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Background: Limited evidence exists on the treatment outcome and factors that are associated with the duration from the initiation of treatment to death or treatment failure in children with drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Thus, we aimed to determine the proportion of treatment enrollment, status of treatment outcome and determine factors that are associated with the duration from treatment initiation to death or treatment failure in children treated for DR-TB in Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in children younger than 15 years old who were treated for DR-TB from February 2009 to February 2019 in Ethiopia. We collected data on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics from clinical charts, registration books and laboratory result reports on 155 children. Proportion of enrollment to the treatment was calculated by dividing the total number of children who were receiving the treatment by the total number of DR-TB patients treated during the specified years. We used Cox proportional hazard models to determine factors that were associated with the duration from the beginning of the treatment to death or treatment failure. Data was analyzed using STATA version 14. Results: Of the 3,478 DR-TB patients enrolled into the treatment and fulfilling our inclusion criteria during the past ten years, 155 (4.5%) were children. Of the 155 children, 75 (48.4%) completed the treatment and 51 (32.9%) were cured. Furthermore, 18 (11.6%) children were died, seven (4.5%) lost to follow up and treatment of four (2.6%) children was failed. The overall treatment success was 126 (81.3%). Age younger than 5 years old [Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) = 3.2, 95%CI (1.2–8.3)], HIV sero-reactivity [AHR = 5.3, 95%CI (1.8–14.9)] and being anemic [AHR = 4.3, 95%CI (1.8–10.3)] were significantly associated with the duration from the enrollment into the treatment to death or treatment failure. Conclusion: In this study, the proportion of children enrolled into DR-TB treatment was lower than the proportion of adults enrolled to the treatment (4.5% in children versus 95.5% in adults) in last ten years. Our findings also suggest that children with DR-TB can be successfully treated with standardized long term regimen. Further prospective cohort study is required to investigate factors contributing to death or treatment failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND? Breast cancer is the most devastating public health problem affecting women in developed and developing world. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the likelihood of taking breast self-examination as abreast screening behavior among reproductive age women. METHODS: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted on 810 reproductive-age women. Intervieweradministered questionnaires were used to collect data. Study participants were selected using systematic sampling method. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0. RESULTS: The likelihood of performing breast self-examination was 54.3%. However, the comprehensive knowledge of the participants was 11.5%. As independent predictors, perceived severity of breast cancer [AOR (95%CI) = 2.05 (1.03 to 1.07)] and self-efficacy [AOR (95%CI) = 2.97(0.36-0.99)] were positively associated with the likelihood of performing breast selfexamination whereas districts [AOR (95%CI) = 0.58 (0.37 to 0.91)] and place of residence [AOR (95%CI) = 0.69 (0.51 to 0.93)] were negatively associated with the likelihood of performing breast selfexamination. The HBM Model explained 64.2% of the variance in this study. CONCLUSION: Although the likelihood of performing breast selfexamination was relatively good, the comprehensive knowledge of the women was very low. Therefore, breast cancer screening education must address knowledge and socio-cultural factors that influence breast screening through awareness creation using appropriate behavioral change communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early intervention in mammography use prevents breast cancer-related deaths. Therefore, this study aimed to apply health education interventions to mammography use in reproductive-aged women., Methods: This was a sequential exploratory design using qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative part used to gain insights into the design and development of interventions. For the randomized trial, a sample of 405 participants was recruited in each arm. The mean difference of interventions on the study variables was determined using a general linear model for repeated measures (ANOVA). For dichotomous variables, nonparametric tests (Cochran Q ) were used. Path analysis was used to observe how the constructs of the Health Belief Model interacted. We registered PACTR database (https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/): "PACTR201802002902886.", Results: The study found that there was a strong interplay between perceptions of mammography screening and the intervention, showing that the likelihood of mammography use and comprehensive knowledge increased from baseline to endpoint ( p  < 0.005). Likewise, health motivation and all constructs of the health belief model had a statistically significant mean difference between the intervention and control groups ( p  < 0.005). However, the mean value of perceived barriers in the intervention group was statistically significantly reduced after three and six months (mean difference = -2.054 between Measure 1 and measure 2 and -1.942 between Measure 2 and Measure 3). The hypothesized causal paths effect of the model was explained by 64.3% that shows there is strong relationship of the variables significantly ( p  < 0.005)., Conclusion: The study found that model-based mammography screening interventions had a significant impact at various time periods. We recommend future researchers consider the intensity and range of information to advance the field and figure out the problem while investigating the dose and peak of the intervention., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Agide, Garmaroudi, Sadeghi, Shakibazadeh, Yaseri and Koricha.)

