Prevalence and factors affecting the utilization of antenatal care in rural areas of Southwestern Ethiopia

Background Antenatal care (ANC) is a health care intervention intended to ensure the safety of pregnancy. According to the World Health Organization, at least four ANC visits are recommended for a healthy pregnancy. However, whether this recommended number of visits was followed or not in the rural areas of Southwestern Ethiopia is not known. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and the associated factors of ANC utilization by pregnant women in the rural areas of Southwestern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study design was used in three rural zones. The data were collected from n = 978 women through a structured questionnaire with face-to-face interview. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multiple binary logistic regression model. Results The results showed that 56% of women made the recommended minimum number of ANC visits and the remaining 44% of them underutilized the ANC service. The multiple binary logistic regression model identified zone, marital status of the woman, educational level of the husband, occupation of the husband, knowledge of danger signs of pregnancy, birth interval, source of information, timely visits, and transportation problem to be statistically significant factors affecting the prevalence of ANC visit utilization of women. Bench Maji zone had smaller odds ratio of ANC visit prevalence as compared to Kaffa zone. Women who lived in the rural area of Sheko zone are 2.67 times less likely to utilize ANC visit than those who lived in the rural area of Kaffa zone keeping other variables constant. Conclusion The study results highlight the need to increase the number of ANC visits, and the importance of using an appropriate model to determine the important socio-demographic factors that ANC service providers shall focus on to improve the health of the unborn baby and the mother during pregnancy.

Evaluation of blended fertilizer rates for improving production of food barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in Semen Ari District, Southwestern Ethiopia

Depletion of soil fertility, depletion of macro- and micro-nutrients and soil organic matter and inappropriate and imbalanced fertilizer application are among the most important factors that reduces the food barley production in Ethiopia. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to evaluate NPSB blended fertilizer rate effect on improving production of food barley in Semen Ari District, Southwestern Ethiopia during main cropping season. Control, (142 NPS + 159 Urea) kg ha-1, (150 NPSB + 41 Urea) kg ha-1, (200 NPSB + 72 Urea) kg ha-1, (250 NPSB + 102 Urea) kg ha-1 and (100 NPSB + 161 Urea) kg ha-1 treatments were used for the experiment which laid out in RCBD following three replication with spacing of 20 cm between rows; and HB 1307 improved food barley seeds were drilled on prepared rows. Full dose of blended and potassium fertilizers were applied at planting time and urea was applied in two split. The result revealed that food barley responded well to application of N, P, S and B than the unfertilized one. Application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea resulted in highest grain yield of 3806.3 kg ha-1, while the lowest grain yield of 1939.2 kg ha-1 was recorded from the nil. Moreover, the highest net benefit of 32124.56 ETB ha-1 and economic returns of 942.2% was recorded in response to application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea. Application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea gave 49.05% yield increment and 40.24% increment in economic return over the control. Therefore, we recommend application of 100 kg ha-1 NPSB + 161 kg ha-1 Urea for farmers and investor’s in study area and similar agro-ecologies as it was optimum for improving food barley production. Further studies and investigation should be done on plant nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency and over location. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 11(2): 10-17, Dec 2021

Mosquito Species Composition And Insecticide Resistance Status of Anopheles Arabiensis In Itang Special Woreda, Gambella, Southwestern Ethiopia

