BackgroundMalaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. It is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the world. It is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Over the past years, the disease has been consistently reported as the first leading cause of outpatient visits, hospitalization and death in health facilities across the country.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence of malaria from peripheral blood smear examinations from the Kola Diba Health Center of Ethiopia. The case notes of all malaria cases reported between 2002–2011 were carefully reviewed and analyzed. Additionally, any malaria intervention activities that had been taken to control malaria were collected using a well-prepared checklist from the study area.ResultsWithin the last decade (2002–2011) a total of 59, 208 blood films were requested for malaria diagnosis in Kola Diba health center and 23,473 (39.6%) microscopically confirmed malaria cases were reported in the town with a fluctuating trend. Regarding the identified plasmodium species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax accounted for 75% and 25% of malaria morbidity, respectively. Malaria was reported in all age groups and both sexes, but the 15–44 year age group and males were more affected. Despite the apparent fluctuation of malaria trends in the area, the highest peak of malaria cases was reported during spring seasons.ConclusionComparatively, after the introduction of the current malaria control strategies, the morbidity and mortality by malaria is decreasing but malaria is still a major health problem and the deadly species P. falciparium is predominant. Therefore, control activities should be continued in a strengthened manner in the study area considering both P. falciparium and P. vivax.

Background: Pain and inflammation are the major devastating health problems commonly treated with traditional medicinal plants in Ethiopia. Echinops kebericho M. (Asteraceae) is the one which is frequently used to treat pain and inflammation by traditional healers in Ethiopian folk medicine. However, the plant has not been scientifically evaluated for its traditionally claimed use. The present study aimed at the investigation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of 80% methanol root extract of Echinops kebericho M. in mice model. Methods: Successive maceration was used as a method of extraction using solvents of increasing polarity: methanol and water. After extraction of the roots with 80% hydro methanol, the crude extract was evaluated for its peripheral and central analgesic activities using acetic acid-induced writhing test and hot plate method, respectively, while its antiinflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-and formalin-induced paw edema. The extract was evaluated at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg doses. The positive control groups were treated with ASA 150 mg/kg for writhing test, morphine 10 mg/kg for hot plat method, indomethacin 25 mg/kg and diclofenac 10 mg/kg for paw edema tests and vehicle, distilled water (10 mL/kg) treated mice were assigned as negative controls. All treatment administrations were performed orally. Results: E. kebericho extract at all test doses showed statistically significant antinociceptive activity in both chemicals-induced peripheral and thermal-induced central pain in a dose dependent manner (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). The greater analgesic activity was observed by the maximum dose of the extract (400 mg/kg) in both acetic acids-induced writhing test (57.84%) and hot plate method (69.40%). The effect of the extract was also statistically significant (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) in both carrageenan and formalin-induced paw edema in dose dependent manner. Greater edema inhibition was observed by the highest dose (400 mg/kg) in both observations with the respective percentage values of 70.00% and 79.87%, respectively. Conclusion: In general, the data obtained from the present study elucidated that the extract possessed a significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and recommended for further studies.

Background Serum lipid profile abnormalities are major predictors for coronary artery diseases. The relationship between demographic factors and dyslipidemia in Ethiopia is not completely explored. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of dyslipidemia among hypertensive patients in Lumame Primary Hospital. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 30, 2020, on the hypertensive patients in Lumame Primary Hospital. All adult hypertensive patients who visited the adult hypertensive care services during the study period were included. Interview-guided self-administered questionnaire and a chart review were used for data collection. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0 was used for data analysis. Results Out of 372 hypertensive patients, 190(51.1%) were females and the mean age of the study participants was 43.56 years (SD ± 4.31). The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in this study was 48.4%. Besides the overall prevalence, the prevalence of TC, TG, LDL-c, and HDL-c was 73(19.6%), 91(24.5%), 60(16.1%), and 115(30.9%), respectively. Females were at higher risk for having high levels of TC (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.54–3.13), TG (AOR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.34–3.79), LDL-c (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.56–2.86), and HDL-c (AOR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.44–5.67) than males. Respondents who were from urban were at higher risk for having high levels of TC (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.04–6.83), TG (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.09–2.86), LDL-c (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.45–7.43), and HDL-c (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.94–4.55) than respondents who were from rural. Similarly, obese respondents were at higher risk for having high levels of TC (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.64–2.00), TG (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.06–6.42), LDL-c (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.66–2.12), and HDL-c (AOR = 4.23, 95% CI = 2.84–4.32) than to respondents who were underweight. Conclusion The prevalence of dyslipidemia among hypertensive patients was high. Independent variables such as age, gender, residence, family history of HTN, smoking, alcohol drinking, fruit diet habits, physical activity, DM, and BMI were significant determinants of dyslipidemia.

Introduction. Worldwide, in children of under five years of age, diarrhea is responsible for more than 760,000 annual deaths. It is treated with both modern drugs and traditional medicinal plants, including O. lamiifolium. But the use of this plant as an antidiarrheal agent is not scientifically validated. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate antidiarrheal efficacy of the plant. Method. The leaf powder was macerated by 80% methanol and then fractionated using n-hexane, n-butanol, and distilled water. Antidiarrheal activity was evaluated through different models (castor oil-induced diarrhea, enteropooling, and motility) using onset, number of wet feces, fluid content, weight and volume of intestinal content, and motility as test parameters by administering treatment doses to groups of mice. Group I received 10 mL/kg of the dissolving vehicle, Group II received either loperamide or atropine, and Groups III-V received extract doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data, followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test. Results. The crude extract exhibited a significant effect on the fluid content of feces at all tested doses. Additionally, the n-butanol and distilled water fractions revealed significant effects on onset of diarrhea at 400 mg/kg ( p < 0.05 ), while the n-hexane fraction showed significant effects on number of wet feces, onset, and fluid content of feces at all tried doses. The crude extract and all the fractions (at 200 and 400 mg/kg) decreased the weight and volume of intestinal content significantly. Similarly, both the crude extract and distilled water fraction at 400 mg/kg as well as n-butanol and n-hexane fractions at 200 and 400 mg/kg showed meaningful differences on peristaltic index as compared to the negative control. Conclusion. The results revealed that the leaf extract of O. lamiifolium has an antidiarrheal activity, which supports the traditional medical practice.

