Background Open defecation practice problem is rampant in most rural areas of developing countries, including Ethiopia. To combat this problem, the Ethiopian government implemented different sanitation interventions including Community-Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH). The CLTSH approach is mainly aimed to eradicate open defecation practice through mobilizing the community to construct a latrine facility and utilize it. Although this intervention has significantly improved households’ access to a latrine facility, its impact on bringing behavioral change such as avoiding open defecation is not well studied. Objective Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of open defecation among households having their latrine and its determinant factors in rural settings in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Machakal district from September 1 to 30, 2019. A total of 472 household heads who had a latrine facility and systematically selected from six rural Kebeles of the district, were involved in the study. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire and observational checklist tools through face-to-face interviews and observation methods. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were run to identify the factors that influence open defecation practice. During the multivariable analysis, statistical significance was declared at the p-value of <0.05 with 95% CI. Results The prevalence of open defecation practice among household heads who had latrine facility was 27.8% (95% CI, [23.1–32.8]). Female gender (AOR = 2.94, 95% CI [1.13–7.68]), not attending of formal education (AOR = 3.10, CI 95% [1.34–7.13]), having >5 family members (AOR = 1.72, CI 95% [1.05–2.80]), presence of under-five child (AOR = 3.64 CI 95% [2.14–6.21]), preferring leaf as anal cleaning material (AOR = 3.18, CI 95% [1.67–6.08]), having unclean latrine (AOR = 2.15, CI 95% [1.34–3.44]), and having latrine that needs maintenance (AOR = 2.50 CI 95% [1.52–4.11]) variables were associated with open defecation practice. Conclusions Among the total respondents, finding more than a quarter of open defecators is concerning for a district that achieved greatly in terms of latrine coverage. This indicates the above-mentioned factors contributed to influence household heads to defecate openly despite having latrines. Therefore, the government and partners need to focus on designing strategies that effectively address determinant factors of open defecation.

Background Biomedical waste management is an important precondition to safeguard the healthcare workers and community members, as well as the environment, from being contaminated with infectious substances. However, biomedical waste management practices during the pandemic era of COVID-19 were unknown. Objective This study was aimed to assess biomedical waste management practices and associated factors among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic era at metropolitan city private hospitals, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at metropolitan city private hospitals in Amhara Region. Simple random sampling was used to select 431 study participants. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and observational checklists. The data were cleaned, coded, and entered into the Epi-data version 4.6, and then exported to SPSS version 20. for analysis. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered as significant factors in multivariable logistic regression analysis and AOR with a 95% confidence level was used to measure the strength of association. Results The proportion of health care workers who had good practices in biomedical waste management was 49.4%. Participants who had MSc education level, [AOR = 4.20, 95% CI (1.01, 17.40)], Bachelor degree [AOR = 3.52, 95% CI (2.13, 5.82)], got training on biomedical waste management [AOR = 4.33, 95% CI (2.71, 6.93)], access to color-coded three bins in their working department [AOR = 6.24.95% CI (3.84, 10.13)] and those who had good attitude (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI (1.65, 4.22), were significantly associated with biomedical waste management practices in private hospitals. Conclusion The practice of biomedical waste management in the study area was low. Level of education, taking training on biomedical waste management, availability of color-coded three bins, and attitude of health care workers were significantly associated with biomedical waste management practices. Hence, in-service training is recommended to improve biomedical waste management practices.

Exclusive breastfeeding is accepted as the best natural form of infant feeding up to six months and has a protective effect against morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of exclusively breastfeeding and associated factors during the first six months among mothers who was attending in Bahir Dar public health centers and private pediatric clinics. An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted on mothers with infants sixtwelve months of age. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to determine the final sample size of 634 participants. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the eligible mothers. The result show that, The overall rates of exclusively breast feeding were 46.7%. Mothers who are currently in union [(AOR=0.176 (0.058, 0.536)], urban residence mothers [(AOR=0.375 (0.211, 0.664)], not sick infants [(AOR=4.441 (2.404, 8.094)], adequate knowledgeable mothers [(AOR=3.570 (2.367, 5.383)] and favorable attitude mothers [(AOR=2.537 (1.729, 3.724)] were significant association towards exclusively breast feeding. Exclusively breast feeding was significantly low in Bahir Dar city administration health care facility attendant mothers.. Therefore health education should be focused on urban societies, mothers with sick infants, to raise their knowledge and change attitude of mothers towards the many benefit of exclusive breast feeding both in public and private health care facilities so as to increase the prevalence of exclusive breast feeding.

BackgroundAlthough breast cancer has a markedly higher incidence in developed countries, 50% of the new diagnosis and 70% of deaths occur in developing countries. There are limited data available on the quality of life among breast cancer patients in Ethiopia, notably in the Amhara region. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and associated factors among patients with breast cancer in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2019.MethodsInstitutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 25 to July 7/2019 among 256 patients with breast cancer in the Amhara region. A systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected by using a standardized interviewer-administered Amharic version of the European Organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire core 30(EORTC QLQ C30) and breast cancer supplementary measure (QLQ-BR23). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify the associated factors. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to measure the strength of association.ResultsSixty-eight point four percent (68.4%) of breast cancer patient's QoL was poor. The mean score of quality of life was 70.6(standard deviation (SD) ±13.9; 95% CI: 69.0-72.4). All functional component scores were less than 75, from the symptom scale; diarrhea (11.6), constipation (17.5), and dyspnea (24.7) were less noticeable. Unmarried patients (AOR=2.59, 95% CI: 1.32-5.07), poor (AOR=2.39, 95%CI: 1.32-5.03), non housewife (AOR=3.25, 95% CI: 1.16-7.22), and complaints to dyspnea (AOR=3.48, 95% CI: 1.79-6.79), and insomnia (AOR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.05-3.91) were significantly associated with quality of life.ConclusionsHealth care professionals should give attention to unmarried, and non-housewife breast cancer patients, besides the treatment to improve the health of breast cancer patients.

Introduction: PLHIV have substantially greater need for access to safe water, for bathing and washing soiled clothing and linen; safe drinking water is necessary for taking medicines. Therefore household water treatment is one of inexpensive and effective technology to make water safe. However the information of household water treatment practices and associated factors on these groups were inadequate. Objective: the: t aim of the study was to assess household water treatment practice and associated factors among PLHIV who are member of the three associations in Bahir Dar city administration, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study was done among PLHIV from April-May 2013. A Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Pre-tested and structured questionnaire, observation checks list and residual chlorine test was used to collect the data. Binary and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the separate and confounding effect for variables with p-value <0.2 in binary analysis. Result: of the total respondents 76.3% reported that they treated their drinking water at home. But only 11% of respondents treated water at home within 24 hours of this study. The main reasons for not treating water at home were psycho-social problem 29 (53.7%), unavailability of treatment methods 17 (31.5%), and lack of knowledge how to use treatment methods 8 (14.8%). Occupational status of the respondents (AOR=2.6; 95% CI 0.162-0.903), duration of water storing time (AOR=2.9; 95% CI 1.471-5.692), and use of separate container for water storing (AOR=3.1; 1.008-9.223) were significantly associated variables with household water treatment practice. Conclusion: Household water treatment practices among people living with HIV were found low. Therefore the PLHIV needs special attention to improve household water treatment practice. fee free water treatment methods availability, promotion of household water treatment practice and participate in income generating activities are supreme important.