Sir Arthur Lewis Community College

Abstract Background: Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella typhi , is a major food- and water-borne disease in low- and middle-income countries. Poor sanitation, unsafe food consumption, and contaminated water sources increase transmission risk. The growing emergence of multi drug resistant strains further complicates treatment and control efforts, posing a significant public health challenge. Aim: To determine the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and risk factors of typhoid fever among febrile patients in Northwest Ethiopia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to August 2025 at Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital among 403 systematically selected patients. Data were collected using questionnaires, stool culture, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing with the Kirby-Bauer method. Logistic regression identified significant risk factors. Results: The prevalence of typhoid fever was 4.5% (18/403). Significant predictors included eating raw vegetables and fruits [AOR=9.88, 95% CI: 1.285–75.990], eating street food [AOR=8.57, 95% CI: 1.279–57.398], and drinking raw milk [AOR=7.58, 95% CI: 1.102– 52.207]. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed high resistance to Ampicillin and Cotrimoxazole, while Ciprofloxacin remained highly effective. The emergence of multidrug resistance highlights the threat of limited treatment options and the need for close monitoring of drug efficacy. Conclusion: Although the overall prevalence was relatively low, typhoid fever continues to pose a public health burden in the study area. Risky food consumption habits were strong predictors of infection, while antimicrobial resistance patterns indicate narrowing therapeutic options. Strengthening preventive measures, safe food practices, and continuous surveillance of drug resistance are crucial to reduce disease transmission and improve clinical management. Promote food safety, public awareness, sanitation, safe milk consumption, antimicrobial stewardship, and laboratory surveillance to effectively reduce typhoid fever burden.

Abstract Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes significantly influence both socioeconomic conditions and environmental systems at local, regional, and global levels. Despite this, limited research has been conducted on how such changes affect wetland ecosystems and the services they provide in Ethiopia's Central Highlands. This study aims to examine the dynamics of LULC changes and their impact on wetlands and related ecosystem services, using the Central Ethiopian Highlands as a case study. The analysis employs geospatial tools and ecosystem service valuation (ESV) coefficients as primary data sources. LULC changes were assessed using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, while ESVs were estimated through the benefit transfer method, based on previously established global coefficients. Between 2003 and 2023, the study found that built-up areas, forest land, and agricultural land expanded by 85.1%, 15.1%, and 4.9%, respectively. In contrast, there were significant reductions in wetlands (87.5%), bare land (65.7%), and water bodies (49.3%). Over the same period, the total loss in ecosystem service value across the landscape amounted to approximately USD 1,449.2 million per hectare per year, reflecting a 10.5% decline. The most substantial losses in ecosystem services were observed in wetlands (USD 2,078.4 million per hectare per year, a decline of 87.5%) and water bodies (USD 364.9 million per hectare per year, a decline of 49.3%). Furthermore, all categories of ecosystem services—including provisioning, regulating, habitat, and cultural services—experienced a general decline. In conclusion, the Central Highlands of Ethiopia have undergone significant LULC transformations over the past two decades, leading to notable degradation in essential ecosystem services. This underscores the urgent need for sustainable land management strategies that curb unregulated urbanization and agricultural expansion, promote alternative livelihoods, raise public awareness, and establish buffer zones to protect remaining wetland habitats.

Abstract Background: The complications and management of twin pregnancies have been widely studied. One of the rare complications in twin pregnancies is locked twins which occur during labor when the after-coming head of the first breech fetus is locked with the head of the second cephalic fetus. It has an incidence of 1 in 1000 twin deliveries or 1 in 90,000 deliveries and is associated with astillbirth rate of 50% for the first twin. The risk factors are age, parity of the mother and size of the twins. A large pelvis with relatively small infants and decreased liquor volume following the rupture of membranes are thought to be factors that favor interlocking. Case Summary: We present a case of 22-year-old primigravida woman from Ethiopia who came to our hospital from another institution by referral on 26/10/2024 with a diagnosis of interlocked twin in second stage of labour for better management after an unsuccessful attempt at vaginal delivery. Physical examination and investigations were performed and the patient delivered live female second twins via caesarean delivery and freshly died female neonate vaginally. The surgery was uneventful and the patient had a smooth post operative period. The second twin was managed for asphyxia at the neonatal intensive care unit and was discharged after one week of stay. Conclusion: Quality antenatal care, Counseling, early recognition of high-risk patients and early referral for better setup are very important. In cases of twin pregnancies with first nonvertex and second vertexes, locked twins should be prevented and if they occur, appropriate actions must be taken early to prevent maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.

This article analysed and compared two novels: Sahlesilasse Birhanemeskel’s Firebrands and W.E Mkufya’s The Wicked Walk following a thematic analytical framework. The article tries to explore the major themes of the two novels. The novels were selected from two different African counters: Firebrands from Ethiopia and The Wicked Walk from Tanzania. The study followed a qualitative research design. A content analysis checklist was followed as the main analytical tool. Common themes portrayed by the two East African novelists have often been misunderstood as the authors lived in two different counties facing colonialism and liberation differently. Tanzania was a British colony and Ethiopia remained a free country. Readers often expect the two authors present a negative presentation of social class in each society. Living into two different worlds, the two authors are expected to depict entirely different images of women in the two Eastern Africa societies. Several thematic analyses have been conducted on African literature by several researchers. Such studies also contributed a lot to the development of literature in the Africa.

