BackgroundComputer vision syndrome refers to a range of eye and vision-related problems which may result from extended use of digital devices such as computers. It is a public health problem, affecting more than 70% of all computer users. In developing countries like Ethiopia, there is scarcity of studies on computer vision syndrome, particularly in the telecom industry making evidence-based interventions difficult. Hence, the study aims to identify the determinants and the prevalence of computer vision syndrome among Ethio telecom workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of CVS and identify its factors among Ethio telecom workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Ethio telecom employees in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from March to June 2023. A total of 497 individuals participated in the study. Data were collected using an interviewer- administered questionnaire through Kobo Toolbox, observational checklist and an illuminance measuring instrument. The data were transferred to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the association and control for potential confounders.ResultsThe prevalence of CVS among Ethio telecom workers was 68.8% (95% CI: 64.5–72.9). Significant associations were observed with viewing distance <50 cm (AOR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.24–4.33), improper task illumination (AOR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.09–2.91), habit of taking breaks (AOR: 0.439, 95% CI: 0.281–0.686), and adjustment of brightness and contrast (AOR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22–0.68).ConclusionMore than two-thirds of Ethio telecom workers in Addis Ababa suffer from CVS, with significant influences from viewing distance, task illumination, breaks, and monitor settings. These findings underscore the need for interventions to enhance working conditions and reduce CVS prevalence among computer users.

BACKGROUND:Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) are the most widely recognized public health measures recognized globally to prevent the spread of Covid-19. NPIs' effectiveness may depend on the type, combination of applied interventions, and the level of proper public compliance with the NPIs. The expected outcome of behavioural practices varies relative to the intervention duration. OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to assess the trend of community compliance to NPI with Covid-19 incidence and government-initiated interventions, and its variation by residence and sociodemographic characteristics of people. METHODS:A weekly non-participatory field survey on individuals' NPI practices was observed from the 41st epidemiological week of October 5th, 2020, to the 26th epidemiological week of July 4th, 2021, a total of 39 weeks. The survey covered all 14 regional and national capital cities in Ethiopia. Data collection for the three NPI behaviours (i.e., respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene, and physical distance) was managed weekly at eight public service locations using the Open Data Kit (ODK) tool. The Covid- 19 incidence data and public health measures information from August 3rd, 2020 to July 4th, 2021 were obtained from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). RESULTS:More than 180,000 individuals were observed for their NPI practice, with an average of 5,000 observations in a week. About 43% of the observations were made in Addis Ababa, 56% were male and 75% were middle age group (18-50 years). The overall level of NPI compliance was high at the beginning of the observation then peaked around the 13th- 15th epidemiological weeks then declined during the rest of the weeks. The peak NPI compliance periods followed the high Covid-19 death incidence and government-initiated intensive public health measures weeks. Respiratory hygiene had the highest compliance above 41% whereas hand hygiene was the lowest (4%). There was a significant difference between residents of the capital city and regional cities in their level of compliance with NPI. Females comply more than males, and individuals had increased NPI compliance at the bank service and workplaces compared to those in the transport services at P = 0.000. CONCLUSION:An increased level of compliance with NPI was observed following intensive government-initiated Covid-19 prevention measures and an increased Covid-19 death incidence. Therefore, the intensity of government-initiated risk communication and public advocacy programs should be strengthened, possibly for similar respiratory disease pandemics in the future.

PurposeExcessive paper dust during paper production may harm the workers' respiratory health. We wanted to assess the inhalable paper dust levels and its determinants among paper industry workers.MethodsA study was conducted in Ethiopia to assess the level of personal inhalable paper dust exposure among four paper mills. A total of 150 samples were collected using the IOM sampler attached to Side Kick Casella pumps at a flow rate of 2 L/min. The samples were analyzed in Nemko Norlab, Norway. Linear mixed-effect models were applied to identify determinants of inhalable paper dust.ResultsThe geometric mean of personal inhalable paper dust was 3.3 mg/m3 with 80% of the measurements exceeding the Swedish occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 2 mg/m3. The linear mixed-effects model showed that the level of dust was 28% higher when using high-speed than when using low-speed rewinding machines, while paper mills with an average of more than four machines per job group had 22% higher exposure than paper mills with a lower number of machines. Furthermore, working in packing and preparation was associated with higher dust exposure than in other areas.ConclusionsThe dust exposure levels were above the Swedish OEL for 80% of the samples. This indicates that preventive measures should be established in the industry. The exposure model identified high-speed rewinding machines, a high number of machines, and work in preparation and packing as associated with high levels of paper dust exposure.

