BackgroundAbortion remains among the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. Post-abortion contraception is significantly effective in preventing unintended pregnancy and abortion if provided before women leave the health facilty. However, the status of post-abortion family planning (PAFP) utilization and the contributing factors are not well studied in Tigray region. So, we conduct study aimed on family planning utilization and factors associated with it among women receiving abortion services.MethodsA facility based cross-sectional study design was conducted among women receiving abortion services in central zone of Tigray from December 2015to February 2016 using a total of 416 sample size. Women who came for abortion services were selected using systematic random sampling technique.. The data were collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnair. Data were coded and entered in to Epi info 7 and then exported to SPSS for analysis. Descriptive statisticslike frequencies and mean were computed to display the results. Both Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was used in the analysis. Variables statistically significant at p < 0.05 in the bivariable analysis were checked in multivariable logistic regration to identify independently associated factors. Then variables which were significantly associated with post abortion family planning utilization at p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were declared as significantly associated factors.ResultsA total of 409 abortion clients were interviewed in this study with 98.3% of response rate. Majority 290 (70.9%) of study participants utilized contracepives after abortion. Type of health facility, the decision maker on timing of having child, knowledge that pregnancy can happen soon after abortion and husband’s opposition towards contraceptives were significantly associated with Post-abortion family planning ustilization.ConclusionsAbout one-third of abortion women failed to receive contraceptive before leaving the facility. Private facilities should strengthen utilization of contraceptives on post abortion care service. Health providers should provide counseling on timing of fertility-return following abortion before women left the facility once they receive abortion care. Women empowerment through enhancing community’s awareness focusing on own decision making in the family planning utilization including the partner should be strengthened.

BackgroundVitamin A Deficiency is a common form of micronutrient deficiency, globally affecting 33.3 % of preschool-age children. An estimated of 44.4 % of preschool children in Africa were at risk for vitamin A deficiency. In Ethiopia, vitamin A deficiency leads to 80,000 deaths a year and affects 61 % of preschool children. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors with the night blindness, Bitot’s spot and vitamin A intake among preschool children in rural area, Asgede-Tsimbla district, North Ethiopia.MethodsCommunity based cross sectional study was conducted from January 27 to March 7, 2014. A total 1230 preschool children were selected by systematic random sampling from 8 randomly selected kebelles (smallest administrative unit). Structured and pretested questionnaires adapted from relevant studies and WHO/FAO was for data collection. In addition, sex, age, and height were taken and filled to Emergency Nutrition Assessment (ENA) for Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transition (SMART) 2007 software to convert the nutritional data into Z-scores of the indices. The data was then transported to SPSS version 20. Bivariate and Multivariable binary logistic regressions were carried out to investigate the effect of each independent variable on the dependent variable. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05.ResultThe odds of Bitot‘s spots (1.46 %) and night blindness (1.22 %) were higher than the WHO Cut-off levels used to define a public health problem. The odds of night blindness was 4 times higher among children belonging to family size greater or equal to four [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.18, 95 % CI = 1.15,15.3] and 6 times higher among children of illiterate mothers [AOR = 5.96 , 95 % CI = 1.33,26.69]. The odds of Bitot‘s spots was 5.35 times higher among children belonging to family size greater or more four [AOR =5.35; 95 % CI = 1.49, 19.2], 4.75 times higher among children of illiterate mothers [AOR = 4.75, 95 % CI =1.32, 17.18] and 6 times higher in males than females [AOR = 5.8, 95 % CI = 1.65, 20.46].ConclusionsThe study revealed that night blindness and Bitot‘s spots are major nutritional problems in the study area. The independent predictors of night blindness were mother illiteracy status and large family size and also for Bitot‘s spots were mother illiteracy status, male sex of child and large family size. Therefore, the need to increase educational level of mother, use of family planning of women and emphasis on male children and children from large family size by involving the Education sector, Health sector, (Federal Ministry of Health) FMOH and (Tigray Regional Health Bureau) TRHB is crucial.

