Gender-based violence in the context of armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Gender-based violence (GBV) particularly against women is unfortunately common during armed conflicts. No rigorous and comprehensive empirical work has documented the extent of GBV and its consequences that took place during the two years of devastating armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia. This study aims to assess GBV and its consequences in war-torn areas of northern Ethiopia. METHODS: We used a qualitative method augmented by quantitative method to enroll research participants. We conducted in-depth interviews to characterize the lived experiences of GBV survivors. All interviews were conducted confidentially. The data were collected to the point of data saturation. All interviews were transcribed verbatim into local language, translated into English, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. We also used reports from healthcare facilities and conducted a descriptive analysis of the demographic characteristics of study participants. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred seventy-seven persons reported GBV to healthcare providers. The qualitative study identified several forms of violence (sexual, physical, and psychological). Gang rape against women including minors as young as 14 years old girls was reported. Additionally, the perpetrators sexually violated women who were pregnant, and elderly women as old as 65 years, who took refuge in religious institutions. The perpetrators committed direct assaults on the body with items (e.g., burning the body with cigarette fire) or weapons, holding women and girls as captives, and deprivation of sleep and food. GBV survivors reported stigma, prejudice, suicide attempts, nightmares, and hopelessness. GBV survivors dealt with the traumatic stress by outmigration (leaving their residences), seeking care at healthcare facilities, self-isolation, being silent, dropping out of school, and seeking counseling. CONCLUSION: GBV survivors were subjected to multiple and compounding types of violence, with a wide range of adverse health consequences for survivors and their families. GBV survivors require multifaceted interventions including psychological, health, and economic support to rehabilitate them to lead a productive life.

Pesticide use safety practices and associated factors among farmers in Fogera district wetland areas, south Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Farmers in developing countries, including Ethiopia, are exposed to agricultural pesticides, including pesticides that are restricted or banned in developed countries. There is little information available on pesticide use safety practices and associated factors among Ethiopian farmers, particularly in the study area. OBJECTIVE: To assess pesticide use safety practices and associated factors among farmers in Fogera district wetland area, Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design that employs quantitative and qualitative methods was used from August 25 to September 30, 2021. Four hundred thirty participants were included by using a stratified random sampling technique. Pre-tested interview questionnaires, observational checklists, and key informant and in-depth interview guides were used to collect data. The quantitative data were collected by face-to-face interviews of farmers, whereas the qualitative data were collected by in-depth interviews of selected farmers and key informant interviews of responsible stalk holders. The data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Bi-variable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the dependent variable. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used as a cut-off point to declare a statistically significant association between factors and outcome variables. The odds ratio and 95% CI were calculated to describe the strength of the association between factors and outcome variables. The qualitative study included 35 respondents from various backgrounds and levels of expertise, which were analyzed using thematic analysis by open-code 4.03 version software. RESULT: The proportion of good pesticide use safety practices in the study area was 24.4% (95% CI: 21.4%-29.3%). Educational status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 3.19, 95% CI: 1.44-6.71), experience of pesticide spraying (AOR: 6.85. 95% CI: 2.426-9.35), knowledge of pesticide usage (AOR: 3.40, 95% CI: 1.459-7.855), access to safety materials (AOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.198-3.536), and ever having received training (AOR: 4.93, 95% CI: 2.88-8.59) were factors associated with good safety practice in pesticide use. Qualitatively, limited material access, lack of government attention, insufficient training opportunities, absence of media coverage, weak enforcement of laws, and limited guideline access barred good safety practices for pesticide use. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that good safety practices were low in the study area. Being educated, having experience with pesticide spraying, having good knowledge of pesticide usage, having access to safety materials, and having received pesticide use training all increased the likelihood of good pesticide use practice. Insufficient training opportunities and material access, weak law enforcement, limited access to guidelines, and a shortage of media coverage were challenges identified qualitatively.

Latrine access and factors associated with it among people with physical disability in Kombolcha Town, Northeast Ethiopia: A mixed cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although all people have the right to access basic sanitation services, people with disabilities often face additional barriers to accessing the service compared to people without disabilities. Over the last few years, with the focus of the sustainable development goals on universal access to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, awareness of the need for programs to reach and benefit everyone has been growing. But the current level of access to latrines is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine latrine access and identify factors associated with it among people with physically disability in Kombolcha town, 2020. METHODS: A community-based mixed cross-sectional study was conducted among physically disabled people in Kombolcha town in April 2020. Quantitative data was collected from 374 randomly selected study participants using structured interviewer-administered questioners. The key informant and in-depth interviews were conducted with purposely selected individuals.The bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. RESULTS: Latrine access among people with a physical disability was found to be (22%), 95% CI (17.7-26.5). membershipto disability association (AOR = 2.162, 95% CI (1.231-3.799)),wealth status of study participants. (AOR = 4.169, 95% CI (1.96-8.864)) stigma and discrimination to get latrine in the last 12 months(AOR = 0.212, 95% CI (0.116-0.388)) and study participant's knowledge to construct accessible latrine (AOR = 4.389, 95% CI (2.446-7.87)) werepredictor variables of latrine accessibility. Shared/publiclatrine, stigma and discrimination, poor wealth status,lack of own house, and lack of information provided regarding latrine accessibility supplementary barriersfor inaccessible latrinefrom In-depth and key informant interviews. CONCLUSION: Latrine access among people with a physical disability was found to be very low. Poor knowledge of accessible latrine construction, poor wealth status, stigma and discrimination, and not beinga member of a disability association increased the risk of latrine inaccessibility.