Introduction: Anopheles arabiensis, member species of the Anopheles gambiae complex, is the primary vector of malaria widely distributed in Ethiopia. Anopheles funestus, An. pharoensis and An. nili are secondary vectors occurring with limited distribution in the country. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are pillars for the interventions against malaria control and elimination efforts in Ethiopia. However, the emergence and widespread of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector, An. arabiensis, might compromise the efforts of the country. The aim of this study was to investigate composition of mosquito species and insecticide resistance status of An. arabiensis in Itang special woreda (district), Gambella, southwestern Ethiopia.Materials and methods: Adult mosquitoes were sampled from September 2020 to Feburary 2021 using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap and Pyrethrum Spray Catch (PSC). Moreover, mosquito larvae were also collected from different breeding sites and reared to adults to assess susceptibility status of populations of An. gambiae s.l. in the study area. Susceptibility tests were conducted on two to three days old non blood fed female An. gambiae s.l using insecticide impregnated papers with deltamethrin (0.05%), alpha-cypermethrin (0.05%), propoxur (0.1%), pirimiphos-methyl (0.25%) and bendiocarb (0.1%) following World Health Organization (WHO) standard susceptibility test procedure. Molecular diagnostics were done for the identification of member species of An. gambiae s.l and detection of knockdown resistance (kdr) allele using species specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and allele specific PCR. Results: In total, 468 adult mosquitoes were collected from different houses. Culex mosquitoes were the most dominant (80.4%) followed by Anopheles mosquitoes. Three species of Anopheles mosquitoes (An. coustani, An. pharoensis, and An. gambiae (s.l.)) were identified, of which An. coustani was the dominant (8.1%) species. WHO bioassay tests revealed that the populations of An. gambiae s.l in the study area are resistant against alpha-cypermethrin and deltamethrin whereas, susceptible to bendiocarb, pirimiphos-methyl and propoxur. Out of the total 86 An. gambiae s.l specimens assayed, 79 (92%) successfully amplified and identified as An. arabiensis. West African Kdr (L1014F) mutation was detected with high Kdr allele frequency ranging from 67-88%.Conclusion: The detection of target site mutation, kdr L1014F allele, coupled with the phenotypic resistance against alpha-cypermethrin and deltamethrin call for continuous resistance monitoring.

POESIA ARABA E SUFISMO NELL’ETIOPIA CONTEMPORANEA,FRA PRATICA E DOTTRINA

Riassunto: In questo studio si prenderanno in esame alcuni esempi provenienti dall’Etiopia Sud Occidentale, tutt’ora inediti. Composti da Sufi locali fra la fine del XIX secolo e l’inizio del XX, questi testi mostrano un profondo legame con la pratica del mawlid come festività popolare. Allo stesso tempo i versi racchiudono alcuni insegnamenti metafisici di scuola akbariana. Abstract: Sufi poetry is widespread, in Arabic and local languages, throughout the Islamic world. In this study, some examples from Southwestern Ethiopia, still unpublished, will be examined. Composed by local Sufis between the end of the nineteenth century and the be-ginning of the twentieth, these texts show a profound link with the practice of the mawlid as a popular festival. At the same time the verses contain some metaphysical teachings of the Akbarian school.

Spatial prediction of soil acidity and nutrients for site-specific soil management in Bedele district, Southwestern Ethiopia

Background Understanding the spatial variability of soil properties is useful to tailor site-specific agricultural inputs to enhance crop production on a sustainable basis. This study was aimed to assess and map the spatial patterns of soil acidity and nutrients using geostatistical methods and support site-specific lime and fertilizer recommendations in Bedele district, Southwestern Ethiopia. Methods Soil samples were collected from agricultural land at a depth of 20 cm using grid sampling technique. The semivariogram analysis was performed for accurate spatial prediction and the kriging technique was used for interpolation of soil parameters. Results Soil pH varied between 4.5 and 6.8. Soil organic carbon (OC) content ranged from 0.3 to 5.6% and the mean soil OC density was 0.81 kg m−2. Available phosphorus (AvP) ranged from 0.8 to 38.6 mg kg−1 and nearly 80.23% of the soils exhibited very low to low AvP that could be due to fixation by strong acidity. Soils of the study area exhibited very high exchangeable potassium (K), but very low exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). The potassium to magnesium ratio (K:Mg) ranged from 0.2:1 to 10.9:1, while the values of calcium to magnesium ratio (Ca:Mg) varied between 0.3 and 3.4. Among the soil parameters, exchangeable Ca (CV = 54%) and K:Mg ratio (CV = 57.62%) were more variable than other soil parameters. Spatial variability was lowest for soil pH (CV = 10%). Conclusions Major portions of the study site were affected by strong acidity (pH ≤ 5.5). Accordingly, about 89% of the soils require lime that varied between 0.09 and 3.6 tons ha−1. In addition to soil acidity, deficiency of available P, Ca, and Mg were the major liming factors affecting crop production in the study area. Digital soil mapping was used to show the spatial variability of soil acidity and nutrients across agricultural land and applied for efficient lime and nutrients advisory works.