Objectives: Treatment success rate in patients treated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is low, but predictors of treatment failure and death have been under-reported. Thus, we aimed to determine the national proportion of treatment success rate in the past 10 years and factors that predict treatment failure and death in patients with MDR-TB in Ethiopia., Setting: A retrospective cohort study with a 10-years follow-up period was conducted in 42 MDR-TB treatment-initiating centres in Ethiopia., Participants: A total of 3395 adult patients with MDR-TB who had final treatment outcome and who were treated under national TB programme were included. Data were collected from clinical charts, registration books and laboratory reports. Competing risk survival analysis model with robust standard errors (SE) was used to determine the predictors of treatment failure and death., Primary and Secondary Outcomes: Treatment outcome was a primary outcome whereas predictors of treatment failure and death were a secondary outcome., Results: The proportion of treatment success was 75.7%, death rate was 12.8%, treatment failure was 1.7% and lost to follow-up was 9.7%. The significant predictors of death were older age (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)=1.03; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.05; p<0.001), HIV infection (AHR=2.0; 95% CI 1.6 to 2.4; p<0.001) and presence of any grade of anaemia (AHR=1.7; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.0; p<0.001). Unlike the predictors of death, all variables included into multivariable model were not significantly associated with treatment failure., Conclusion: In the past 10 years, although MDR-TB treatment success in Ethiopia has been consistently favourable, the proportion of patients who died is still considerable. Death could be attributed to advanced age, HIV infection and anaemia. Prospective cohort studies are necessary to further explore the potentially modifiable predictors of treatment failure., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Treatment interruption is one of the main risk factors of poor treatment outcome and occurrence of additional drug resistant tuberculosis. This study is a national retrospective cohort study with 10 years follow up period in MDR-TB patients in Ethiopia. We included 204 patients who had missed the treatment at least for one day over the course of the treatment (exposed group) and 203 patients who had never interrupted the treatment (unexposed group). We categorized treatment outcome into successful (cured or completed) and unsuccessful (lost to follow up, failed or died). We described treatment interruption by the length of time between interruptions, time to first interruption, total number of interruption episodes and percent of missed doses. We used Poisson regression model with robust standard error to determine the association between treatment interruption and outcome. 82% of the patients interrupted the treatment in the first six month of treatment period, and considerable proportion of patients demonstrated long intervals between two consecutive interruptions. Treatment interruption was significantly associated with unsuccessful treatment outcome (Adjusted Risk Ratio (ARR) = 1.9; 95% CI (1.4-2.6)). Early identification of patients at high risk of interruption is vital in improving successful treatment outcome.

Background: Breast cancer remains one of the deadliest non-communicable diseases in the world. In Ethiopia, breast cancer accounts for 33.4% of total cancer diagnosis in women., Objective: This study aims to explore perception about breast screening behavior among reproductive age women., Methods: This qualitative study was conducted as a baseline to identify gaps to design interventions that will enhance breast screening uptake among reproductive age women. Six focus group discussions and 9 in-depth interviews were conducted with women and health workers respectively. Semi-structured questions were used. Data analysis was analyzed by Atlas.ti. 7 and the ideas were put in direct quotation and narration., Results: Lack of awareness is the preceding problem for self-susceptibility to breast cancer as well as for having breast screening. Majority of women thought that the cause of breast cancer was a sin (supernatural power). Self-efficacy and cues to action were the most important correlates of the perception owing to fear of socio-cultural stigma and discrimination., Conclusion: All health belief model constructs identified a critical problem for adaptation of behavior. Therefore, this gives the opportunity to design and develop community-based intervention and explore new intervention mechanism with an accurate method., (© 2019 Agide et al.)

Background: In the world, many countries, including Ethiopia, are framing policies to roll back the problem of the sanitation. For this, the Kingdon and Hall models are the two distinct models formed to articulate the policy agenda to the health problem. The Kingdon model includes problem, policy and politics streams whereas the Hall model includes legitimacy, feasibility and support of the health policies. Therefore, this review aims to integrate the two models with diseases prevention and health promotion policies of Ethiopia., Methods: We used the existing frameworks of the models as a guiding principle. Then, we applied the frameworks of the two models as an important consideration to interlink policy agenda to a given health problem. We also described the existing scientific literature about the sanitation and health promotion. After thoroughly reviewing, possible policy inputs and country setups were included with a brief discussion by comparing different kinds of literatures., Results: The two models are recognized as an opportunity to get an essential sanitation policy. The government settled and has closed links to the new innovation as an emerged discourse. Therefore, the two model streams came together for setting sanitation problem on the policy agenda. The technical feasibility, public acceptability and congruence with existing values were all judged to be favorable., Conclusion: The integration of policies within the policy frameworks has very important outputs in various countries. Therefore, the field specialists should figure out the problem of policy integration through policy evaluation researches.