Shitaye Alemu | University of Gondar (original) (raw)

Papers by Shitaye Alemu

Research paper thumbnail of Seroprevalence of ovine brucellosis in South Wollo, North Eastern Ethiopia

American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Science, 2010

... 288 Seroprevalence of Ovine Brucellosis in South Wollo, North Eastern Ethiopia Mohammed Yesuf... more ... 288 Seroprevalence of Ovine Brucellosis in South Wollo, North Eastern Ethiopia Mohammed Yesuf, Sefinew Alemu, Wudu Temesgen, Hailu Mazengiac and Haileleul Negussie 1 2 2 3 2 ... 8. Eshetu, Y., J. Kassahun, P. Abebe, M. Beyene, B. Zewdie and A. Bekele, 2005. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Corrigendum: Determinants of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Unmatched case-control study

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Research paper thumbnail of Obstructive sleep apnea risk and determinant factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at the chronic illness clinic of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Frontiers in Endocrinology

IntroductionObstructive sleep apnea is a sleep complaint among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients ... more IntroductionObstructive sleep apnea is a sleep complaint among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients that has a deleterious effect on health with immediate and long-term impacts. Despite its impacts, data on the magnitude and predictors of obstructive sleep apnea among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia is still limited. Thus, this study was conducted to determine how common a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea is and its predictors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving follow-up care at the chronic illness follow-up clinic at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and physical measurements with standard instruments were used to collect the required data. The collected data were entered into EpiData 4.6 and exported into STATA 14. Both Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Multimorbidity and adverse longitudinal outcomes among patients attending chronic outpatient medical care in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia

Frontiers in Medicine

BackgroundMultimorbidity is becoming more prevalent in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). H... more BackgroundMultimorbidity is becoming more prevalent in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the evidence base on the burden and its longitudinal outcomes are limited. This study aimed to determine the longitudinal outcomes of patients with multimorbidity among a sample of individuals attending chronic outpatient non communicable diseases (NCDs) care in Bahir Dar, northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based longitudinal study was conducted among 1,123 participants aged 40+ attending care for single NCD (n = 491) or multimorbidity (n = 633). Data were collected both at baseline and after 1 year through standardized interviews and record reviews. Data were analyzed using Stata V.16. Descriptive statistics and longitudinal panel data analyzes were run to describe independent variables and identify factors predicting outcomes. Statistical significance was considered at p-value <0.05.ResultsThe magnitude of multimorbidity has increased from 54.8% at baseline to 56.8% at 1 y...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence and genetic variability of occult hepatitis B virus in a human immunodeficiency virus positive patient cohort in Gondar, Ethiopia

PLOS ONE, Nov 19, 2020

Background Occult hepatitis B (OHB) is a major concern in HIV infected patients as it associates ... more Background Occult hepatitis B (OHB) is a major concern in HIV infected patients as it associates with a high risk of HBV reactivation and disease progression. However, data on the prevalence of OHB among HIV positive patients in Ethiopia is lacking. This study aims to determine the prevalence of OHB in HBV/HIV co-infected patients from Gondar, Ethiopia. Methods A total of 308 consented HIV positive patients were recruited from the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia. Clinical and demographic data of the participants were recorded. Plasma was tested for HBsAg and anti-HBc using commercial assays (Abbott Architect). In HBsAg negative anti-HBc positive patient samples, total DNA was isolated and amplified using nested PCR with primers specific to HBV polymerase, surface and precore/core regions, followed by Sanger sequencing and HBV mutational analysis using MEGA 7.0. Results Of the total study subjects, 62.7% were female, median age 38.4 years, interquartile range (IQR): 18-68, and 208 (67.5%) had lifestyle risk factors for HBV acquisition. Two hundred and ninety-one study subjects were HIV+/HBsAg-, out of which 115 (39.5%) were positive

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Unmatched case-control study

Frontiers in Endocrinology

BackgroundPoor glycemic control is one of the most determinant factors for type 2 diabetes-relate... more BackgroundPoor glycemic control is one of the most determinant factors for type 2 diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. The proportion of type 2 diabetes mellitus with poor glycemic control remains high. Yet evidences on factors contributing to poor glycemic control remain scarce. The aim of this study is to identify determinants of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at a diabetes mellitus clinic in University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital-based case-control study was conducted from June to September 2020. Using convenience sampling techniques, a total of 90 cases and 90 controls with type 2 diabetes were recruited. The data were entered into Epidata version 4.6.0.2 and analyzed by Stata version 14. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between independent variables and glycemic control. Both 95% CI and p-value<0.05 were used to determine the level an...