This study examines the relationship between safety climate and safety performance in large-scale construction sites in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,203workers from 22 large-scale construction sites. The Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire was administered using interviews. A model was hypothesized to determine the interrelations between safety climate and performance; examined and validated using confirmatory factor analysis. The results show that the mean score of the seven safety climate dimensions was low: 2.70, ranging from 2.33 to 3.08. Similarly, the mean score of the safety performance construct was 2.95 for safety participation and 3.58 for safety compliance. The model predicts a strong positive correlation between safety climate and the safety performance constructs with 29.2% of the variance in safety involvement and 28.6% of the variance in safety compliance. The suggested association between self-reported injuries and safety climate was not confirmed. Nonetheless, a Pearson correlation analysis demonstrates a statistically significant negative correlation with safety climate. In conclusion, a low score for all the safety climate dimensions shows safety in the construction sector needs improvement. Safety climate positively influences employees’ safety behavior (safety compliance and safety participation) and minimizes occupational injuries.

Background Rapid urbanization has resulted in increased use of powered two-wheelers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). An increasing trend of motorcyclist injuries is seen in LMICs, often resulting from the lack of correct helmet use - an effective intervention that was found to reduce fatal injury risk by 42%. Objective Assess the prevalence of correct (i.e., standard, and strapped) helmet use among motorcyclists and the associated factors in five African cities. Methods Cross-sectional observation data was collected between 2021–2022 in Accra, Addis Ababa, Kampala, Kumasi, and Mombasa. Observation sites were randomly selected to represent city-wide prevalence. A pair of data collectors observed helmet use during five 90-minute intervals throughout the week. Descriptive analyses were done to present frequencies and percentages of correct helmet use and cross-tabulations with associated factors. Results A total of 225,542 helmet-use observations were conducted across the five cities. The prevalence of correct helmet use varied across the cities (Accra (60%), Addis Ababa (27%), Kampala (30%), Kumasi (36%), and Mombasa (19%)). Correct helmet use was much lower among passengers compared to drivers in all cities and was almost non-existent in some cities (e.g., 1% in Kampala, and 2% in Mombasa). Correct helmet use was higher on weekdays in Accra (62%), Addis Ababa (29%), Kampala (30%), Kumasi (39%) and Mombasa (22%) compared to weekends. More motorcyclists wore helmets correctly on arterial roads in Accra (70%), Addis Ababa (31%), and Kumasi (52%), while the prevalence remained the same on arterial and local roads for Kampala (30%) and Mombasa (19%). Correct helmet use was highest among ride-share motorcycles in Accra (78%) and Kampala (50%), among commercial ones in Mombasa (28%) and Kumasi (76%), and private and government motorcycles in Addis Ababa (38%). Conclusions Correct helmet use was low, particularly among passengers. The findings highlight the need for strengthening policies and enforcement around helmet use, particularly among passengers, and the factors discussed point to areas of prioritization for the implementation of interventions like enforcement and mass media campaigns, and the planning of city-wide road safety strategies.

Background: Globally, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) account for around 40% of the total compensated cost of occupational diseases and injuries. It has a huge impact on the public health problems and economic loss of the society. There was few information about prevalence and risk factors for musculoskeletal diseases associated with job among coffee processors in Ethiopia. Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among coffee processing factory workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was utilized to assess the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders from March to June-2023. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a standardized Nordic questionnaire. Simple random sampling method was used to select 633 of study participants. EPInfo version 7.1 was used to enter and cleaned up the data and exported into SPSS version 23 software for further statistical analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to determine potential predictors of MSDs. Results: The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders over the course of a year was 529 (83.6%). The limbs (64.5%) and shoulders (64.5%) were most commonly affected, followed by the neck (61.8%), upper back (60.2%), lower back (54.0%), and hands (51.2%). The final multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male [AOR: 1.8, 95%CI: 1.1, 2.9], married [AOR: 2.2, 95%CI: 1.3, 3.8], physical activity habit [AOR: 2.2, 95%CI: 1.1, 4.2], work-related stress [AOR: 2.0, 95%CI: 1.3, 3.4], health and safety training [AOR: 2.6, 95%CI: 1.1, 5.9], working hours [AOR: 3.0, 95%CI: 1.2, 7.5] and repetitive work [AOR: 2.0, 95%CI: 1.1, 3.5] were found to be statistically significant associating factors with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: In this study the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorder was high. Sex, marital status, habit of doing physical exercise, job related stress, work hours, health and safety training work place were statistically significant factors to work related musculoskeletal disorder.