ObjectiveTo assess the time to initiation of antenatal care (ANC) and its predictors among pregnant women in Ethiopia.DesignRetrospective follow-up study using secondary data from the 2019 Ethiopian Mini-Demographic and Health Survey.Setting and participants2933 women aged 15–49 years who had ANC visits during their current or most recent pregnancy within the 5 years prior to the survey were included in this study. Women who attended prenatal appointments but whose gestational age was unknown at the first prenatal visit were excluded from the study.Outcome measuresParticipants were interviewed about the gestational age in months at which they made the first ANC visit. Multivariable mixed-effects survival regression was fitted to identify factors associated with the time to initiation of ANC.ResultsIn this study, the estimated mean survival time of pregnant women to initiate the first ANC visit in Ethiopia was found to be 6.8 months (95% CI: 6.68, 6.95). Women whose last birth was a caesarean section (adjusted acceleration factor (AAF)=0.75; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.93) and women with higher education (AAF)=0.69; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.95) had a shorter time to initiate ANC early in the first trimester of pregnancy. However, being grand multiparous (AAF=1.31; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.63), being previously in a union (AAF=1.47; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.00), having a home birth (AAF=1.35; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.61) and living in a rural area (AAF=1.25; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.52) were the impediments to early ANC initiation.ConclusionWomen in this study area sought their initial ANC far later than what the WHO recommended. Therefore, healthcare providers should collaborate with community health workers to provide home-based care in order to encourage prompt ANC among hard-to-reach populations, such as rural residents and those giving birth at home.

Autism is a common neurodevelopmental condition often diagnosed in childhood that requires cross-system and -sector collaboration (e.g., educational, healthcare, community and family systems). Having a psychometrically strong tool to consistently and reliably measure clinicians' attitudes toward healthcare teams is necessary in both research and clinical contexts. Prior researchers have developed such tools, but many lack psychometric support or are not focused on interdisciplinary healthcare teams. In the present study, we revised the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams (ATHCT) scale to explicitly address interdisciplinary healthcare teams and use inclusive language appropriate for a range of disciplines. In this study, we evaluate this revised measure-the Attitudes Toward Interdisciplinary Healthcare Teams (ATIHCT)-to determine its psychometric support. Method: Two hundred and sixteen healthcare clinicians from two samples were included in the current study to validate the ATIHCT. An exploratory factor analysis with parallel analysis using maximum likelihood was conducted to determine factor structure. Promax (orthogonal) rotation method was used as factors are assumed to be correlated. Due to the ordinal nature of response options a polychoric correlation matrix was used. The ATIHCT evidenced good reliability and resulted in two distinct factors measuring healthcare providers' perceived efficiency of interdisciplinary team-based care and perceived service quality associated with interdisciplinary team-based care. The findings from the current study indicate that the ATIHCT is a psychometrically strong measure of healthcare provider perceptions of interdisciplinary team-based care. We discuss implications and potential uses for the ATIHCT in both clinical and research contexts.

Abstract Introduction: Climate change is mainly caused by the release of anthropogenic greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. It is the cause for 10% of global death. About 3 billion people globally and tens of million people in Ethiopia are vulnerable to its health impacts. Investigation of public knowledge towards its health impacts, attributed by different factors, is fundamental for preventive actions. Although relevant national and international studies are on the verge of growing, focus is given for the agricultural perspective; accordingly, farmers are the focus of those studies. However, the community’s knowledge towards impacts of climate change from a public health perspective is largely ignored. This study takes this gap into account and aims to assess knowledge towards health impacts of climate change among the community of Amhara Sayint district, Northeastern Ethiopia. The findings will serve as tools for taking comprehensive preventive actions. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 20 to September 5, 2022. Data was collected from 605 randomly selected households. A pilot-tested and content-validated questionnaire was used to collect the data through face to face interview using an online kobocollect.The data was then exported to STATA for management and analysis. Proportional odds model was fitted with 95% confidence level to identify factors associated with the knowledge of the community. Results From the total respondents, 3.47% (95% CI: 2.1, 5.3) and 42.98% (95% CI: 38.9, 47) had inadequate and medium level of knowledge towards the health impacts of climate change, respectively. Gender (female) (AOR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.053, 2.127), wealth status (poorest) (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.01, 3.831), educational status (unable to read and write) (AOR = 4.13, 95%CI: 1.25, 13.68) and participation in environmental protection activities (not) (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.17–2.71) significantly associated with inadequate and medium level of knowledge. Conclusions Though the majority of Amhara Sayint residents had adequate knowledge about the health impacts of climate change, a significant proportion of the residents had inadequate knowledge. Therefore, priority shall better be given for strengthening educational and active engagement of the community in environmental protection activities to further enhance public knowledge.

Abstract Background: The performance of any firm not only plays the role to increase the market value of that specific firm but also leads towards the growth of the whole industry which ultimately leads towards the overall prosperity of the economy. The aim of this study was determining factor that affect profitability of Insurance Company in Ethiopia. Methodology: The sample in this study includes 5 years data from 2012 to 2016 which is secondary data obtained from the financial statements (Balance sheet and Profit/Loss account) of Insurance Companies in Ethiopia are analyzed. To comply with the objective of this research, the authors are primarily used based on quantitative research, which constructed an econometrics model to identify and measure the determinants of profitability.Results: The average and standard deviation for profitability of insurance company measured by using Return on assets (ROA) for Ethiopian insurance companies was 0.117 and 0.08, respectively. In the univariable analysis, age of company, Firm Growth, Company Size, Leverage and market share are highly significant predictors of profitability. Furthermore, age of company, leverage and branch distribution was found the crucial factors in determining the profitability of insurance companies using multivariable analysis in Ethiopia.