Explore the vast range of titles available.

This report is on the secondary education in Ethiopia. The report analyzes the challenges of secondary education in the context of the government's growth and transformation plan and its stated goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2020-23. The education system in Ethiopia as currently organized, together with existing education policies, has served the country well as it has transitioned from a country with some of the lowest enrollment ratios in the world to one where universal primary education is within reach. The current secondary curriculum is not designed to meet the demands of universal general secondary education; it is too difficult and academic for that purpose. The report begins with an investigation of the participation rate in secondary education that would support a middle-income economy. It then examines whether the current secondary curriculum can ensure a supply of secondary graduates compatible with the needs of this economy. The report also analyzes how teacher preparation, development, and management, together with school-based management, can contribute to ensuring quality secondary graduates. Based on the quantity and quality of secondary graduates required, the report then assesses the options for ensuring sustainable financing for the subsector. It concludes with a summary of policy options for the expansion of secondary education. Ethiopia's recent economic performance has been impressive. Sustaining this performance over the coming 15 years will require significant improvements in productivity, which must be achieved through improved management, the application of technology, and the upgrading of human capital. Ensuring that its education system both imparts students with middle-level skills and facilitates improved learning achievement is probably the most critical challenge that Ethiopia faces.

With the end of civil war in 1991, Ethiopia’s government launched a New Education and Training Policy in 1994 which, by the early 2000s, had already produced remarkable results. The gross enrollment ratio rose from 20 to 62 percent in primary education between 1993-94 and 2001-02; and in secondary and higher education it climbed, respectively, from 8 to 12 percent and from 0.5 to 1.7 percent. Yet the government can hardly afford to rest on its laurels. Primary education is still not universal, and already there are concerns about plummeting educational quality and the growing pressures to expand post-primary education. Addressing these challenges will require more resources, both public and private. Yet money alone is insufficient. Focusing on primary and secondary education, Education in Ethiopia argues for wise tradeoffs in the use of resources—a result that will often require reforming the arrangements for service delivery. These changes, in turn, need to be fostered by giving lower levels of government more leeway to adapt central standards—such as those for teacher recruitment and school construction—to local conditions, including local resource constraints; and by strengthening accountability for results at all levels of administration in the education system.

Background Education plays a pivotal role in producing qualified human power that accelerates economic development and solves the real problems of a community. Students are also expected to spend much of their time on their education and need to graduate with good academic results. However, the trend of graduating students is not proportional to the trend of enrolled students and an increasing number of students commit readmission, suggesting that they did not perform well in their academics. Thus, the study aimed to identify the determinants of academic performance among university students in Southern Ethiopia. Method Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1 to 28, 2020. A total of 659 students were enrolled and data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A multistage sampling technique was applied to select study participants. Data were cleaned and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 software for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable data analysis were computed and a p -value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Smoking, age, and field of study were significantly associated with academic performance. Result Four hundred six (66%) of students had a good academic performance. Students aged between 20 and 24 years (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22-0.91), and medical/ health faculty (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.45-4.20) were significant associates of good academic performance. Students who didn’t smoke cigarettes were three times more likely to score good academic grades compared to those who smoke (AOR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.21-7.30). Conclusion In this study, increased odds of good academic performance were observed among students reported to be non-smokers, adults, and medical/health science students. Reduction or discontinuation of smoking is of high importance for good academic achievement among these target groups. The academic environment in the class may be improved if older students are invited to share their views and particularly their ways of reasoning.

Science process skills (SPS) are vital for enhancing student engagement, critical thinking, and academic achievement in science education. However, Ethiopian secondary schools often rely on traditional, rote-based laboratory methods that hinder SPS development. This study examined the effect of Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments enriched Instructional (GIBLEI) approach on improving students’ SPS in biology. GIBLEI promotes active, inquiry-based learning, encouraging students to investigate, hypothesize, experiment, and draw conclusions. By shifting from passive observation to hands-on exploration, GIBLEI addresses limitations of traditional methods, fostering deeper understanding, problem-solving skills, and reducing educational disparities in science classrooms. In this quasi-experimental study, two biology classes from selected schools were randomly assigned to experimental (EG, N = 46) and control groups (CG, N = 29). The EG received GIBLEI-based instruction for eight weeks, focusing on inquiry-based laboratory activities that require students to investigate, hypothesize, and draw conclusions. The CG, meanwhile, received traditional lab instruction with a focus on observation and confirmation of set procedures. Data on SPS development were gathered using essay tests scored with rubrics. Welch’s t-test revealed that post-test SPS scores in the EG were significantly higher than those in the CG, with a large effect size (82%), demonstrating GIBLEI’s effectiveness. ANCOVA further confirmed that the improvement was attributable to the GIBLEI approach rather than initial group differences. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed significant SPS improvement within the EG from pre-test to post-test, underscoring the approach’s effectiveness over time. Additionally, an independent samples t-test indicated no significant gender differences in SPS within the EG, suggesting that GIBLEI benefits both male and female students equally. The findings highlight GIBLEI as a promising tool to foster SPS, supporting its integration into biology curricula to enhance student engagement, skill acquisition, and equal learning outcomes across genders.