Chronic respiratory symptoms are a health concern in the paper industry. This study evaluates the association between personal inhalable paper dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among workers in this industry. In total, 270 workers from the paper industry and 267 from a water bottling factory participated. Chronic respiratory symptoms were assessed using a standardized questionnaire, modified from the American Thoracic Society. A job exposure matrix, based on cross-sectional personal measurements of inhalable paper dust, was used to estimate the exposure–response relationship between cumulative dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms. There was a higher prevalence of chronic coughs (27.4% vs. 7.5%), breathlessness (25.6% vs. 11%), coughs with sputum (21.1% vs. 1.1%), and wheezing (25.6% vs. 5%) among paper workers compared to those in the water bottling industry. A Poisson regression analysis revealed that the prevalence ratios for chronic coughs (APR = 3.3 and 95% CI: 2.0–5.4), breathlessness (APR = 2.2 and 95% CI: 1.4–3.4), and wheezing (APR = 4.3 and 95% CI: 2.3–7.7) were significantly higher in paper workers than in water bottling workers. Among paper workers, a significant exposure–response relationship was observed between cumulative dust exposure and chronic coughs after adjusting for age, sex, history of respiratory illnesses, work in other dusty industries, and use of biofuels. As there were only four ever-smokers, smoking was not included in the regression analysis. The results show a significant association between dust exposure and coughing, highlighting the need for control measures to prevent the development of respiratory symptoms among workers.

Project Summary Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit partnered with collaborators from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda to conduct roadside observations of risk factors for road safety, namely, speed, lack of helmet use and lack of seatbelt and child restraint use, as a part of the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety project. These observations aim to assess the prevalence of risk factors and their associated factors. Background Road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in Africa, which records nearly 18 deaths per 100,000 people. Despite the known benefits of seat-belt use, there's a gap in data regarding its prevalence in Africa. Objective Determine the prevalence and predictors of seatbelt and child restraints use across five selected African cities: Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Kampala (Uganda), Kumasi (Ghana), and Mombasa (Kenya). Methods Between 2020 and 2022, one round of roadside observations was conducted at 10 to 15 systematically selected representative sites in each city. Observations took place in five daily 90-minute sessions covering both weekdays and weekends. Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression were performed to report on seat-belt use (over 12 years old) and child restraint use (under 12 years old). Results Results from 202,001 vehicles and 349,615 occupants showed varying seat-belt use: 85% in Addis Ababa, 41% in Kampala and Accra, 28% in Mombasa, and 15% in Kumasi; child restraint use was extremely rare, with the highest 6% in Kumasi. In all five cities, seat-belt use was more common among drivers than passengers (66% vs 11% in Accra, 99% vs. 61% in Addis Ababa, 51% vs. 19% in Kampala, 25% vs. 5% in Kumasi, and 28% vs. 16% in Mombasa) and among front-seat passengers than rear-seat passengers (18% vs.2%, 85% vs.8%, 22% vs. 6%, 8% vs. 1%, and 26% vs. 6%, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression showed a significant (p<0.05) 30–50% lower likelihood of wearing seatbelts among males than females for all cities except Addis Ababa. Across all the cities except Kampala, seatbelt use on arterial roads was significantly less likely, 10%-40% (p<0.05), compared to local and collector roads. Other factors like road type, time, vehicle type, ownership type, and law enforcement presence showed varied influence across cities. Conclusions Although the prevalence of seatbelt use varies across selected African cities, there is a need to implement targeted strategies to improve seatbelt use with a specific focus on males and passengers, especially rear-seat passengers, along with the use of child restraint seats. Tailored, context-specific strategies are also recommended.

