Background Effective risk communication is one of the critical strategies in the response to COVID-19. This study examined risk perceptions and attitudinal responses to COVID-19 among the educated section of the society in Ethiopia. Methods An internet-based survey was conducted from April 22 to May 04, 2020, in Ethiopia. A questionnaire addressing the perception of health threat-combination of perceived vulnerability (PV) and perceived seriousness (PS), and perceived efficacy-combinations of perceived response efficacy (PRE), perceived self-efficacy (PSE), and perceived collective efficacy (PCE). The data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Descriptive statistics were computed after the standardization of the scores. The scores for overall efficacy and threat were split by median value and response classifications were generated through threat by efficacy interactions. For statistical significance, 95% CI and p-value < 0.05 were used. Results A total of 929 respondents submitted their responses. Eight hundred and twenty-eight (89.1%) of the respondents were male and 753 (81.1%) were Christian. The perceived threat to COVID-19 was generally low (median = 58.3). The median score for overall efficacy, PRE, and PSE were 79.8, 87.5, and 80.0, respectively. However, the median value (66.7) for PCE was relatively low. Perceived threat significantly varied by age, education, occupation, and place of residence (p < 0.05). Perceived efficacy significantly differed by gender, residence, and use of some sources of information (p < 0.05). In terms of response to COVID-19, 290 (31.2%), 239 (25.7%), 175 (18.8%) and 225 (24.2%) of the respondents were in the responsive, pro-active, avoidant, and indifferent attitudinal categories, respectively. The avoidant and indifferent groups constituted a fear control response (mal-adaptive motivation towards COVID-19 protective behavior) whereas responsive and pro-active categories formed a danger control response (self-protective motivation). These responses varied significantly by residence, region, religion, and sources of information (p < 0.05). Conclusions Understanding people’s perceived health threat and efficacy is a critical step toward creating risk communication campaigns. Hence, this study provided an insight that has the potential to inform the COVID-19 risk communication campaigns targeting the educated section of the society, by ensuring a balanced combination of threat appeals and efficacy messages for improved self-protective responses.

This article describes data collected retrospectively on a cohort of esophageal, colorectal and prostate cancer patients registered in the patient log book of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia, from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017. The key variables studied include histological characteristics of each type of cancer, clinical and TNM stages, baseline laboratory results (Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for colorectal cancer, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer, hemoglobin level, etc.), clinical characteristics including sign and symptoms, family history of cancer, diagnostic and treatment modalities a patient received for each type of cancer. The event status (death) was also collected using death certificates (whenever available) and supplemented by telephone interviews with the patient or attendant. Furthermore, lifestyle characteristics of patients including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, khat (‘ Catha edulis ’) chewing, etc. and socioeconomic characteristics including age, sex, region of residence, marital status, and educational level were also collected. The aim that led to conduct the study that generated these data was to describe clinical presentation, histological characteristics, survival pattern, and to identify determinants of mortality among cancer patients in Ethiopia. Thus, independent survival analyzes were performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and life table analysis. Furthermore, Cox's proportional hazards regression was developed to investigate the survival pattern and determinants of cancer specific mortality among colorectal, esophageal and prostate cancer patients.

Purpose Ethiopia is located within the esophageal belt of Africa. Esophageal cancer is the seventh leading cause of death in Ethiopia. There is a paucity of literature regarding the clinical features, treatment patterns, and survival of patients with esophageal cancer. We report the clinical profile, treatment pattern, and survival of patients with esophageal cancer at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods An unmatched prospective cohort study was conducted from February 27, 2018 to February 28, 2020. We used the Kaplan–Meier method to assess the overall survival time and survival time according to stage and treatment type. Multivariate Cox regression analysis with the backward LR selection method was used to fit the final model. Result In total, 230 patients with esophageal cancer were recruited for this study. The median survival time was six months (95%CI) (5, 7). A total of 170 (73.9%) patients died during the 1,244 person-month follow-up period, resulting in an overall event rate of 162 per 1,000 person–months. The overall survival rate was very low with 6 months, 1-, and 2-year survival rates of 54.6% (95%CI:47.5%-61.2%), 19.5% (13.8% -25.9%), and 2.0% (0.45%–5.9%), respectively. Chemotherapy, local recurrence, and brain metastases were variables that explained the model. Conclusion survival of patients with esophageal cancer at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital was very short. We recommend multimodal treatment to improve treatment outcomes.

Gastrointestinal and peritoneal ischemic disease due to unknown etiology present with intestinal obstruction and/or peritonitis otherwise in healthy patient emerged as fatal disease at Arba Minch General Hospital. This disorder was diagnosed based on intraoperative finding. Clinical presentation and natural history of disease progression were similar. It is estimated that about 6–10 lives are being claimed each year at Arba Minch Hospital with this disease of unidentified cause accounting for the largest figure of surgical department. Here we report case analysis and literature review illustrating clinical presentation, workup, preoperative diagnosis, intraoperative diagnosis, and final outcome of fatal gastrointestinal and peritoneal ischemic disease.