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Background: Medicinal plants are employed for the primary health care by the community as a supportive care for symptomatic relief of generalized pain, headache, fever, cough and others symptoms. This study was therefore aimed to evaluate blends of traditionally used medicinal plants for symptomatic relief effects besides determining the microbial and, phytochemical qualities and sensorial acceptability. Methods: Laboratory animals-based experiment was employed in this study. The medicinal herbs blend preparations used as tea infusion were Cymbopgon citratus, Menta spicata, Thymus schimperi, Ruta chalepensis and Stevia rebaudiana. The essential oil blends of Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis and Cymbopgon citratus in aqueous solution were used as oral gargle. The tea infusion and essential oils were administered as a single dose by oral gavage in mice. The doses used for analgesics effect of tea infusion were 350, 700 and 1400mg/Kg, and for the antipyretic effect of the gargle solution was five drops essential oil blends in 100ml distilled water. Oral gargle containing 2100mg/Kg tea infusion and five drops of essential oil in 100ml distilled water were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity in mice. The phytochemical and microbial quality and safety, and sensory acceptability were also investigated for medicinal plant blend preparations. Results were summarized as mean ± standard error of mean. The analysis was done using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The means values were compared using Dunnet’s t- test. Results: The medicinal herb plant possessed analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-inflammatory activities. The presence of bioactive compounds that was attributed for symptomatic relief was indicated by quantitative determination of total flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the tea infusion and oral gargle solution. The results also showed that the microbial quality was within prescribed limits of international pharmacopeia and WHO requirements. The tea infusion and oral gargle had good sensory acceptability indicating accepted palatability. Conclusion: The investigation verified the symptomatic relief effects of the medicinal plant blends besides meeting the phytochemical and microbial quality parameters requirements of the medicinal herb’s blends. The findings entails that the plants may be used to relieve pain, fever and inflammation., Ethiopian Journal of public health and nutrition, Vol 6 No 1 (2023): EJPHN Volume 6 Issue 1

Introduction: In Ethiopia, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause 42% of deaths, of which 27% are premature deaths before 70 years of age. The Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) increased from below 20% in 1990 to 69% in 2015. With no action, Ethiopia will be the first among the most populous nations in Africa to experience dramatic burden of premature deaths and disability from NCDs by 2040. However, the national response to NCDs remains fragmented with the total health spending per capita for NCDs still insignificant. The focus of this paper is highlighting the burden of NCDs in Ethiopia and analyzing one of the two major WHO recommended policy issues; the status of integrated management of NCDs, in Ethiopia. NCDs are complex conditions influenced by a range of individual, social and economic factors, including our perceptions and behavior. Also, NCDs tend to be easily overlooked by individuals and policy makers due to their silent nature. Thus, effectively addressing NCDs requires a fresher look into a range of health system issues, including how health services are organized and delivered.Methods: A mixed method approach with quantitative and qualitative data was used. Quantitative data was obtained through analysis of the global burden of diseases study, WHO-STEPs survey, Ethiopian SARA study and the national essential NCD drug survey. This was supplemented by qualitative data through review of a range of documents, including the national NCD policies and strategies and global and regional commitments.Results and discussion: In 2015, NCDs were the leading causes of age-standardized death rate (causing 711 deaths per 100,000 people (95% UI: 468.8–1036.2) and DALYs. The national estimates of the prevalence of NCD metabolic risk factors showed high rates of raised blood pressure (16%), hyperglycemia (5.9%), hypercholesterolemia (5.6%), overweight (5.2%) and Obesity (1.2%). Prevalence of 3-5 risk factors constituting a metabolic syndrome was 4.4%. Data availability on NCD morbidity and mortality is limited. While there are encouraging actions on NCDs in terms of political commitment, lot of gaps as shown by limited availability of resources for NCDs, NCD prevention and treatment services at the primary health care (PHC) level. Shortage of essential NCD drugs and diagnostic facilities and lack of treatment guidelines are major challenges. There is a need to re-orient the national health system to ensure recognition of the NCD burden and sustain political commitment, allocate sufficient funding and improve organization and delivery of NCD services at PHC level. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2018;32 (3):00-000]Key words: Non-communicable diseases, health-system re-orientation, NCD burden, metabolic risk factors, Service delivery, Primary Health Care

