Ambo University

Recurrent infection is more common inPlasmodium vivaxmalaria. The recurrence ofP. vivaxcan be due to recrudescence, reinfection, or relapse. To characterize the genetic signature ofP. vivaxgenetic diversity and multiplicity of infection (MOI) were assessed using merozoite surface protein 1 gene (pvmsp1). A total of 370 blood samples were collected from 215 individuals visiting health facilities within Arjo-Didessa sugarcane plantations and it’s surrounding of Oromia, southwestern Ethiopia. All samples were subjected to amplicon deep sequencing of thepvmsp1gene. High population genetic diversity was observed—generating 67 unique haplotypes, haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.799), nucleotide diversity (ℼ = 0.044), and expected heterozygosity (HE) = 0.826. However, low MOI = 1.4 and 34.6% polyclonal infections. Of the 215 participant, 82 patients experienced one to five recurrent infections. In paired analysis of primary and recurrent episodes, high genetic homology (81.3%) was observed, with 55.6% of the homologous pairs sharing identical alleles. The high genetic diversity at population and low diversity at individual level likely driven by migrant workers introducing diverse parasite genotypes into a low-transmission setting. Most of the recurrent infections were relapses, as evidenced by shared alleles. The finding highlights the need for strengthening malaria surveillance and tailored intervention particularly for mobile population.

Ethiopia’s special economic zones (SEZs) sustainability practices are aimed at achieving the country's sustainable development; however, their failure has resulted in repercussions for sustainable local community development. This study analyzed the repercussions on the sustainable development of local communities resulting from the failure of SEZs' sustainability practices, focusing on three SEZs: Eastern Special Economic Zone (ESEZ), Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone (BLSEZ), and Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone (DDFTZ). The study employed a mixed research approach with an exploratory sequential design in which the qualitative phase was carried out and analyzed using content and thematic analysis, followed by the quantitative phase using descriptive analysis and a multivariate multiple linear regression. The study found that SEZs' sustainability practices negatively contributed to the local community’s sustainable development in economic, social, environmental, and peace perspectives. The multivariate multiple linear regression results show that economic sustainability practices significantly influenced social and economic development challenges, while governance sustainability practices significantly influenced the environmental sustainability and sustainable peace of local communities. To this end, it is suggested that systemic measures should improve the sustainability practices of SEZs as they minimize the negative impacts of SEZs on the local communities' sustainable development.

Transnational academic collaboration, particularly global North-South, is increasingly recognized as a critical strategy for enhancing educational quality, equity, and relevance in global health and nursing education. This study aimed to describe the participatory process of developing and revising two joint Master’s level course drafts, Global Health Nursing and Participatory Action Research in Health Care, and to explore the feasibility of integrating these courses into the existing curricula of partner universities in Norway and Ethiopia. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, grounded in a participatory approach. Data were collected during a structured workshop using the Story Dialogue Method (SDM), which engaged 20 academic participants from both countries in reflective discussions and collaborative revisions of course drafts. Thematic insights were drawn from dialogue notes and synthesized through group-based reflection and analysis. The findings revealed both opportunities and challenges in joint curriculum development. The collaborative process fostered pedagogical innovation, mutual capacity building, and student-centered-learning approaches. However, integration into existing programs, especially in the Ethiopian context, was hindered by less flexible institutional structures, digital infrastructure limitations, and the ambitious scope of learning outcomes relative to course design. Thus, discussions emphasized the need for clearer course content alignment with credit allocation and institutional capacities. This study underscored the potential of equitable and participatory academic partnerships to co-create contextually relevant and globally informed curricula. For such initiatives to be sustainable and impactful, future efforts should include broader stakeholder engagement, realistic curricular planning, and strategic measures to bridge digital and institutional divides. Not applicable.

Adolescents living with HIV experience persistent challenges in achieving optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), threatening viral suppression and long-term treatment success. In sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, developmental transitions, limited resources, and socio-cultural factors further complicate adherence. This study aims to develop and validate a model of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence determinants among Ethiopian adolescents living with HIV by extending the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model through the integration of HIV-related stigma as an additional construct, given its significant influence on adherence in this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to October 2024 among 219 adolescents living with HIV in ALERT hospital, Addis Ababa. The data were analyzed via SPSS and the lavaan 0.6-18 package in R. The pathways through which the study constructs influenced ART adherence were estimated via the diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS) method. Model fit was evaluated via the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio (χ²/df), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). A total of 210 adolescents were included in the final analysis, of whom 68.6% were adherent to ART. The proposed model demonstrated excellent fit to the data (χ²/df = 1.23, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.033). Treatment self-efficacy mediated the effects of ART knowledge and ART attitude on ART adherence. While social support exerted both significant direct (β = 0.20, p = .029) and indirect effects via treatment self-efficacy, resulting in a significant total effect on ART adherence (β = 0.26, p = .004), HIV-related stigma did not demonstrate significant direct or indirect effects on ART adherence. Interventions that strengthen ART-related knowledge, foster positive treatment attitudes, enhance social support, and build treatment self-efficacy may substantially improve ART adherence among adolescents living with HIV.