Even though the COVID-19 vaccine has been available and free of charge to the targeted population in Ethiopia, the vaccination rate was lower than needed to achieve herd immunity at community level. This study aimed to explore community perceptions of COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy in selected cities of Ethiopia involving 70 in-depth interviews and 28 focused group discussions. The audio-taped data were transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach using the ATLAS.ti software version 8. The findings revealed that COVID-19 was perceived as evil and caused fear and frustration upon its emergence. The community initially used traditional remedies for its prevention but later transitioned to employing non-pharmaceutical interventions. The primary reasons for vaccine hesitancy were misinformation and misconceptions, such as connecting the vaccine with the mark of the beast, a lack of trust due to the multiple vaccine types, a shorter production timeline resulting in distrust of its effectiveness, and a fear of pain and side effects. Based on our findings, we recommend monitoring the use of social media and countering misinformation with the correct information and continuous public health campaigns. Further studies should be conducted to assess the types and magnitude of impacts from the myths and misconceptions on vaccination uptake.

Background Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) are the most widely recognized public health measures practiced globally to prevent the spread of Covid-19 transmission. The effectiveness of NPIs is dependent on the type, a combination of applied interventions, and the level of compliance of the NPIs. The expected outcome of behavioral practices varies relative to the behavioral intervention duration. Objectives This study aimed to assess the trend of community compliance to NPIs and with its level of variation with the place of residence and sociodemographic characteristics of people. Methods A weekly non-participatory field survey on an individuals NPI practice was observed from October 2020 to July 2021, for a total of 39 weeks. The survey covered all the regions; 14 regional and capital cities. Data collection for the 3 NPI behaviors (mask use, hand hygiene, and physical distance was and managed weekly at eight public service locations using the Open Data Kit (ODK) tool. Results More than 180,000 individuals were observed for their NPI practice; on average 5,000 observations in a week. About 43% of the observation was made from Addis Ababa, 56% were male participants and the middle age group (18-50 years) accounts for 75%. The overall level of NPI compliance had a peak around the 26th - 30th weeks then decline the rest of the weeks. Respiratory hygiene had the highest compliance whereas hand hygiene had the least 41% and 4%, respectively. There was a significant difference between capital city and regional city residents by their level of NPI compliance. Females comply more than males, and individuals had increased NPI compliance while at the bank service and workplaces compared to while in the transport services at p<0.001. Conclusion The overall community compliance with NPI practice showed a declining trend in Ethiopia but increased compliance was also observed following the implementation of government-initiated public measures. Therefore, public-initiated risk communication and public advocacy programs for the prevention of Covid-19 should be strengthened.

Abstract Background Workers in pulp and paper factories are continuously exposed to paper dust. Excessive exposure to paper dust can cause respiratory disease. Information about the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and dust exposure levels among workers in pulp and paper factories is not available in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess personal total dust exposure levels, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and their associated risk factors among workers in Ethiopian pulp and paper factories. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 40 dust measurements were carried out on 20 randomly selected workers. To assess chronic respiratory symptoms and associated factors, 434 workers from two paper factories and controls were interviewed using a standard questionnaire adapted from the American Thoracic Society (ATS). Gravimetric analyses of the filters were undertaken using a standard microbalance. Poisson regression was performed for comparing the prevalence of symptoms and risk factors for the two groups. Multivariable analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Result The arithmetic mean (AM) and geometric mean (GM) of dust exposure levels among the paper factories workers were 11.3 (± 7.7) and 10.2 (± 1.4) mg/m3 respectively. This exposure level exceeded the threshold limit value recommended for total dust (10 mg/m3). The prevalence of having at least one chronic respiratory symptom was about 51% among the workers in paper factories. The prevalence ratio of having chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers was 5.6 times higher (PR = 6, 95% CI 3.5–10.3) than in the controls. Chronic respiratory symptoms were significantly associated with factors such as an educational status of less than grade 9, being employed in the work sections of the factories, having work experience of 5 years and above, working more than 8 h per day and having a past history of occupation and respiratory illnesses. Conclusion The dust concentration in the paper factories exceeded the acceptable recommended limit value of 10 mg/m3. The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among paper factory workers was higher than among controls. The main determining factors for chronic respiratory symptoms among the workers were the specific work section such as production section, low income, having past history of respiratory illnesses, the number of years of working and low educational status. This finding indicated the need for improving the working conditions in paper factories in Ethiopia.

