Healthcare Waste Management Practice and Associated Factors among Private and Public Hospitals of Bahir Dar City Administration.

Background: Lack of an appropriate management practice of healthcare waste is a potential threat to the healthcare workers, patients, and nearby communities of the health institutions. Objective: The study aimed to assess the healthcare waste management practices (HCWMP) and associated factors among healthcare workers of private and public hospitals of Bahir Dar city administration, Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2016 to April 2017. The systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit 460 healthcare workers. The collected data entered into the EpiData software (version 3.1). The analysis was done by using SPSS software (version 20). Descriptive statistics were computed; logistic regression model was run. The model fitness was checked using Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit (p > 0.05). A p value of <0.2 at univariate analysis was included in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables with a p value of <0.05 were statistically associated with healthcare waste management practice at 95% CI (AOR). Results: A total of 418 healthcare workers who participated in the study yielded a response of 90.9%. About 65% (95% CI: 61, 70) of the total respondents had good practice of healthcare waste management. More private hospitals, 79.2% (95% CI: 73, 85), had good healthcare waste management practice compared to public hospitals, 53.5% (95% CI: 47, 60). Male healthcare workers (AOR = 6. 43, 95% CI: 1.82, 22.77) and having a functional healthcare waste management committee (AOR = 6. 47, 95%CI: 1.93, 21.76) were significantly associated with HCWMP at private hospitals. For public hospitals, having a healthcare waste management committee (AOR = 1. 80, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.15) and a manual/guideline on HCWMP (AOR = 2. 43, 95% CI: 1.20, 4.91) was significantly associated with HCWMP. Conclusions: This study revealed there is a great discrepancy in HCWMP between private and public hospitals. Male healthcare workers and having a functional healthcare waste management committee and a manual/guideline were the identified factors of HCWMP.

Providers adherence to essential contents of antenatal care services increases birth weight in Bahir Dar City Administration, north West Ethiopia: a prospective follow up study.

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the most important factors affecting child morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antenatal care (ANC) is an opportunity for reaching pregnant women with a number of interventions that may be vital to their health and well-being of their infants. However, data on the link between ANC quality and LBW remain limited especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the effect of ANC service quality on birth weight among pregnant women attending ANC at public health facilities of Bahir Dar City Administration, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia using provision of essential services by providers as proxy for quality of care. METHODS: Nine hundred seventy pregnant women with gestational age ≤ 16 weeks who came for their first ANC visit and selected by systematic sampling were enrolled and followed until delivery. Longitudinal data was collected during consultation with ANC providers using structured observation checklist. Women who gave birth at home and those who deliver a premature or still birth baby were excluded as data on birth weight could not be obtained for home deliveries and as the birth weight of the baby might be affected due to prematurity and still birth. Completed data were obtained from 718 women (since the rest women gave birth at home, we could not obtain birth weight data and we exclude them from analysis). The overall ANC service was considered as acceptable quality if women received ≥75th percentile of the essential ANC services. Generalized Estimating Equation was carried out to identify predictors of birth weight by controlling the cluster effect among women who received ANC services in the same facility. RESULTS: The prevalence of low birth weight (< 2500 g) was 7.8% (95%CI = 6.0%, 9.7%) with 1.4% versus 10.5% among those who received acceptable and not acceptable quality ANC services respectively, P-value< 0.001. Maternal nutritional advice, iron-folic acid supplementation, tetanus toxoid vaccination, maternal educational status, parity and age were determinants for birth weight. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The study showed that access to quality ANC services led to good birth weight outcome. Strengthening adherence of providers to essential components of antenatal care through regular monitoring and need based capacity building is very important for reducing the risk of low birth weight.

Does antenatal care service quality influence essential newborn care (ENC) practices? In Bahir Dar City Administration, North West Ethiopia: a prospective follow up study.

