Ethiopia has taken unprecedented preventive measures, such as confinement to home and closure of schools and offices to halt the spread of Corona virus pandemic in the country. Unfortunately, such orders may have been associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) against women but there is no study conducted to assess the magnitude of IPV during the lock-downs in the country. Thus, this study intended to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of IPV against women during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on sample of 617 married or cohabited women. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to identify and enroll women who are married. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of IPV among women and all statistical analyses were carried out using STATA 14.2. In this study, amongst the 589 married women who were included in the analysis, 22.4% [95% CI: 19.1%, 25.9%] were experienced at least one form of IPV. Additionally, 11.0%, 20.0%, and 13.8% of women also experienced physical, psychological, and sexual IPVs respectively. After adjusting for covariate; being illiterate [AOR=2.37: 95% CI 1.29, 4.35], having illiterate husband [AOR=2.67: 95% CI 1.36, 5.21], having substance user husband (alcohol, chat or cigarettes) [AOR=2.75: 95% CI 1.42, 5.34], and community tolerant attitude to violence [AOR=2.97: 95% CI 1.17, 7.61] were the independent predictors of IPV amongst married women. In conclusion, the prevalence of IPV among married women was comparable to the national pre-COVID figure of IPV. Therefore, national and regional governments should work toward enhancing gender equality, coupled with addressing risk factors at multiple levels, using community- and institution-based approaches to prevent IPV and to specifically achieve SDG5 of eliminating violence against women by 2030.

Background Every year, an estimated 13 million premature babies are delivered in the world, making it the largest cause of newborn mortality due to infections and hypothermia. Kangaroo mother care is a low-cost treatment strategy for reducing hypothermia-related death. However, it has a low coverage rate in Ethiopia. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the barriers and enablers for practicing kangaroo mother care. Study Design: Facility based study design was conducted in South Wollo zone public hospitals on a total of 12 IDIs and 10 FGDs from November 2021 to December 2021. After informed consent was obtained; Pediatrician, Obstetrician/gynecologist, mothers, neonatal nurses, and midwives were participated in FGDs and IDIs. The results have been summarized after data has been transcribed, themed, preliminarily analyzed, and quoted the participants' opinions. Result Community/maternal related, health care provider related, and hospital related barriers and enablers for practicing KMC in the study hospitals were identified. The investigated barriers included maternal fear that the baby would suffocate during KMC, maternal illness, poor maternal hygiene, being a rural mother, poor maternal economy, lack of trained health care providers (HCP), lack of continuous supervision, long hospital stays, and lack of full KMC infrastructures, to name a few. The listed enablers for KMC practice included getting support from other mothers and community leaders, mothers' faith in medical professionals, births other than cesarean sections, urban mothers, proximity to the hospital, families' positive attitudes toward KMC, the availability of KMC infrastructures, hospital services (KMC), and food costs being covered by the hospital. Conclusion and recommendation: To begin and maintain KMC in the hospital, hospital infrastructures, community/maternal initiation, and health care provider initiation must all be addressed. As a result, everyone involved in the study area works to remove constraints on KMC practice and foster enablers.

BackgroundStudies conducted on the practice of COVID-19 preventive methods across the world are highly inconsistent and inconclusive. Hence, this study intended to estimate the pooled preventive practice and its determinants among the general population.MethodsThis study was conducted using online databases (PubMed, HINARI, Scopus, EMBASE, Science Direct, and Cochrane library database), African Journals online, Google Scholar, open gray and online repository accessed studies. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). STATA 14.0 software for analysis. The existence of heterogeneity between studies was checked using Cochran Q test and I2 test statistics and then, the presence of publication bias was detected using both funnel plot and Egger's test.Results51 studies were included and the pooled level of practice toward the preventive measures of COVID-19 was 74.4% (95% CI: 70.2–78.6%, I2 = 99.7%, P < 0.001] using a random effects model. Being female [OR = 1.97: 95% CI 1.75, 2.23; I2 = 0.0%, P < 0.698], rural residence [OR = 0.53: 95% CI 0.44, 0.65; I2 = 73.5%, P < 0.013], attending higher education level [OR = 1.47: 95% CI 1.18, 1.83; I2 = 75.4%, P < 0.001], being employed [OR = 2.12: 95% CI 1.44, 3.12; I2 = 91.8%, P < 0.001], age < 30 [OR = 0.73: 95% CI 0.60, 0.89; I2 = 73.9%, P < 0.001], and knowledgeable [OR = 1.22: 95% CI 1.09, 1.36; I2 = 47.3%, P < 0.077] were the independent predictors of adequate practice level.Conclusionsnearly three-fourths of the general population has an adequate preventive practice level toward COVID-19. Thus, the global, regional, national, and local governments need to establish policies and strategies to address the identified factors.