Background Epilepsy is thought to be caused by witchcraft, evil spirit, and God’s punishment for sins in many developing countries. As a result, people with epilepsy and their families usually suffer from stigma, discrimination, depression, and other psychiatric problems. Thus, this study aimed to assess the quality of life and its associated factors among epileptic patients attending public hospitals in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed in this study. A simple random sampling technique was utilized. Health-related quality of life was measured based on the total score of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) instrument. Data were entered into Epi-data 3.1 statistical package and exported to SPSS Version 20 for further analysis. Linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between quality of life and the independent variables. Statistically significant values were declared at a P-value of < 0.05. Results A total of 395 patients participated in the study making the response rate 98.5%. The mean age of the participants was 32.39 ±10.71 years. More than half, 199 (50.4%) of epileptic patients had an overall weighted average health related quality of life score of mean and above. Male sex (B = 4.34, 95%CI, 0.41, 8.27, P = 0.03), higher educational status (B = 7.18, 95%CI, 1.39, 13.00, P = 0.015) and age at onset of epilepsy (B = 0.237, 95%CI, 0.02, 0.45, P = 0.035) were associated with increased health related quality of life score. On the other hand, family history of epilepsy (B = -4.78, 95%CI,-9.24,-0.33, P = 0.035), uncontrolled seizure (B = -11.08, 95%CI,-15.11,-7.05, P < 0.001), more than 5 pre-treatment number of seizures (B = -4.86, 95%CI,-8.91,-0.81, P = 0.019), poor drug adherence (B = -11.65, 95%CI,-16.06,-7.23, P < 0.001), having moderate (B = -4.526, 95%CI,-8.59,-0.46, P = 0.029) to sever (B = -12.84, 95%CI,-18.30,-7.37, P < 0.001) anxiety and depression, believing that epilepsy is caused by evil spirit (B = -7.04, 95%CI,-11.46,-2.61, P = 0.002), drinking alcohol (B = -5.42, 95%CI,-10.72,-0.13, P = 0.045), and having other co-morbidities (B = -9.35, 95%CI,-14.35,-4.36, P < 0.001) were significantly negatively associated with the health related quality of life score among epileptic patients. Conclusions Only around half of the epileptic patients have a good health-related quality of life. In addition, multiple variables including family history, uncontrolled seizure, and poor drug adherence were associated with quality of life among epileptic patients. Hence, targeting these variables in epilepsy management is recommended.

Background. Globally, about 450 million people suffer from mental disorders of which about 11% are assumed to be prisoners. The presence of mental illness among prisoners contributes to an increase in the risk of suicide, violence, morbidity, and mortality. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of data particularly from resource-limited areas to assist policy maker’s efforts in reforming mental health care. Objective. This study is aimed at assessing common mental disorders and its associated factors among prisoners in North Wollo zone correctional institutions, Northeastern Ethiopia. Method. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 401 study participants from January–February 2021. A simple random sampling technique was employed to enroll the study participants. Structured interviewer-administered Self Reporting Questionnaires-20 (SRQ-20) developed by the World Health Organization was used to collect the data. Data were checked for completeness, coded and entered into Epi data version 4.2, and transferred to SPSS version 23.0 for final analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with common mental disorders. Statistical significance was declared at p values < 0.05 in the final model. Results. The prevalence of common mental disorders was found to be 63.6% (95% CI 58.9, 68.3). After adjusting for confounding factors using multiple logistic regression, having children ( AOR = 3.7 , 95% CI: 1.93, 7.36), poor social support ( AOR = 6.6 , 95% CI: 2.93, 14.93), history of mental illness ( AOR = 6.5 , 95% CI: 1.78, 24.3), one- to five-year prison stay ( AOR = 2.6 , 95% CI: 1.38, 5.04), greater than five-year prison stay ( AOR = 5.7 , 95% CI: 2.05, 16.27), experiencing one stressful life event ( AOR = 5.2 , 95% CI: 1.83, 15.01), experiencing two or more stressful life events ( AOR = 7.3 , 95% CI: 2.98, 17.9), unavailability of reading materials ( AOR = 4.3 , 95% CI: 1.63, 11.43), and greater than or equal to eleven years of sentences ( AOR = 4.4 , 95 CI: 1.82, 10.70) were factors significantly associated with common mental disorders. Conclusion. Common mental disorders are highly prevalent among prisoners in this study area. The result of this study suggests the importance of screening and providing psychiatric counseling to this highly vulnerable population.

