Background Despite improving access to Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) management, information on the quality of the service, as measured by timely recovery, is scare. This study is designed to assess treatment outcomes and factors affecting time-to-recovery from SAM in children 6–59 months admitted to a stabilizing center in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HU-CSH), Southern Ethiopia. Methods Institutional-based retrospective cohort study was conducted on 420 randomly selected children aged 6–59 months. The children were managed at the hospital from July, 2015 to June, 2017. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to extract data from medical records. Data were analyzed using Kaplan Meir (KM) curve, Log rank test and Cox-Proportional hazards model. The outputs of the bivariable and multivariable Cox model are presented using Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) with the respective 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Results After a maximum of 59 days treatment 69.3% of the children recovered and 10.8% died. The mean (±SD) weight gain rates was 12.7 (±8.9) g/kg/days. The overall incidence density rate of recovery was 3.8 per 100 person-days. The overall median (IQR) time of recovery was 17(10, 24) days. F-100 intake (AHR = 0.502, 95%, CI: 0.29–0.86), Tuberculosis infection (AHR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.00–1.91) and provision of special medication (IV fluid, IV antibiotic and blood transfusion) (AHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.52–0.99) at admission were found to be significant predictors of time-to-recovery from SAM. Conclusion The overall recovery from complicated SAM children admitted at HU-CSH after a maximum of 59 days treatment was low (69.4%) and a very high proportion of children (10.8%) end up in death. Therefore, HU-CSH should give special focus for those children present with medical comorbidities during admission.

Background Globally, approximately 15 million babies are born preterm every year. Complications of prematurity are the leading cause of under-five mortality. There is overwhelming evidence from low, middle, and high-income countries supporting kangaroo mother care (KMC) as an effective strategy to prevent mortality in both preterm and low birth weight (LBW) babies. However, implementation and scale-up of KMC remains a challenge, especially in lowincome countries such as Ethiopia. This formative research study, part of a broader KMC implementation project in Southern Ethiopia, aimed to identify the barriers to KMC implementation and to devise a refined model to deliver KMC across the facility to community continuum. Methods A formative research study was conducted in Southern Ethiopia using a qualitative explorative approach that involved both health service providers and community members. Twenty-fourin-depth interviewsand 14 focus group discussions were carried out with 144study participants. The study applied a grounded theory approach to identify,examine, analyse and extract emerging themes, and subsequently develop a model for KMC implementation. Results Barriers to KMC practice included gaps in KMC knowledge, attitude and practices among parents of preterm and LBW babies;socioeconomic, cultural and structural factors; thecommunity’s beliefs and valueswith respect to preterm and LBW babies;health professionals’ acceptance of KMC as well as their motivation to implement practices; and shortage of supplies in health facilities. Conclusions Our study suggests a comprehensive approach with systematic interventions and support at maternal, family, community, facility and health care provider levels. We propose an implementation model that addresses this community to facility continuum.

Background Ethiopia is the second populous country in Africa with a total fertility rate of 4.6 and contraceptive prevalence of 35%, where implant and intrauterine contraceptive devices account for 8 and 2% respectively. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of long acting reversible contraceptives utilization and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Arsi Negele town, Southeastern Ethiopia. Methods Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 01–May 30, 2017. A total of 361 women using modern contraceptives were selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Pre-tested and interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed using SPSS version 20.0 software. Result The magnitude of long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) utilization was 33.5% [95% CI, 28.5–38.8]. Husband with no formal education [AOR = 0.41, CI: 0.16, 0.78] and unemployed women [AOR = 0.35, CI: 0.42, 0.65] were negative predictors while having media exposure [AOR = 7.14, CI: 3.85, 13.25], women who desired only one child [AOR = 3.28, CI; 1.28, 8.39] and husband support [AOR = 7.33, CI: 3.48, 15.43] were positive predictors of LARCs utilization. Conclusion The overall utilization of LARCs is 33.5%. Creating employment opportunities, male involvement, advertisement and advocacy activities through mass media need to be considered to improve utilization of LARCs.