Background. The improvement of healthcare systems has brought the subsequent increase in people access to medications. The consumers are not able to use all the dispensed medications because of various reasons. The improper disposal of these unused medicines has led to environmental contamination to an alarming extent. Therefore, the study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of unused medications disposal among patients visiting public health centers in Gondar town, Ethiopia. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 patients visiting public health centers in Gondar town, Ethiopia, from August to September 2021, by using standardized and a locally translated semistructured questionnaire. The data were entered and analyzed by using the SPSS version of 21.0. The variable of interest was described in the form of statements and tables. Result. Out of 404 respondents included in the study, 221 (54.7%) of them were female. More than half (226 (55.9%)) of the respondents had unused medicine at home. The common methods of disposal practice were throwing into a household garbage (150 (31.4%)), followed by flushed into toilet/sinks (88 (21.8%)). More than half (286 (70.8%)) of the respondents knew about medication waste and 239 (59.2%) of them checked their medication expiry date. More than half (215 (53.5%)) of the participants strongly agreed that unused medicine can cause potential risk at home and 279 (69.1%) of study participants strongly agreed that children are more vulnerable to the potential risk of unused medicine at home. Conclusion. There was a high practice of keeping medication at home, and most disposal approach indicated by the participants was not recommended methods. Awareness about the proper disposal of unused medicines among the public should be created. Guidelines on safe disposal are required, and an organized method of collecting unused and expired pharmaceuticals needs to be introduced.

No abstract

Background. Toxicity and untoward effects are very ostensible in most standard drugs including antipyretic agents. Searching for conceivable antipyretic drugs with minimal toxicities and side effects from traditional plants is a growing concern to date. Echinops kebericho M. (Asteraceae) is one of the most prominent traditional medicinal plants, which is frequently testified for its traditionally claimed uses of treating fever and different infectious and noninfectious disorders by traditional healers in Ethiopian folk medicine. However, this plant has not been scientifically assessed for its traditionally claimed uses. This study therefore is aimed at investigating the antipyretic and antioxidant activities of 80% methanol root extract and the derived solvent fraction of Echinops kebericho M. in mouse models. Methods. Successive solvent maceration with increased polarity was used as the method of extractions, and chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water were used as solvents. After extraction, the crude extract and its derived solvent fractions were assessed for their antipyretic activities using yeast-induced pyrexia while, the antioxidant activities were measured in vitro using the diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay method. Both the extract and solvent fractions were evaluated at the doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg for its antipyretic activities, and the antioxidant activity was evaluated at the doses of 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mg/kg. The positive control group was treated with standard drug (ASA 100 mg/kg), while normal saline-receiving groups were assigned as negative control. Result. E. kebericho crude extract along with its derived solvent fractions showed statistically significant ( p < 0.05 , 0.01, and 0.001) temperature reduction activities. The maximum percentage of temperature reduction was observed by the highest dose (400 mg/kg) of the crude extract. The aqueous fraction also showed significantly ( p < 0.05 and 0.01) higher temperature reduction than those of ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions. The free radical scavenging activities of the crude extract were also significantly high at the maximum dose, and the aqueous fraction showed the significantly highest antioxidant activity. Conclusion. In general, the data obtained from the present study clarified that the extract possessed significant antipyretic and antioxidant activities, upholding the traditionally claimed use of the plant.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 has had a global effect on people’s lifestyles. Many people have developed irregular eating patterns and become physically inactive, which leads to an aggravation of lifestyle-related diseases and unhealthier lifestyles; these, subsequently raise the severity of coronavirus disease 2019. This study aimed to assess lifestyle changes during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Gondar town, North West, Ethiopia. Method Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among households at Gondar town from June to August 2021. The study participants were selected by a systematic random sampling technique from proportionally allocated kebeles. Data were collected using face-to-face interview techniques and were entered and analyzed by using a statistical package for the social sciences version 24; P-values < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Result Overall, 348 study participants were included in the study. Among those respondents, 52.3% (182) were female study participants and the mean age of the respondents was 30.95±14.4. In this study, there was a significant decrement in non-homemade food from 20.4% to 13.4% at (P = <0.001). Concerning water intake, 11.5% (40) of respondents consumed ≥8 cups/day before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and the percentage increased to 14.7% (51) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (p = 0.01). Of the participants, 46% participants were reported never engaging in any physical activity before the coronavirus pandemic, and the percentage decreased to 29.9% during the pandemic (P = 0.002). The respondents also exhibited increment tension in large from 4.9% to 22.7% before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, respectively. Furthermore, about 6.3% of the study participants slept badly before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemics and the effects of sleeping badly and restlessly increased to 25.9% during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (P = <0.001). Conclusion The current study demonstrates that there is a noticeable alteration in food consumption, food choices, regular mealtime, sleeping habits, mental exhaustion, and practice of physical activity.