BACKGROUND: The neonatal period is only 1/60th of the first 5 years of life but it accounts for 63% of all infant deaths and 44% of all under-five deaths in Ethiopia. Most causes of neonatal death are preventable with clean cord care, temperature control by delaying first bath and initiation of early breastfeeding which has additional benefit of controlling hypothermia. Poor positive pressure ventilation (PPV) with ambubag is also another essential neborn care practice to reduce neonatal death even though it was not the focus of this study with the assumption that it cannot be measured only by exit interview (needs direct observation about the procedure). This study was aimed to assess the link between quality of ANC service and implementation of essential newborn care practices among pregnant women attending ANC at public health facilities of BDR City Administration. METHODS: A facility based prospective follow up study was conducted and 970 pregnant women with gestational age ≤ 16 weeks who came for their first ANC visit were enrolled. Women were followed from their first ANC visit until 6 weeks after delivery. Longitudinal data was collected during consultation with ANC providers using structured observation checklist and exit interview was also carried out at 6 weeks after birth when they came to immunize their child to assess the essential newborn care practices that their babies received. ANC service was considered as acceptable quality if women received ≥75th percentile of the essential ANC services. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was carried out to control cluster effect among women who received ANC in the same facility. RESULTS: The composite essential newborn care practice indices were 13.7%, with 95% CI (11.3%, 16.2%) and 86.3%, with 95% CI (83.8%, 88.7%) for good and poor essential new born care practices respectively. Of those who received acceptable ANC quality and un acceptable ANC quality 24.7% and 9.6% had good essential newborn care practice respectively (X2 = 31.668, p < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Most neonatal interventions are not reaching newborns, indicating a "policy-to practice gap". It is crucial that maternal knowledge about essential newborn care need to start before the baby's birth with an effective educational plan. Quality ANC service is a facilitator for essential newborn care practice. To improve newborn survival, newborn care should be integrated into the current maternal and child health interventions, and should be promoted both at community and health facility level as part of a universal coverage strategy.

Counseling on family planning during ANC service increases the likelihood of postpartum family planning use in Bahir Dar City Administration, Northwest Ethiopia: a prospective follow up study.

BACKGROUND: Closely spaced pregnancies within the first year postpartum increases the risk of death for both the mother and baby. Many countries recommend providing pregnant women with post-partum family planning counselling during antenatal care visits. However, data on the extent to which providers utilize these opportunities and the role of family planning counseling during antenatal care in promoting the use of postpartum modern family planning remain limited especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the role of family planning counseling during antenatal care in promoting postpartum modern family planning use within 6 weeks after birth. METHODS: Nine hundred seventy pregnant women with gestational age ≤ 16 weeks who came for their first Antenatal Care (ANC) visit were enrolled and followed until 6 weeks after delivery. Longitudinal data was collected during consultation with ANC providers using structured observation checklist to assess whether or not the providers counsel pregnant women on post-partum family planning use during their four focused ANC visits. Exit interview was also conducted at 6 weeks after they gave birth when they came to immunize their child to assess whether they were starting to use postpartum modern family planning. Completed data were obtained from 823 women. Generalized Estimating Equation was carried out to identify predictors of postpartum modern family planning use by controlling the cluster effect among women who received ANC services in the same health facility. RESULTS: Postpartum modern family planning use within 6 weeks after delivery among the study women was 157(19.1%) with 95%CI (16.4, 21.9); Among 187 pregnant women who were counseled at least once, 72(38.5%) of them used post-partum modern family planning compared to 13.4% of post-partum women who were not counseled at all (p < 0.001). Counseling about postpartum family planning during antenatal care, satisfaction on the antenatal care services women received while they were pregnant, counseling on birth preparedness and complication readiness plan, counseling on breast feeding and post-natal care use were independent predictors for postpartum modern family planning use. CONCLUSION: Less than one in five post-partum women were using postpartum family planning within 6 weeks after birth. Family planning counseling during ANC services had a significant effect on promoting postpartum modern family planning use. Therefore, health providers need to ensure continuity of care through strengthening integration of family planning counseling services during ANC and referral linkages between community and health workers.

Infant and young child feeding practice among mothers with 0-24 months old children in Slum areas of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to ensure the health, growth and development of children. However, infant feeding practice is suboptimal in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The slum area is a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing, squalor, with a lack of reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, law enforcement and other basic services. Residents of the slum area were poor and less educated. This further compromises infant feeding practice. The aim of this study was to assess infant and young child feeding practice among mothers with 0-24 month old children in the study area. METHODS: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 mothers with 0-24 month old children from June 01-30 / 2016. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Infant and young child feeding practice was assessed using the fifteen World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice was 113 (84%). Sixty (15%) mothers gave prelacteal feeds and, 96 (23%) mothers used a bottle to feed their index child. Appropriate complementary feeding practice was only 20 (7%). Thirty nine out of forty mothers introduced complementary food timely, 131 (47%) of mothers gave the minimum meal frequency, and 20 (7%) children took the minimum food diversity and acceptable diet. Independent predictors for complementary feeding practice were having secondary and above education of the mother, receiving postnatal care, possession of radio and giving birth at hospital. CONCLUSION: In this study infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practice was poor. Therefore, there is a need for strengthening the promotion on IYCF practice during postnatal care and using mass media to giving emphasis for optimal complementary feeding practices, especially for mothers with a lower educational status.