ABSTRACT This paper examines how climate change influences storm sewer network performance using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) with the Baro-Arabsa (a sub-city of Addis Ababa) case study. The assessment was done using node flooding, pipe surcharge, and system-limiting capacity performance parameters. The focus is on future rainfall scenarios predicted under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs): SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. To this end, four CMIP6 models were selected: CESM2, GFDL-CM4, GFDL-ESM4, and NorESM2-MM. The daily climatic data were projected for the mid-century (2041–2060) and late-century (2081–2100). The projected daily rainfall data were then disaggregated into 15 min data using the HyetosMinute package of the R-programming to fit SWMM input. The simulation results reveal a notable increase in the instances of flooding and pipe surcharges, especially in the low-lying areas. Both the intensity and frequency of flooding and limited capacity became more pronounced and severe as we move from mid-century to late-century and from SSP2-4.5 to SSP5-8.5. This analysis highlights the significant influence of climate change on the storm sewer network performances and the existing infrastructure's susceptibility to the projected SSP scenarios, stressing the importance of implementing adaptive measures such as system enhancements and green infrastructure to improve resilience against climate-related stormwater challenges.

Purpose This study aims to assess community awareness, perceived impacts and adaptation strategies to climate change in Liben Chukala District, Ethiopia, focusing on the vulnerabilities of subsistence-farming households and identifying measures to strengthen local resilience. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 167 households selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Quantitative analyses, including descriptive and inferential statistics, were conducted using SPSS 22 to examine levels of awareness, perceived climate impacts, coping mechanisms and adoption of adaptation strategies. Findings Results indicated that 64.1% of farmers were aware of climate change, whereas 35.9% lacked a clear understanding. Over the past 30 years, erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and recurrent droughts have negatively affected crop and livestock productivity. Key impacts include drought (41.9%), pests and diseases (27.5%), poverty (20.4%), severe soil erosion (77.2%), forest loss (72.5%) and water scarcity (83.8%), with women and children identified as the most vulnerable. Farmers’ coping strategies – such as asset sales (25%), borrowing money (21.6%), meal reduction (11.4%), firewood/charcoal sales, seasonal migration and wage labor – help short-term survival but often increase long-term risk. Adaptation measures adopted include crop diversification (85.6%), drought-tolerant varieties (71.3%), soil and water conservation (79.6%), livestock management (47.9%) and agroforestry (48.5%), although adoption is limited by land and resource constraints. Originality/value This study provides comprehensive empirical evidence on climate change awareness, impacts and adaptation strategies at the district level in Ethiopia. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, including expanding irrigation infrastructure and improving access to credit and essential inputs, to enhance the resilience of smallholder farming communities.

The aim of this study is to investigate the structural, morphological, and electrical properties of ceria co-doped with samarium and lanthanum (LSDC) for application as an electrolyte in solid oxide fuel cells operating at lower temperatures. To assess the crystal structure, microstructure, and electrical characteristics, techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and impedance spectroscopy were employed. The findings from XRD indicated that all samples crystallized into a single-phase, cubic fluorite structure, with crystallite sizes ranging from 20 to 29 nm. Confirmation of grain formation, along with average grain sizes between 380 and 966 nm, as well as the presence of pores, is determined by the SEM micrograph. The conductivity values determined through impedance spectroscopy for the compositions Ce0.9Sm0.05La0.05O1.95, Ce0.85Sm0.05La0.1O1.925, Ce0.85Sm0.1La0.05O1.925, and Ce0.8Sm0.1La0.1O1.9 were 4.28x10-3 S/cm, 6.5x10-3 S/cm, 1.63x10-2 S/cm, and 1.13x10-2 S/cm, respectively, at a temperature of 500 0C in an air atmosphere. The activation energies calculated for the samples Ce0.9Sm0.05La0.05O1.95, Ce0.85Sm0.05La0.1O1.925, Ce0.85Sm0.1La0.05O1.925, and Ce0.8Sm0.1La0.1O1.9 are 0.83 eV, 0.76 eV, 0.64 eV, and 0.67 eV, respectively. Among the LSDC-series samples, the composition Ce0.85Sm0.1La0.05O1.925 exhibits the highest ionic conductivities and the lowest activation energies across all measured temperatures. Additionally, every LSDC sample demonstrated ionic conductivities greater than 10-3 S/cm, even at the reduce temperature of 400 °C. These results collectively validate that the co-doping of samarium and lanthanum in ceria enhances its structure, morphology, and ionic conductivity, making it a viable strong electrolyte for applications in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTo describe a rare (airway-threatening) cervicothoracic presentation of Madelung disease (multiple symmetric lipomatosis) with upper mediastinal extension and to introduce a reproducible peri-operative strategy in a resource-limited setting.CASE PRESENTATIONWe report a case of a 40-year-old Oromo Ethiopian male who presented with progressive cervicothoracic adipose masses resulting in dyspnea and venous congestion. Awake fiberoptic intubation, staged resection, early extubation, and close airway management were the hallmarks of peri-operative management. Contrast-enhanced CT showed non-encapsulated, diffuse adipose infiltration from the neck into the upper mediastinum with effacement of the trachea. Because extensive bilateral cervical dissection posed a high risk of postoperative airway compromise (edema/hematoma) and prolonged anesthesia, a pre-planned two-stage surgical strategy was chosen. Stage 1 anterior debulking removed 3.5 kg of fatty tissue, and Stage 2 posterolateral debulking removed an additional 2.0 kg (total 5.5 kg). There were no major complications. The patient was discharged one week after the second procedure. At 1 month follow-up, there was significant improvement in breathing and daily functioning with no evidence of early recurrence. Clinical and ultrasound follow-up at 3, 6, and 9 months and 1 year showed no recurrence or complications.CONCLUSIONSGiant cervicothoracic Madelung disease can lead to critical airway compromise. Planned awake fiberoptic intubation and staged debulking resulted in safe care and good outcomes. Reporting detailed airway and surgical strategies for this uncommon presentation may be helpful to teams working in resource-constrained settings. Long-term surveillance remains essential because postoperative recurrence has been reported.