Wearing of proper seatbelt while driving is scientifically proven to protect from severe and fatal injuries. The aim of this study was to assess the status of proper seatbelt use and observable factors among public transport drivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study conducted an inside vehicle observation study among 600 public transport vehicles in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from January to February 2017. Sample vehicles were randomly selected from ten arterial and ten collector road networks. This study used an observational checklist for data collection and logistic regression analysis to find the associated variables with improper seatbelt use. The odds ratio with a 95% CI and a p -value of <0.05 were considered for the statistically significant association. The prevalence of proper seatbelt use was 47.5% [95% CI (43.0–51.3)]. Khat chewing [AOR: 2.41, 95% CI (1.04–5.60)], engaged in driving distraction activities [AOR: 2.93, 95% CI (2.08, 4.13)] and being city bus drivers [AOR: 1.66, 95% CI (1.09, 2.52)], were significantly associated with improper seatbelt use. The actual rate of proper seatbelt use among public transport drivers in Addis Ababa was very low compared with the officially known report. Drivers’ behavior and being drivers of large-sized vehicles were associated with improper seatbelt use.

Introduction Lead is one of the most health-hazardous causes of acute and chronic poisoning at workplaces. A limited study was conducted on the blood lead concentration among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study will improve workplace health and safety conditions of workers in this sector and serve as baseline data for further studies in this segment of the working setup. Objective This review aims to identify the pooled mean blood lead level among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries. Methods The search methods considered the following electronic bibliographic databases: google scholar, PubMed, and other gray literature. A funnel plot and Begg test were used to see the publication bias. The heterogeneity of studies was checked using I-square statistics with a cut of point 75% and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality assessment tool was applied to ensure the quality of the included articles. A random-effect model was applied to pool the blood lead level intoxication. The sub-group analysis and Meta-regression analysis were conducted by country and year of publication to control heterogeneity and to show variation. We included the articles published from 2000 to 2021 year in the English language. Results Through the search strategies, 135 articles were identified and 43 full-text articles were selected for evaluation, and finally, eighteen (18) articles fit the inclusion criteria. From the 18 studies included in the meta-analysis, the mean pooled blood lead level of workers was 37.996 μg/dl (95% CI: 30.680–45.312) which is higher than the threshold limit value set by American conference of governmental industrial hygienists (20 μg/dl). In subgroup analysis by year in the random effect model, the pooled mean of blood lead level from 2006 to 2011= 43.20 μg/dL (35.91–50.50), 2012–2015 = 37.78 μg/dl (25.23–50.29), and 2016–2020 = 36.53 μg/dl (19.44–53.62). Conclusions This review showed that the pooled mean blood lead level of workers exposed to lead battery factories was (37.996 μg/dl) which is above the threshold limit value (20 μg/dl). Therefore, attention should be given by employers, government, and researchers to improve the health of working populations exposed to lead exposure in low and middle-income countries through the provision of occupational health and safety services like periodical medical checkups, treatments, and provision of training and adequate and appropriate personal protective equipment. Systematic review registration: Identifier: CRD42022322827.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Ethiopia since March 13, 2020, when the first case was detected in Addis Ababa. Since then, the incidence of cases has continued to increase day by day. As a result, the health sector has recommended universal preventive measures to be practiced by the public. However, studies on adherence to these preventive measures are limited. Objective To monitor the status of preventive practices of the population related to hand washing, physical distancing, and respiratory hygiene practices at selected sites within the city of Addis Ababa. Methods Weekly cross-sectional non-participatory observations were done during the period of April-June, 2020. Data was collected using the Open Data Kit (ODK) tool in ten public sites involving eight public facilities targeted for individual observations. Ten individuals were randomly observed at each facility over two days a week at peak hours of public services. WHO operational definitions of the preventive behaviors were adopted for this study. Observations were conducted anonymously at gates or entrances of public facilities and places. Results A total of 12,056 individual observations with 53% males and 82% in an estimated age range of 18–50 years age group were involved in this study. There was an increase in the practice of respiratory hygiene from 14% in week one to 77% in week 10, while those of hand hygiene and physical distancing changed little over the weeks from their baseline of 24% and 34%, respectively. Overall, respiratory hygiene demonstrated an increased rate of 6% per week, while hand hygiene and physical distancing had less than a 1% change per week, Females and the estimated age group of 18–50 years had practice changes in respiratory hygiene with no difference in hand hygiene and physical distancing practices. Respiratory hygiene took about six weeks to reach a level of 77% from its baseline of 24%, making an increment of about 9% per week. Conclusion The public practice of respiratory hygiene improved threefold whereas hand hygiene and physical distancing revealed no change. Regularly sustained public mobilization and mass education are required to sustain the achievements gained in respiratory hygiene and further hand hygiene and physical distancing.

