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Background: Poor birth outcomes are common health problems everywhere in the world. Hence institutional delivery in Ethiopia is very low, improving birth outcomes through recent evidence remained critical. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of poor birth outcomes and associated factors among women who delivered in selected health facilities of North Wollo Zone. Methods: A facility based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 295 laboring mothers from May to June 2009. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Patient’s chart was reviewed to retrieve medical information. Anthropometry of the neonate was taken by standard measurement tools. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 15. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of poor birth outcomes. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: All the data resulted from 295 laboring mothers were made part of the analyses. A total of 266 (90.2%) laboring mothers gave live birth. A quarter, 68 (23.1%) of the laboring mothers had a poor birth outcome. The common adverse outcomes were intrauterine fetal death (IUFD, preterm, and birth defects with the proportion of 29 (42.6%), 22 (32.4%), and 3 (4.4%), respectively). Mother whose husband’s occupation was merchant (AOR = 4.4, 95% CI: 1.0-19.0), driver (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.12-15.76), & women who were illiterate (AOR = 4.0, 95% CI: 1.2-13.5), primary school completed (AOR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.3-13.8), non-antenatal care visited (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.12-10.2), rural residence, (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.11-5.80), & mother’s HIV status, (AOR = 34.2, 95% CL 5.6, 207.0) were independent predictors of poor birth outcomes. Conclusions: Poor birth outcomes were very common in the study area where low birth weight accounted for much of all adverse pregnancy outcomes. Occupation, residence, antenatal care visit, income, maternal education and HIV status were determinants of poor birth outcomes. Accessing antenatal care in early trimester, mild physical work, maternal education to secondary level and above should be encouraged.

BackgroundAlthough an opportunistic approach of cervical cancer screening strategy had been implemented in Ethiopia, utilization of screening services among women is still low, accounted < 1%. We hypothesize that commercial sex women in Ethiopia faced a number of obstacles in order to access screening services. Identifying the predictors influencing utilizations of the screening services is an essential effort to tailor screening program towards increasing the utilization.MethodsAn unmatched case-control study was implemented with a total sample size of 230 (46 cases and 184 controls). The study was conducted among commercial sex workers who attended confidential clinic opened for sex workers. Simple random sampling was employed. After the data were checked for completeness, consistency and accuracy, it was entered in to Epi nfo version 7 then exported to SPSS for further statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the profile of study participants. Logistic regression was employed to identify the predictors of cervical cancer screening uptake. P < 0.05 was computed to determine the level of statistical significance.ResultsCervical cancer screening utilization was associated with providers’ recommendation (AOR = 6.8; 95% CI: 2.3, 9.7), history of sexually transmitted infection (AOR = 6.9; 95% CI: 1.29, 7.2), frequency of facility visit (AOR = 4.8; 95% CI: 1.97, 11.8) and history of vaginal examination (AOR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.1, 0.68).ConclusionsThe level of cervical cancer screening service utilization was higher among women with history of STI, frequency of facility visit and providers’ recommendation. The level of cervical cancer screening service utilization was lower in women with previous vaginal examination.

IntroductionIn Ethiopia, the most widely used disinfectant is 5% Hypochlorites. However, Ethiopian national health safety and infection prevention guideline recommendation on the use of bleach is not consistent and varying from 0.1%-4%. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the effective time-concentration relationship of sodium hypochlorite against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates in the absence of any organic load.MethodsThis experimental study was conducted in Bahir Dar Regional laboratory from February-June 2013. Test suspensions of 1.5 X 108 CFU/ml prepared using normal saline containing 0.5% tween 80. From 5% stock, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% bleach was prepared. A 1ml of test strain suspension and 1ml of bleach mixed and allowed to stand until the specified time achieved, neutralized by 48 ml phosphate buffer. 100µl from the diluted sediment were spread on two L-J mediums and incubated at 37°C for 8 weeks.ResultsWhen 0. 1% bleach was used for 10 min, majority 11/20 of isolates showed 3 x 103 CFU/ml growth (ME = 4.4) which was inefficient. However, when the time increased, the log10 reduction was acceptable, ME >5 and it was effective. The bleach solution containing 0.5% and above was effective in all respective times. In this study, there is no difference observed in the tuberculocidal activity of bleach against resistant and sensitive strains.ConclusionOur study showed that in the absence of any organic load, 0.1% bleaches over 15 min and 0.5% bleaches over 10 min was found to be tuberculocidal.

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