The magnitude of SSI was high. A hospital stay for more than a week, a history of alcohol consumption, use of local anesthesia, and dirty incision classification were associated independently with a higher risk of SSI. Due attention should be given to infection prevention control methods; and more has to be done to manage dirty and contaminated sites, maintain a strict sterile environment and aseptic surgical techniques, and implement the World Health Organization surgical safety protocol. Efforts should be made to improve appropriate and timely discharge among surgical clients. Prospective longitudinal studies ought to be conducted considering SSI after hospital discharge.

Background. Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is an amalgam of visual symptoms caused by continued use of computers. Worldwide, up to 70 million workers are at risk for computer vision syndrome resulting in reduced productivity at work and reduced quality of life. Bank employees are among the risky workers with unknown magnitude of the syndrome. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CVS and its associated personal factors among employees of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. Methods. A total of three hundred and fifty-nine bank workers participated in the study between February and March 2018. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data, CVS symptoms, and its personal factors. Snellen chart tool was used to measure blurred vision. Data entry and analysis were performed via Epi Info™ 7 and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Binary logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were performed to assess the association and control the potential confounders. Result. The prevalence of computer vision syndrome in the last 12 months among the total study subjects, 359 (98% response rate), was 262 (74.6%) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 70.1, 79.5). Risk factors that could not be intervened with were sex (AOR: 1.8; 95% CI (1–3)) and age group (AOR: 3.11; 95% CI (1.2–8)). Causal factors that could be intervened with were use of electronic materials outside work (AOR: 3.11; 95% CI (1.15–8.36). Protective factor that could be intervened with was habit of taking a break (AOR: 0.44; 95% CI (0.3–0.8)). Conclusion and Recommendation. Three-fours of the employees were at risk. Sex, age, habit of taking a break, and use of electronic materials outside work environment were significantly associated with the presence of CVS. Remedial actions need to be considered at individual level.

Rain-fed agriculture shares the largest crop production system in Tigray region. However, due to erratic nature of rainfall, crop production is always at a risk. For this reason crop production in the arid and semi arid regions of northern Ethiopia usually requires supplemental irrigation. In an effort to assist agricultural production under smallholder farmers, the Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources has been looking for efficient and less costly irrigation methods. Although drip irrigation technology has been well known for its higher efficiency, its adoption was too slow due to its high initial cost and inadequate technical knowhow.  At the moment, in some areas of Tigray farmers have started practicing locally made low cost clay pot irrigation technology. However, the water use efficiency and its economic viability under smallholder farmers were not adequately understood. The objectives of this study were thus to examine the economical viability and estimate the water use efficiency of clay pot irrigation technology and to evaluate the performance of different clay pot design for irrigating Swiss chard (the most common leafy vegetable crop in this region). In this research traditional pot maker was instructed to manufacture four different clay pot designs (imperforated bar type, imperforated round shape type, perforated bar type and perforated round types) which were used for assessing performance of clay pot for irrigating swiss chard. Performance tests were carried out based on economic and biomass water use efficiencies and cost benefit ratios under two groups of farmers (with and without land). The result showed that the imperforated bar shaped clay pots were found to be suited to grow Swiss chard. The water seeps out through the micro pores of the clay pots with relatively slow leaks and long surface wetting time and large area converge around the roots of plants. Contrarly, perforated clay pots leak the water fast through the macro and micro pores and have relatively short wetting time and small area coverage. On the other hand, the difference between imperforated bar and round types were simply the shapes of the pots which is to do with the area coverage along with the rows of the Swiss chard plant. Round types were not as suitable as bar type of the same capacity for row Swiss chard crops due to their small wetting area coverage compared to a similar volume with imperforated bar shaped clay pots type. The economic and biomass water use efficiency for the imperforated bar clay pot design was higher than that of the bucket irrigation system as well as other tested clay pots. The other advantages with imperforated bar clay pots over the bucket type is that the water source is inside the soil thus evaporation is almost nil and there is also less probability of occurrence of leaf disease due to watering and ultimately improving the biomass and economical water use efficiency. However, the technology was not as profitable as the bucket irrigation technique when considering the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) due to costs incurred for purchase of clay pots.