BACKGROUND:Road Traffic crash injury is one of the main public health problems resulting in premature death and disability particularly in low-income countries. However, there is limited evidence on the crash fractures in Ethiopia.OBJECTIVE:The study was conducted to assess the magnitude of road traffic crash fractures and visceral injuries.METHODS:A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 fracture patients. Participants were randomly selected from Addis Ababa City hospitals. The study was carried out between November 2019 and February 2020. Data were collected using a questionnaire and record of medical findings. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was carried out. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences Institutional Review Board. Confidentiality of participants' information was maintained.RESULTS:The study found out that the majority 265 (63. 1%) of fracture cases were younger in the age group of 18 to 34 years. Males were more affected-311(74.0%). The mortality rate was 59(14.1%), of those 50(85.0%) participants were males. The major road traffic victims were pedestrians-220(52.4%), mainly affected by simple fracture type -105(53.3%) and compound fracture type-92(46. 7%). Drivers mainly suffered from compound fracture type -23 (59.0%). One hundred eighty-two (43.3%) of fracture patients had a visceral injury. Homeless persons who sit or sleep on the roadside had a higher risk of thoracic visceral injury compared to traveler pedestrians (AOR = 4.600(95%CI: 1.215-17.417)); P = 0.025.CONCLUSION:Visceral injury, simple and compound fractures were the common orthopedic injury types reported among crash victims. Males, pedestrians, and young age groups were largely affected by orthopedic fracture cases. Homeless persons who sited or slept on the roadside were significant factors for visceral injury. Therefore, preventing a harmful crash and growing fracture care should be considered to reduce the burden of crash fracture.

Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the common preventable causes of mortality and disability among road traffic victims worldwide, most especially in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Objective to determine risk factors of mortality after traumatic brain injury due to road traffic crash. Methods This study aimed to examine the predictive factors of short-term mortality after severe brain injury due to a road traffic crash. The study was done on a prospective cohort of 242 severely brain-injured patients selected using cluster sampling in Addis Ababa City hospitals. The study was conducted from February 2018 to November 2019. Data were collected from brain-injured patients using a questionnaire and recorded findings within the first 24 hours of admission, Survival Analysis was used for statistical analysis. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB). Confidentiality of information about injured patients was maintained. Results In this study, the death rate was 73(30.2%). The majority of TBI patients accounting for, 186(81%) were men. The median age of TBI patients was 29 years. The hazard for those patients with subnormal body temperature was 1.64 times that of normal temperature (AHR: 1.64; CI: 2.14-10.29). The estimated fatality hazard ratio for patients who experienced Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)below six was 5.61 times higher compared to GCS six to eight (CI:3.1-10.24). Conclusion In conclusion, there was high early mortality of patients (30.2%) in Ethiopia. Being men, young and lower GCS were associated with higher mortality hazards. Hence, optimum advanced neuro-surgical pre-hospital care programs are urgently needed.

Road traffic crash injuries are critical public health problems that demand on time post crash response to deliver pre-hospital care.Ethiopia is one of the African countries with the worst pre-hospital care delivery platform.This study describes the current practice of pre-hospital service provided for crash injured individuals.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 430 crash victims attending public hospitals in Addis Ababa.Participants were selected by random sampling upon their arrival to the selected hospitals from January 2019 to August 2020.The study described the data using the percentage, median, and interquartile range.The study used binary logistic regression to assess the relationship between prehospital care provided and 24-hour crash victim mortality.The median scene time was 20 minutes.More than half of respondents transported to hospital greater than 60 minutes.Among the 430 injured individuals, the fatal crash occurred on 21 (4.9%) individuals.The crash injured individuals received pre-hospital care involving wound care, resuscitations with IV (Intravenous) fluid, and immobilization.Using the binary logistic regression model crash injured patients who did not receive ambulance service were three times more chance of mortality during a 24-hour crash event ((P-value=0.002,AOR=3.1 (95%CI 1.5-6.4).This study showed that 33.3% of crash-injured individuals received pre-hospital care.The majority of participants arrived at tertiary level trauma hospital with time greater than platinium 10 minutes scene time and golden an hour transport time.Being male, young, and not receiving pre-hospital care were significantly related to early crash injury mortality.A suitable basic and advanced life support strategy should be designed and implemented to enhance timely crash injury care.