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases, have remained the major burden and threat of the world with quite alarming rise in the developing nations. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of many chronic diseases.Methods: Community-based cross-sectional survey based on the World Health Organization (WHO) NCD Stepwise approach was done. The survey was conducted in the 9 regions and two city administrations (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa) in Ethiopia. The target population for this survey included all men and women age 15-69 years old who consider Ethiopia to be their primary place of residence. A single population-proportion formula was used to determine the sample size: design effect coefficient of 1.5, Z-score of1.96, proportion of 35.2%and marginal error of 0.04. A total of 513 EAs were covered nationwide. Thus, 10,260 study participants were included in the study. A mix of sampling approach namely stratified, three-stage cluster sampling, simple random sampling and Kish method were employed to select the study settings and the study participants. Descriptive weighted analysis was done along with complex sample analysis, and bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted for fruit and/or vegetable intake.Result: The prevalence of fruit and/or vegetable consumption in Ethiopia was found to be (1.5%). More female than male ate fruit and vegetable in Ethiopia. When adjusted for included demographic and residence confounders (age, sex, location, income, education), those in rural area of residence ate ≥5 servings of fruits and vegetable [OR and (95% CI) [2.77 (1.60, 4.80)] than their counterparts.Conclusion and recommendation: Fruits and/or vegetables intake was generally extremely low. As the general level of risk factors rises, more people are put at risk. Preventive interventions to address these behaviours are implemented at individual, group, and community levels and include education, access to fruits and vegetables should therefore aim at reducing risk throughout the population. Key Words: STEPs survey, fruit, vegetables, Ethiopia

Introduction: The burden of raised blood pressure and elevated blood glucose in sub-Saharan Africa has been increasing over the last couple of decades. However, a large proportion of the population with raised blood pressure and elevated blood glucose remain undiagnosed contributing to the increasing burden of the problem. There is paucity of published studies describing the burden of major NCDs in sub –Saharan Africa. Likewise, except very few studies in some pocket areas, there was no representative NCD risk factor survey undertaken in Ethiopia. This paper focuses on the data extracted from the survey on the prevalence of selected NCDs to elaborate more on the issues and to show the invisible magnitude of the two major health problems for policy and program development.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Ethiopia using the WHO step-wise approach to the surveillance of NCD risk factors. The survey was carried out between April and June 2015. The data collection processes included three steps. Step 1: This step comprised of a questionnaire to gather demographic and behavioural characteristics of the study population; Step 2: Physical measurement was done to build on the core data in Step 1 and to determine proportion of the study population with raised blood pressure, overweight and obesity; and Step 3: Biochemical measurements were undertaken to build on the core data in step 1 and step 2 to measure proportion of the study population with diabetes, raised blood glucose and abnormal lipid level. Data were collected digitally using personal digital assistants (PDAs) from which data were transferred to central server using internet file streaming system (IFSS). Data were cleaned and analysed using a combination of softwares namely, SPSS, Stata and Epi Info version 3.5.4.Results: The survey included 9,788 study participants and of this, 77% had never been measured for blood pressure prior to current survey. However, based on the measurements made during the present survey among all respondents who were not taking medication for raised blood pressure, 15.6% (95% CI: 14.4-16.9) had raised blood pressure level ( SBP of ≥140 mmHg and/or a DBP of ≥90 mmHg). Likewise, among all respondents, 97 % had never been tested for blood sugar level prior to present survey. However, the current study revealed a total of 5.7 % of the study population had a blood glucose level of ≥ 110 mg/dl, with 6% (95% CI: 4.7-7.2) in men, and 5.8 %( 95% CI: 4.6-7.0) in women.Conclusions: The prevalence of undiagnosed raised blood pressure and elevated blood sugar was high in Ethiopia and only very small percentage of people had been aware of their high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. Policy makers in the health sector including other health development partners need to strengthen health system and design nation-wide population based strategy to establish community based screening program for blood pressure and blood glucose. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2017;31(Special Issue):362-369]Key words: Hidden magnitude, history, blood pressure, blood glucose, NCDs.

