatment.Therefore,counseling patients on the program’s benefits,including the treatment plans,would likely contribute to improved adherence.