What determine the price of Bonga sheep at the market level in Southwestern Ethiopia? A hedonic price analysis

Background Bonga sheep is a mutton type breed with a long-fat-tail and better body weight at maturity. The breed is especially located in the Southwestern mid and highland land areas of Ethiopia. Currently, the breed was well known in Ethiopia and also its price is higher as compared to other sheep breeds in the country. However, empirical evidence is lacking on price determinants of the breed in Ethiopia. Therefore, this research aims at identifying sheep attributes and other factors that determine the market prices of Bonga sheep in Southwestern Ethiopia. Methodology Data from 300 traded sheep and sheep marketers were collected from five major sheep marketing centers in the Kaffa zone. A hedonic price model adjusted for heteroscedasticity was employed to analyze the observed price data. Results The model result showed that the attributes of the sheep are important guiding criteria in price formulation. Among the attributes age, sex (male), colour (red), body condition (good), tail type (very fat) and absence of horn significantly and positively determine the sheep price. As well, market place (Gojebi and Bonga) near to big cities and season (holiday) and purpose of purchase are also significant determinants of bong sheep price out of the sheep attributes in Southwestern Ethiopia. Conclusion Targeting in systematic improvement of the significant attributes which are demanded by the market and establishment of a breeding program to make sheep improvement in a sustainable way. Besides, effort should be geared to transform the system into a market-oriented system using a value chain framework by improving access to market information.

Solid waste dumping site analysis using GIS and remote sensing: Bonga Town, Southwestern Ethiopia

The main objective of this study was to select potential solid waste landfill areas suitable for Bonga Town that are environmentally sound. The key data were LANDSAT 8 and SPOT-6 satellite images with a spatial resolution of 15 and 1.5 m, respectively; a digital elevation model with a spatial resolution of 30 m; and a ground control point, which was collected through a ground point survey and a topographic map of the study area. Each parameter was subjected to a peer review according to the analytical hierarchy process. Once the weights were established, the weighted overlap analysis was determined, which combined these criteria and classified them into high, medium, less suitable and inappropriate regions of the study area. The results show that 75.65% of the study area is not suitable for the solid waste landfill, 18.86% less suitable, 5.17% moderately adequate and 0.3% very adequate. Therefore, the ability to use inaccessible geological information framework and detection innovations for mandatory discrimination evidence for a reasonably robust waste dump will minimise opportunities and natural human well-being problems.

Assessing Storage Insect Pest infestations and Faecal dropping of Rodent in Stored Grains from two districts of Southwestern Ethiopia

This study was designed to assess the occurrence of major insects and rodent pest infestations in stored grain from two districts of Southwestern Ethiopia. Omo Nada and Bako Tibe districts were purposively selected because they are potential maize and sorghum growing regions with high postharvest losses. A total of 160 farmers’ stores from both the districts were randomly selected. The grain samples used in the present study were stored for five different time periods, ranging from 1 to 5 months and from the same farmers’ stores, to identify storage insect pest, determine grain weight loss and insect damage. The results showed that the dominant insect species in maize and sorghum grains were weevils (Sitophilus spp.) followed by the Angoumois gelechiid (Sitotroga cerealella Olivier) and flour beetles (Tribolium spp.). High number of insects were recorded from both plastered and un-plastered gombisa and polypropylene bags. Additionally, the amount of every insect pest in each storage container recorded per 100 g grain increased because the duration of grain storage increased. There have been 0.33-1.29g and 0.44-1g of rodent droppings per 100g sample of maize and sorghum grains, respectively. This showed that faecal dropping per 100 g grain increased along with increase in storage period. Grain damage showed significant (P<0.05) differences over the storage periods across the studied districts. A similar trend was observed for weight loss in each of the grains all districts. These results indicated that farmers are incurring a substantial grain loss to insects and rodent pests. Hence, there is an urgent need to devise appropriate tactics for protecting the losses in farm-stored maize and sorghum in Ethiopia.