Background The promotion of contraception in countries with high birth rates has the potential to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal, and childhood deaths. Every year in sub-Saharan Africa approximately 14 million unintended pregnancies occurred and a sizeable proportion was due to poor use of short-term hormonal methods. Contraceptive hormonal implants are highly effective and suitable for almost all women at any stage of their reproductive lives. On the other hand, early discontinuation of the Implanon contraceptive method utilization is one of the foremost problems amid the family planning program. Early discontinuation of the Implanon contraceptive method and reasons for such discontinuation lingers the most significant anxiety for family planning programs. In unindustrialized countries, contraceptive discontinuation due to health concerns is generally higher; these complaints are often related to service quality. Hence, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with early discontinuation of Implanon among women who ever used Implanon in Kucha district, Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods Implanon contraceptive device users were selected from the Kucha district using a cross-sectional community-based survey from January to March 2018. A total of 430 women were selected and data were collected through face-to-face interviews by using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Data were cleaned, coded, and entered into Epi-Info version 7statistical software. Factors that showed association in a bivariate analysis that has a p value of less than 0.25 were entered into multiple logistic regression models for controlling confounding factors. The strength of statistical association was measured by adjusted odds ratio, at 95% confidence intervals, and p value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant variables. Result The result of this study revealed that the overall discontinuation rate of Implanon in the study was 34%. Variables having statistically significant association with Implanon discontinuation were women who never use a contraceptive method other than Implanon (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI 1.53–5.74), women who didn’t make discussion with a partner (AOR = 3.32, 95% CI 1.57–7.04), poor counseling and follow up (AOR = 9.23, 95% CI 4.7–18.13), fear of side effects (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.058- 0.24) and poor satisfaction of service (AOR = 5.2, 95% CI 2.77- 9.76) Conclusion The overall early discontinuation rate of Implanon in the study area was high. The main factors associated with early discontinuation of Implanon were contraceptive ever use, discussion with partner, poor follow-up of counseling, fear of side effects, and un-satisfaction by the services given during the insertion rate of Implanon.

BackgroundThe malaria control strategy has shown an improvement in providing services and allocating resources to enhance malaria elimination. The world malaria report indicated that there was a marked increment of insecticide treated net (ITNs) utilization among pregnant women. However, in Ethiopia, the number of households with possession and utilization of ITNs is still far behind the WHO recommendations. Hence, this study was aimed to measure the magnitude of ITN utilization and to identify factors associated with its utilization among pregnant women from April 4, 2021 to April 15, 2021 in Sodo Zuria Woreda, in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsA community based cross-sectional study was employed. Data were collected using interviewer administered pretested, structured questionnaires. Simple random sampling method was used to select 459 pregnant women. Data were entered into Epi Info version 7 and then exported to statistical package for the social sciences for further analysis. We used time period for data collection of current study. Binary’s logistic regression was used to determine factors affecting insecticides treated net (ITN) utilization. Adjusted Odd Ratios (OR) with 95% CI was used to measures the strengths of associations.ResultsOf 435 surveyed households with pregnant women, 341(78.39%) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (74.5%, 82.3%) possessed at least one insecticide treated net. Among them, 194(56.89%) with 95% CI (51.6%, 61.7%) interviewees had self-reported as they slept under insecticide treated net on the night preceding the data collection day. Utilization of insecticide treated nets by other family members, AOR: 6.615(95% CI: 3.358, 13.032), knowledge that the use of insecticide treated nets can prevent malaria, AOR: 3.221(95% CI: 1.737, 5.974), sleeping under insecticide treated nets, AOR: 3.726(95% CI: 1.974, 7.034), and attending ANC follow up visits, AOR: 1.956(95% CI: 1.097), were found to be significantly associated factors with pregnant women’s insecticide treated net utilization.ConclusionThe number of households with pregnant women who had possession and utilization of ITNs was much lower than the recommendations set by WHO. Therefore, information dissemination to malaria high risk groups about insecticide treated net utilization and replacement of worn-out insecticide treated nets should be emphasized.