Background: There is strong and consistent evidence indicating high salt intake is one of the risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The global target is to reduce population salt intake by 30% by 2025. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the level of urinary sodium excretion and determinates among adults in Ethiopia.Methods: A nation-wide cross-sectional survey on NCD risk factors was carried out using the WHO STEPS survey during April and June 2015. A total of 6761 spot urine samples representative of all the regions of the country including the cities of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administration were collected. The level of sodium and creatinine excretion was determined using Cobas Integra 400 Plus. INTERSALT equation was used to calculate population salt intake. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent predictors of salt intake.Results: Among 6761 study participants included in this study, 3979 (58%) were female, 2653 (39.2%) of the study participants aged between 15-29 years. The mean estimated salt intake (g/day) in Ethiopia population using random spot urine was 8.3 (95% CI 8.2-8.4) where the average salt intake among male was 9.0 (95% CI 8.9-9.1) and 7.4 (95% CI 7.3-7.4) among female. Those aged 30-34 [AOR and (95%CI)] [2.89 (1.81-4.57)] and male [AOR and (95%CI)] [2.34 (1.65-3.30)] were more likely to have high sodium intake than their counterparts.Conclusion and recommendation: Salt consumption in Ethiopia is higher than the WHO recommendations of 5 g/day. Being male and in the thirties was a strong determinant influencing the sodium intake in our study. Population based strategies to reduce salt intake must be implemented and also factors associated with high salt intake should be considered as one of the strategies used in community interventions directed to reduce salt intake to prevent death and disability from NCDs. Key words: Sodium excretion, Salt intake, Spot Urine, Ethiopia

Introduction: Among African countries, Ethiopia has a relatively high burden of road traffic injuries. It is challenging to accurately estimate the public health burden and causes of road traffic crash in Ethiopia.Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence and determinants of road traffic injuries in Ethiopia.Methods: A population-based cross sectional study was conducted in accordance with the World Health Organization step-wise approach to survey of non-communicable diseases risk factors. The survey was carried out between April and June 2015. Men and women adults ages 15-69 years old were the target population. A single population-proportion formula was implemented to determine the sample size. Data were entered using e-STEPS, cleaned and analysed using SPSS and Stata. Descriptive weighted analysis was done along with complex sample analysis and bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted for RTIs and associated factors.Results: About 3% (2.7%, 95% CI: 1.8-3.5) of respondents were involved in a road traffic crash as a passenger, driver, or pedestrian during the prior 12 months. Our study found that the risk of being involved in road traffic injuries in those who have completed primary education is 1.4 times higher than in those that have no formal education (95% CI: 1.002-1.992). Those whose household income level is above 30,000 Ethiopian birr (ETB) had the highest involvement in road traffic injuries (4.2%). Those whose annual household income is above 30,000 ETB have an about 2 times increased risk of being involved in road traffic injuries than those whose annual income is below 12,000 ETB (95% CI between 1.313-3.230). The finding revealed that the risk of being involved in road traffic injuries is about 2 times higher in those who chew the plant khat (Catha endulis) than in those who do not chew khat (95% CI: 1.368-2.774).Conclusion: The fact that the most economically productive age group are affected by road traffic injuries has serious economic implications for their immediate families and for the country, in general. Based on the finding of this study, level of education, household income and khat use are determinants of road traffic injuries in Ethiopia. These findings indicate that higher education has a role in reducing the risk of road traffic injuries. Based on this study we conclude that income of the individuals is directly proportional to road traffic crashes. Key words: Road traffic injuries, prevalence, determinants, population-based, Ethiopia