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Background. Preconception healthcare is promising to improve the reproductive health status of women and couples if they receive care three months to two years before conception. In the current context of Ethiopia, however, preconception healthcare is overlooked in the continuum of care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of preconception healthcare and associated factors: a study among mothers in Jinka town, southern region, Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was employed among 522 randomly selected women of childbearing age who are living in Jinka town from March to April 2018. The study considers all the kebeles in the town. Study subjects were determined using proportionate-to-population size allocation. Then, a systematic random sampling technique was applied. Data were collected using a semistructured and pretested questionnaire. Descriptive summary data and binary logistic regression analysis were carried out to identify factors with the 95% confidence level and a p value of less than 0.05. Results. A total of 513 study subjects participated in this study. The overall preconception healthcare knowledge score of women in Jinka town was 51.1%. In the multivariable analysis, housewives (AOR = 2.93; 95% CI: 1.38–6.19), an education level of at least college (AOR = 3.79; 95% CI: 1.75–8.23), no history of neonatal death (AOR = 4.13; 95% CI = 1.39–12.25), and the use of family planning methods (AOR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.49–3.79) increased the probability of preconception healthcare knowledge compared to the counterparts. Conclusion. In this study, women’s knowledge of preconception healthcare was found borderline. The identified factors were housewife, education level of at least college, no history of neonatal death, and using family planning methods. Therefore, emphasizing these factors for the enhancement of women’s knowledge of preconception healthcare is a necessary step.

Tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus (COVID-19) are both infectious diseases that globally continue affecting millions of people every year. They have similar symptoms such as cough, fever, and difficulty breathing but differ in incubation periods. This paper introduces a mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of TB and COVID-19 coinfection using a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The well-posedness of the proposed coinfection model is then analytically studied by showing properties such as the existence, boundedness, and positivity of the solutions. The stability analysis of the equilibrium points of submodels is also discussed separately after computing the basic reproduction numbers. In each case, the disease-free equilibrium points of the submodels are proved to be both locally and globally stable if the reproduction numbers are less than unity. Besides, the coinfection disease-free equilibrium point is proved to be conditionally stable. The sensitivity and bifurcation analysis are also studied. Different simulation cases were performed to supplement the analytical results.

A cross-sectional calf mortality study was conducted in urban and periurban dairy farms in Addis Ababa, special zones of Oromia and Amhara regions in July and August 2015. The objectives of the study were to estimate the annual mortality and to assess the major causes of calf mortality in the dairy farms. One-year retrospective data on calf mortality were collected from 330 farms by face-to-face interview using the pretested and structured questionnaire format and direct observation of farm practices. A logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify the predictor variables associated with early calf mortality. Data were analysed using Statistical Package, Stata SE for Windows, version 12.0. The annual mean calf mortality from birth-to-weaning was reported as 18.5% (95% CI: 12.6, 24.3%). The prenatal loss due to fetal death and stillbirth was 10.1% (95% CI: 6.7, 13.6%). The overall annual loss due to fetal death and calf preweaning mortality was 26.7% (95% CI: 21.2, 32.2%). Age-specific mortality declined with increased age, and the highest mortality was recorded during the first month of life extending up to the third month of age. Disease was the most important causes of calf mortality (73.2%). Among the diseases, diarrhea (63%) and respiratory disorders (17%) were the important causes of calf mortality. Malpractices in calf management were identified, including restricted colostrum and milk feeding, poor care and supplemental feeding, and poor health management. Interventions in dairy cattle health and farm husbandry are recommended to control calf mortality.

Objective: Since then, the reference intervals of serum hsCRP in apparently healthy Ethiopian children are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the reference intervals of serum hsCRP for apparently healthy children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 492 apparently healthy children aged 5–17 years were recruited from residents of Addis Ababa. Well-trained professionals took anthropometric measurements. The biochemical analysis was performed with the automatic biochemical analyzer Cobas Integra 400 Plus from Roche. The 2.5th and 97.5th percentile limits were calculated using a non-parametric method as per the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guide. A box plot was used to show the distribution of hsCRP by age and gender. Furthermore, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to evaluate factors associated with elevated hsCRP levels. Percentiles were displayed by age subgroup and sex. p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 245 boys and 247 girls. For the age group of 5–11 years, the combined 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles, which can be used as a reference interval for children in Addis Ababa, were 0.15–6.78 mg/L, while for the older age group (12–17 years), the determined percentile was 0.14–4.40 mg/L. Likewise, the current study shows that never or occasionally eating vegetables and/or fruits (AOR = 2.28, 95% CI, 0.84–4.97), and being obese (AOR = 3.63, 95% CI, 1.14–11.53) were independent risk factors for elevated serum hsCRP concentrations. Conclusion: This study is the first to determine the reference intervals of hsCRP concentrations among apparently healthy Ethiopian children. Notable differences were observed in the established percentiles of hsCRP in comparison with published literature.