Background. Depression is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding and enjoyable activities. It is one of the leading mental disorders among prisoners worldwide. However, little attention is given to this condition, especially in developing countries. Hence, this study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among prisoners in North Wollo Zone Correctional Institutions, Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 407 prisoners from November 20 to December 20, 2020. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to measure the prevalence of depression among prisoners. Data analyses were done using SPSS version 20 software program. Descriptive and inferential statistics including bivariate and multivariable regression analyses were run to assess the association between depression and the independent variables, and a p value of less than 0.05 was taken to declare statistically significant values. Results. A total of 407 prisoners participated in the study, making the response rate 96.9%. The mean age of the participants was 31.7 ± 12.83 . Forty-one percent of them were between the ages of 18 and 27 years. In this study, the prevalence of depression was 55.5%. Age 38-47 ( AOR = 4.29 ; 95 % CI = 1.51 , 12.20), having children ( AOR = 2.75 ; 95 % CI = 1.40 , 5.42), sentences for 5-10 years and over 10 years ( AOR = 6.26 ; 95 % CI = 3.19 , 12.30 and AOR = 7.71 ; 95 % CI = 3.47 , 17.17, respectively), having a history of mental illness ( AOR = 5.22 ; 95 % CI = 2.39 , 11.36), having two or more stressful life events ( AOR = 6.61 ; 95 % CI = 2.73 , 15.96), and poor social support ( AOR = 8.13 ; 95 % CI = 3.43 , 19.27) were significantly associated with depression. Conclusions. In this study, more than half of the study participants were found having depression which is relatively higher compared with other previous studies across the globe. Moreover, different variables including the inmate’s age of 38-47 years, having children, a sentence of 5-10 and over 10 years, history of mental illness, having two or more stressful life events, and poor social support were factors significantly associated with depression. Thus, awareness creation for police officers and prison managers about depression screening in prison and treatment programs including psychological counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy for prisoners are recommended.

Background: Blinding Trachoma is considered a neglected tropical disease and earmarked for global elimination as a public health problem by 2020 using the advocated World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation, SAFE (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanness, and environmental change) strategy. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Trachoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness, and Ethiopia is the most affected and bears the highest burden. In many rural parts of Ethiopia, Trachoma continues to be rampant. In the North and South Wollo zones of the Amhara region, the overall prevalence of active Trachoma among children aged 1–9 was 21.6%. In the Gazegibela district of Wagehemra zone, Amhara region, among children aged 1–9 years, 52.4% were positive for active Trachoma. This study aimed to explore the determinates of SAFE strategy failure when WHO and MoH implement a SAFE strategy to control Trachoma from 2006 until 2020 and reconsider the recommendation of stakeholders in Bugna district, Ethiopia. Methods: The design used in this study is an exploratory case study to highlight the determinants of SAFE strategy failure. The data were collected in Bugna district, Northeast Ethiopia. The study data were collected from Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and kebele leaders. We employed an in-depth interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to gain access to the participants' experiences and conducted an inductive qualitative content analysis. The study population includes 28 health extension workers, 16 kebele leaders, 2 district health office leaders, 2 district trachoma officers, and 5 district health officers. Both the interview and FGD sessions were audio-taped, and an interview lasted one to two hours, but the FGD lasted two to three hours. Result: The study subjects live in 16 kebeles (sub-districts) of the Bugna district. The age of health extension workers ranged from 23 to 35 years old, with a mean age of 30.57 years (SD±2.68). Participants' opinions were categorized into two major categories; determinants for failing in controlling Trachoma in the Bugna district and forwarded recommendations to reduce the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular(TF) below 5%, and the prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) below 0.2%. In these two major categories, four themes were identified as determinants for failing to control Trachoma below 5% in the Bugna district in 2020, while six themes were deduced as recommendations to reduce the prevalence of TF below 5% and TT below 0.2% in Bugna district post-2020.Conclusion: Many organizations like The Carter center played a great deal and still investing their time, money, and knowledge to control TF below 5% and TT below 0.2% as per WHO recommendation through global elimination of Trachoma by 2020 (GET2020).

Background: Alcohol consumption is a global issue, both developed and underdeveloped countries' health trouble. Specifically in Ethiopia, youth men 15-24 years of age are engaged in psychoactive substances mainly alcohols. Alcoholic person has other concomitant mental illness the discord of school, unemployment and being low socio-economic status.Methods: A cross-sectional study using the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) data set was applied. The samples were selected using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 20. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with alcohol consumption by controlling confounders. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95 % confidence interval was considered to declare a statistically significant association.Results: The present study comprised of 4486 weight samples of youth men. The prevalence of alcohol consumption among youth men in this study was 39.3 %. Men aged 15-19 (AOR=1.27 (95% CI =1.01-1.60), being unemployed (AOR=1.62 (95% CI=1.27-2.07), don’t have awareness about HIV/AIDS (AOR=4.70 (95%=2.44-9.01),being married (AOD 0.58(0.39-0.85) and poorer youth men (AOD =1.75(95%CI=1.21-2.54) ,being orthodox (AOR=5.12(95%CI =2.47-10.64), protestant (AOR=0.42(95% CI =0.20- 0.87)Muslim (AOR=0.07(95% CI=0.03-0.16) religious followers were significantly associated with alcohol consumption.Conclusion: Alcohol consumption among youth men was relatively high when we compared with other countries study. Strengthening the awareness of HIV/AIDS, change alcohol drinking experience on religious ceremonies especially in orthodox, organizes the youth and job creation is suggested to avert alcohol consumption trajectory.