Introduction Hargeisa Group Hospital, Somaliland, opened a neonatal unit in 2013. We aimed to study causes of admission, risk factors for neonatal death and post-discharge care to address modifiable factors. Methods we analysed hospital records from June-October 2013 (n=164). In addition, we reached primary caregivers of 94 patients for further information after discharge. Results of the 164 patients, 65% were male, 31% weighed <2500 grams, 16% were premature, 43% were exposed to meconium and 29% had premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Twenty-seven percent were admitted after caesarean section and 36% had been bag-mask ventilated. The most common diagnoses for admission were asphyxia (34%), respiratory distress (27%), sepsis (16%) and prematurity (15%). The mortality before discharge was 15%, 23/1430 (1.6%) of live-born at the hospital. Half of the admitted preterm babies died (RR for death for preterm vs term born 4.6, 95% CI 2.3-9.0) as well as 28% of the patients with birth weight <2500 grams (RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.2). The mortality rate with or without PROM was 29% vs 15% (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.9). At 28 days of age, 34% of the patients were exclusively breastfed and 44% had not yet been vaccinated. Diarrhoea, vomiting and/or respiratory distress after discharge were reported for 44%. Conclusion prematurity and low birth weight were important risk factors for neonatal death in this cohort, contributing to the high mortality rate. Low numbers of exclusively breastfed and vaccinated infants are also issues of concern to be targeted in the peri- and postnatal care.

The level of the environmental impact of olive oil production in Palestine was evaluated by measuring the parameters: pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), the concentration of fat; oil, and grease (FOG), phenols, electric conductivity (EC) total phosphorus (T-P), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN, and compared with the Jordanian standard values. The results show that the value of these parameters are too high. A local survey has also been conducted by designing a questionnaire that covers oil production yield, water consumptions in olive washing and in oil recovery, wastewater generation relative to olive processed and oil generated, and solid waste product: The data were collected from 92 local olive oil mills, which were analyzed and organized according to the investigated parameters, and categorized according to local selected areas in the West Bank such as Hebron (South), Nablus (Center) and Jenine (North). The results revealed local variations in oil yield and solid waste product due to variations in the type of olive produced. The olives from the South were found to contain larger solid content than those from the North, .resulting in lower oil yield. The overall results indicated that the average oil yield was 23.7%, the solid waste product was 40.0% while the remaining balance was. the water. content (36.7%) in the olive fruit. A representative value at 1.7 m3/ton for wastewater generation was found to be high compared to similar values in other places of the world. This requires a criterious review of the technology and operation of olive mills in Palestine. The characteristics of OMW were found to violate the standards for OMW and this requires the attention of authorities.

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