Health facilities generate different types of wastes characterized as hazardous wastes and most of them are infectious, toxic, harmful and carcinogenic. Medical Waste handlers faced massive exposure to hazardous wastes and occupational accidents as a result of manual handling of waste and working under unfavorable conditions. This indicates that waste handlers are often at high risk of occupational injuries. In Ethiopia there are limited studies and updated information concerning this issues. To fill the gap this study was intended to assess safety practices and associated factors among selected public hospital waste handler in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019. An institutional based cross- sectional study design was used to conduct the study. All waste handlers of selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa were included in the study. The data was collected via interview using structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multi variable logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictor variables. Statistical significance was considered at P <0.05 with adjusted odds ratio calculated at 95%CI. The prevalence of current safety practice among public hospital waste handlers was found to be 44.1% (95%CI; 37.3-51.0). Respondents with good knowledge (AOR=4.7; 95%CI: 1.9, 11.5), having good supplies (AOR=6.78; 95%CI: 2.2, 20.7) had higher odds of adherence to safety practices compared to their counterparts. The study shows that the prevalence of safety practice is low. Knowledge of waste handles on safety measures and availability & accessibility of safety materials is the determinant factors for safety practice while handling waste. To sustain good safety practice adequate per-service and in-service training should be in place to increase their knowledge and practice about safety precautions and similarly providing enough safety materials is recommended to strength adherence to safety practice among hospital waste handlers.

Background. Unintentional injuries are a public health problem throughout the world including Africa. Most of the injury studies in Ethiopia are from the healthcare facility or workplace that does not reflect the problem at the community level. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the unintentional injuries and sociodemographic factors among households in Ethiopia. Methods. This study was done from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016. The survey collected information about unintentional injuries and injury mechanisms in the past 12 months among 16,650 households. The selection of households was from nine regions and two city administrations of Ethiopia using a stratified cluster sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the data and the chi-square test was applied as a test of significance and a p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result. Of the 16,650 households that participated in the study, 394 (2.4%) reported that at least one household member suffered from an unintentional injury in the past 12 months. The leading mechanisms of injury were unintentional falls (152 falls, 33.2%) and road traffic incidents (96 incidents, 21.0%). Among household members who were injured, 84.3% survived and 15.7% died because of the injury. Divorce marital status of the household head [AOR: 2.12, 95% CI (1.12–4.41)] and family size of the household ≥ 6 [AOR:1.65, 95% CI (1.21–2.26)] were associated with high likelihood of occurrence of an injury, while lowest household wealth index [AOR: 0.69, 95% CI (0.50–0.95)] was protective against injuries. Conclusion. A low prevalence of unintentional injury was found from the community in this survey, which might be due to the tendency of the community to report severe injuries. Fall and road traffic accidents were the leading mechanisms of selected sociodemographic factors of the households that were associated with unintentional injuries. Injury prevention efforts should focus on falls and transportation injuries with special attention to the sociodemographic context of the communities.

Background In many developing countries there is paucity of evidence regarding the epidemiology of road traffic accidents (RTAs). The study determines the rates of injuries and fatalities associated with RTAs in Ethiopia based on the data of a recent national survey. Methods The study is based on the secondary data of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016. The survey collected information about occurrence injuries and accidents including RTAs in the past 12 months among 75,271 members of 16,650 households. Households were selected from nine regions and two city administrations of Ethiopia using stratified cluster sampling procedure. Results Of the 75,271 household members enumerated, 123 encountered RTAs in the reference period and rate of RTA-related injury was 163 (95% confidence interval (CI): 136-195) per 100,000 population. Of the 123 causalities, 28 were fatal, making the fatality rate 37 (95% CI: 25-54) per 100,000 population. The RTA-related injuries and fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicles were estimated as 21,681 (95% CI: 18,090-25,938) and 4,922 (95% CI: 3325-7183), respectively. Next to accidental falls, RTAs were the second most common form of accidents and injuries accounting for 22.8% of all such incidents. RTAs contributed to 43.8% of all fatalities secondary to accidents and injuries. Among RTA causalities, 21.9% were drivers, 35.0% were passenger vehicle occupants and 36.0% were vulnerable road users including: motorcyclists (21.0%), pedestrians (12.1%) and cyclists (2.9%). Approximately half (47.1%) of the causalities were between 15-29 years of age and 15.3% were either minors younger than 15 years or seniors older than 64 years of age. Nearly two-thirds (65.0%) of the victims were males. Conclusion RTA-related causalities are extremely high in Ethiopia. Male young adults and vulnerable road users are at increased risk of RTAs. There is a urgent need for bringing road safety to the country’s public health agenda.