In low- and middle-income countries, the double burden of malnutrition is prevalent. Many countries in Africa are currently confronted with overweight and obesity, particularly among women, coupled with an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. This study examines trends in overweight and obesity among Ethiopian women of reproductive age from 2005 to 2016, and identifies associated factors. We used three consecutive datasets from 2005 (  = 14070), 2011 (  = 16515), and 2016 (  = 15683) demographic health survey years. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify the determinant factors among individual- and cluster-level variables. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among reproductive women in Ethiopia increased steadily from 6.09% in 2005 to 8.54% in 2011, and 10.16% in 2016. However, mixed patterns were observed among the regions of the country. We found that age, education, living in urban areas, and living in a rich community are associated with becoming overweight and obese. For instance, the odds of becoming overweight and obese among women aged 35-49 were higher than those among women aged 15-24 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.62, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:2.64-4.97). Women who completed secondary school have higher odds than those without formal education (OR = 1.64, 95% CI:1.19-2.26). To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate trends in the nationwide prevalence of overweight and obesity and the associated factors among Ethiopian women. This study warrants further follow-up research to identify the pathways between overweight and obesity and their probable factors.

COVID-19 is a new pandemic that poses a threat to people globally. In Ethiopia, where classrooms are limited, students are at higher risk for COVID-19 unless they take consistent preventative actions. However, there is a lack of evidence in the study area regarding student compliance with COVID-19 preventive behavior (CPB) and its predictors. This study aimed to assess CPB and its predictors among students based on the perspective of the Health Belief Model (HBM). A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from November to December 2020 to evaluate the determinants of CPB among high school students using a self-administered structured questionnaire. 370 participants were selected using stratified simple random sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analyses to evaluate the measurement and structural models proposed by the HBM and to identify associations between HBM variables. A T-value of > 1.96 with 95% CI and a P-value of < 0.05 were used to declare the statistical significance of path coefficients. A total of 370 students participated with a response rate of 92%. The median (interquartile range) age of the participants (51.9% females) was 18 (2) years. Only 97 (26.2%), 121 (32.7%), and 108 (29.2%) of the students had good practice in keeping physical distance, frequent hand washing, and facemask use respectively. The HBM explained 43% of the variance in CPB. Perceived barrier (β = - 0.15, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = 0.51, p <0.001) were significant predictors of student compliance to CPB. Moreover, the measurement model demonstrated that the instrument had acceptable reliability and validity. COVID-19 prevention practice is quite low among students. HBM demonstrated adequate predictive utility in predicting CPBs among students, where perceived barriers and self-efficacy emerged as significant predictors of CPBs. According to the findings of this study, theory-based behavioral change interventions are urgently required for students to improve their prevention practice. Furthermore, these interventions will be effective if they are designed to remove barriers to CPBs and improve students' self-efficacy in taking preventive measures.

Globally, the burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem for women that could be transmitted to their newborn infants. Screening and treating at an early stage help prevent the spread of this infection and its complications. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of HBV infection among mothers attending public health facilities in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a total of 325 mothers attending Bahir Dar city public health facilities from December 2023 to June 2024. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and possible risk factors were collected using a structured questionnaire, and serum samples were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Logistic regression was used to check the association between variables with an odds ratio (OR) at 95% confidence intervals (CI). P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The overall seroprevalence of HBV infection was 3.4% (95% CI; 1.0–5.0). The history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (AOR = 7.60; 95% CI: 1.84–31.34, p  = 0.005), history of contact with chronic hepatitis B virus-infected (CHB) family members (AOR = 20.86; 95% CI: 2.48-175.03, p  = 0.005), and female circumcision (AOR = 13.76; 95% CI: 1.63–116.80, p  = 0.016) were significantly associated risk factors with HBV infection. Generally, an intermediate seroprevalence of HBV infection was reported in this study. This showed that HBV infection is still a critical public health concern among mothers in the study area. History of contact with CHB family members, history of STDs, and female circumcision were significantly associated risk factors with HBV infection. These findings call for enhanced public health strategies to effectively reduce HBV infection in mothers.