Patient satisfaction on tuberculosis treatment service and adherence to treatment in public health facilities of Sidama zone, South Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Patient compliance is a key factor in treatment success. Satisfied patients are more likely to utilize health services, comply with medical treatment, and continue with the health care providers. Yet, the national tuberculosis control program failed to address some of these aspects in order to achieve the national targets. Hence, this study attempted to investigate patient satisfaction and adherence to tuberculosis treatment in Sidama zone of south Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted using quantitative method of data collection from March to April 2011. A sample of 531 respondents on anti TB treatment from 11 health centers and 1 hospital were included in the study. The sample size to each facility was allocated using probability proportional to size allocation, and study participants for the interview were selected by systematic random sampling. A Pre tested, interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Collected data was edited, coded and entered to Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 16. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to identify factors that explain most of the variance observed in most of the manifested variables. Bivariate and Multivariate analysis were computed to analyze the data. RESULT: The study revealed 90% of the study participants were satisfied with TB treatment service. However, 26% of respondents had poor adherence to their TB treatment. Patient perceived on professional care, time spent with health care provider, accessibility, technical competency, convenience (cleanliness) and consultation and relational empathy were independent predictors of overall patient satisfaction (P < 0.05). In addition to this, perceived waiting time was significantly associated with patient satisfaction (Beta = 0.262). In multivariate analysis occupational status, area of residence, perceived time spent with health care provider, perceived accessibility, perceived waiting time, perceived professional care and over all patient satisfaction were significantly associated with adherence to TB treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, patient waiting time at reception room (Adjusted OR = 1.022, 95% CI 1.009, 1.0035) and Patient treatment phase (Adjusted OR = 0.295, 95% CI 0.172, 0.507) were independent predictor of adherence to TB treatment. CONCLUSION: The finding of this study showed that patients' perceptions on health care provider interaction had a significant influence on patient satisfaction and adherence to TB treatment. Moreover, absence of drugs and long waiting time had a negative outcome on patient adherence. Therefore, the problem needs an urgent attention from programme managers and health care providers to intervene the challenges.

Effect of antenatal care on institutional delivery in developing countries: a systematic review.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Background: Institutional delivery is an important factor in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in developing countries. Antenatal care is an opportunity to promote the benefits of skilled birth attendance. However, there was no systematically reviewed evidence about the effect of antenatal care utilisation on institutional delivery in developing countries so far. AIM: The aim of this review was to systematically search, appraise, and synthesise the available evidence on the effect of antenatal care utilisation on institutional delivery in developing countries. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Types of Participants; Women in developing countries between 15-49 years of age, who have had at least one birth in a health care institution. Types of intervention; Antenatal care visits according to World Health Organisation recommendations. Types of outcomes; Maternal outcomes such as proportion of women who gave birth in a health care institution and Proportion of women who develop any complications associated with pregnancy. Types of studies; Quantitative studies conducted in developing countries with cross sectional, case -control or cohort, experimental or quasi experimental study designs. Search strategy; A search for published and unpublished studies in English language was undertaken restricted by from a publication date of January 1990 to December 2010.Methodological quality: all papers selected for potential inclusion in the review were subjected to a rigorous, independent appraisal by two critical reviewers using the standard Joanna Briggs Institute tools. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Information was extracted and analysed using Revman software. RESULTS: This review revealed that those women who had antenatal care visits were almost eight times more likely to deliver in health institutions than those women who had no antenatal care visits (Odds Ratio=7.70, 95% Confidence Interval=7.02-8.43). It also revealed that antenatal care visits reduces the risk of developing pregnancy complications by 25% (Odds Ratio=0.75, 95% Confidence Interval=0.61-0.91). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: There was a clear and firm consensus in the identified articles regarding the effect of antenatal care for promoting institutional delivery and reducing pregnancy complications. Further studies to determine causal relationship between institutional delivery and other socioeconomic factors, in line with antenatal careutilisation, are warranted.