Background Morbidity is an immediate predictor of malnutrition. However, nutritional interventions to reduce frequent morbidities in adolescents were not conducted well based on behavioral models in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of selected double-duty interventions on frequency of morbidities among adolescents based on health belief model in Debre Berhan Regiopolitan City, Central Ethiopia. Methods A two-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted from October 13, 2022, to June 30, 2023, involving 356 adolescents in the intervention group (IG) and 352 adolescents in the control group (CG). The frequency of morbidity (FoM) was assessed through self-reported responses provided by the adolescents. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, a difference-in-differences analysis was employed along with a Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model using a Negative Binomial regression approach, which is suitable for analyzing count data with overdispersion. The statistical significance of the study was determined by setting a threshold of p-value less than 0.05. Results The mean (± SD) score of FoM among IG and CG was − 4.5 (-1.82) and − 1.0 (-0.12), respectively. After the intervention had implemented, the IG had better reduction of mean score of FoM than CG. Moreover, adolescents in the endline measurements had 68% less likely to have higher FoM compared to the baseline measurements [IRR = 0.32, 95% CI (0.27, 0.37)]. Similarly, adolescents in the IG had 82.6% less likely to have higher FoM than CG [IRR = 0.72, 95% CI (0.12, 0.14)]. Likewise, adolescents in the time and treatment interaction category had 24.6% less likely to have higher FoM than adolescents who were not in the interaction category [IRR = 0.75, 95% CI (0.73, 0.78)]. Conclusion The results showed that selected double-duty intervention packages based on the health belief model are effective in reducing FoM among adolescents. The findings suggest the need for integrating the double-duty intervention packages accompanied with behavioral models to the adolescent nutrition guideline and food and nutrition policy and strategy.

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological/emotional abuse, or controlling behaviors by a current or former partner or spouse. IPV has a special concern for pregnant women since it leads to higher rates of miscarriage, several complications including adverse birth outcomes. So far, the effect of contextual factors on IPV was largely overlooked. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and factors associated with IPV among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Method Data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey was used for this study. A total of 4167 (weighted sample) pregnant women were included in the analysis. The multi-level logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with IPV. Finally, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI and random effects for the multilevel logistic regression model was reported. Results In this study, the overall magnitude of IPV among pregnant women was 28.74 (95% CI 27.38, 30.13) with emotional violence being the most common (24.09%) type. In the multi-level analysis, women with no education (AOR = 2.07; 95%CI 1.23, 3.48), primary education (AOR = 2.04; 95%CI:1.24, 3.38), and secondary education (AOR = 1.53; 95%CI:1.29.2.62), women from households with poorest (AOR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.16, 2.56), poorer (AOR = 1.62;95% CI:1.09, 2.41), middle (AOR = 1.74;95%CI:1.17, 2.56), and richer (AOR = 1.58;95%CI: 1.08, 2.33) wealth index, women aged 35–39 years (AOR = 1.28;95%CI:1.01, 1.63) and 40–49 years (AOR = 1.78;95%CI:1.28, 2.45) and those from pastoral (AOR = 1.47;95%CI:1.04, 1.93) and agrarian regions (AOR = 1.32;95%CI 1.02, 1.88) had a higher likelihood of having IPV. Of the partner-related factors, women with husbands who drink alcohol (AOR = 2.94; 95%CI: 2.36, 3.42) and secondary educational level (AOR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.02, 2.12) had higher odds of experiencing IPV during pregnancy. Conclusion Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is a public health problem in Ethiopia. Therefore, improving the educational status of women and their husbands, improving the economic capacity of women, and promoting the healthy behavior of husbands by reducing the alcohol consumption in those agrarian and pastoral regions of Ethiopia is vital to reduce the magnitude of IPV.

Background Calf morbidity and mortality are among the leading causes of economic losses on dairy farms around the world. Poor calf management practices exacerbate the problem in developing countries like Ethiopia. This prospective, longitudinal study was conducted on 70 selected dairy farms in southern Ethiopia with the aim of estimating calf morbidity and mortality rates, identifying the associated risk factors and determining whether the mortality rate is above economically tolerable levels. For this purpose, a total of 274 calves on 70 farms were followed up every two weeks from birth to six months of age for major clinical health problems and deaths. Results The study found a morbidity rate of 13.2 cases and a mortality rate of 3.8 cases per 100 calf-months at risk in the study calves. The cumulative incidence of morbidity and mortality was also found to be 40.29% and 12.85%, respectively. Diarrhea was the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in calves, accounting for 71.3% and 62.1% of all morbidity and mortality, respectively. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, the risk of morbidity was significantly ( p = 0.022) higher in calves born to dystocia-affected dams (HR = 2.4) and on farms where dairy farming is the farmers’ secondary source of income (HR = 1.7). However, the risk of morbidity was significantly ( p < 0.001) lower in calves older than three months (HR = 0.22), female calves (HR = 0.57), calves raised by farmers who had completed secondary school (HR = 0.26) or college education (HR = 0.30). Similarly, calves aged over three months (HR = 0.14), calves separated from their dams only after ingestion of colostrum (HR = 0.40) and calves owned by farmers who completed secondary school (HR = 0.08) or college education (HR = 0.13) all had lower mortality rates than other groups. On the other hand, calves born to cows with dystocia were 5.2 times more likely to die. Conclusion The study concluded that calf morbidity and mortality rates in the study area are higher than economically tolerable levels and therefore it is recommended to raise awareness among farmers to improve calf management practices.