Research paper thumbnail of Feasibility of Virtual Simulation-Based Diabetes Foot Care Education in Patients with Diabetes in Ethiopia: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 2022

Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly growing global public health problem; the number of adults with di... more Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly growing global public health problem; the number of adults with diabetes is expected to increase from 424.9 million in 2017 to 628.6 million in 2045. Approximately 80% of diabetic patients live in low-and middle-income countries where access to care may be limited. For example, in Ethiopia, diabetes care is often rudimentary, and formal, structured diabetes education is almost non-existent. One potential solution to the lack of diabetes management education for patients could be virtual simulation-based diabetes education incorporating the contextual realities of patients in Ethiopia. Despite its great potential to improve glycemic control, delay diabetes-related complications and reduce mortality associated with diabetes, the feasibility of virtual simulation-based diabetes self-management education has not been studied in low-and middle-income settings. Objective: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the feasibility of a virtual simulation-based Diabetes Foot Care Education (DFCE) program among adult patients with diabetes in Ethiopia. Methods: A randomized controlled feasibility study including participants from University of Gondar Referral Hospital (UoGRH) will be conducted. A sample of 40 participants will be recruited, of which 20 participants will receive the virtual simulation-based education program, and the other 20 participants will continue with their usual diabetes care. After the education program, a questionnaire and structured interview will be used to explore the feasibility (acceptability, practicality) and the potential impact of virtual simulation-based DFCE intervention in patients with diabetes. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 25 using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, paired sample t-test, and factorial ANOVA at significance levels of less than 0.05. Discussion: Our study seeks to understand the perceived usefullness and usability of virtual simulation-based diabetes foot care education on behavioural (diabetes foot-care knowledge, foot self-care practices, and foot self-care efficacy). Furthermore, the study will provide insight to assist in the development of technologically assisted and contextually designed DFCE programs. Trial Registration Number: NCT04841291 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier).

Research paper thumbnail of Diabetes in Ethiopia: overcoming the problems of care delivery

Research paper thumbnail of Magnitude of metabolic syndrome in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

PLOS ONE, 2021

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is becoming a major public health problem globally; it is cl... more Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is becoming a major public health problem globally; it is clear that the burden of MetS is rapidly increasing the rates of non-communicable diseases (NCD). In Ethiopia studies done so far have shown a large disparity in magnitude of the prevalence of MetS and were mainly institution-based studies. Therefore, this study assess the prevalence of MetS among adults who are residing in Gondar city using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) assessment tool. The findings are imperative to developing and strengthening national NCD prevention and control programs. Methods This study was conducted in Gondar city Northwest Ethiopia in 2018. It employs a community-based cross-sectional study design among 3,227 individuals 18 years of age or older. Data was collected using the WHO stepwise tool, lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC) body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose levels (FG), ...

Research paper thumbnail of Genetic characterization of Echinococcus species in eastern Ethiopia

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 2019

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease with considerable economic and public ... more Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease with considerable economic and public health burden worldwide, particularly affecting developing countries like Ethiopia. To initiate effective prevention and control of CE, comprehensive data on the local lifecycles of the various species/genotypes of Echinococcus are needed. In the present study, conducted in eastern Ethiopia, a total of 1106 livestock animals were examined at three slaughterhouses, which resulted in combined prevalence of morphologically and molecularly confirmed CE of 8.4% (75/891) in cattle, 1.1% (1/95) in sheep, 0.0% (0/95) in goats and 12.0% (3/25) in camels. All cystic lesions recovered during post mortem examination were assessed for cyst condition and underwent molecular characterization by PCR and sequencing of a 1081 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. A total of 175 cysts belonged to E. granulosus s.s. (n = 165), E. ortleppi (n = 6) and E. canadensis G6/7 (n = 4). Of all examined cysts, only 14 were fertile and contained protoscoleces, all from the lungs of cattle: 5 were E. granulosus s.s., 6 E. ortleppi and 3 E. canadensis G6/7. In sheep, only one sterile liver cyst of E. granulosus s.s. was found, while in camels seven sterile or caseated/calcified cysts of E. granulosus s.s. and E. canadensis G6/7 were found in liver and lungs. In conclusion, the prevalence of CE was rather low compared to other regions of Ethiopia, and, based on the number of fertile cysts, three Echinococcus spp. contributed almost equally to transmission. Cattle seem to be, epidemiologically, the most important livestock species. Our data provide a substantial basis for more detailed investigations of the transmission dynamics of CE in the study area.

Research paper thumbnail of Access to diabetes treatment in northern Ethiopia

Diabetic Medicine, 1998

Treatments for diabetes in Ethiopia are at present only available in hospitals so many patients m... more Treatments for diabetes in Ethiopia are at present only available in hospitals so many patients must travel great distances to obtain insulin, tablets, and diabetes education. We reviewed all 496 people with diabetes attending the diabetic clinic at Gondar Hospital (281 with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (DM) and 215 with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) DM. Half of the patients came from rural areas, all but 3 of them travelling more than 20 km, one-quarter of them more than 100 km and 33 patients (13%) more than 180 km. It is likely that many patients who fail to attend from the more distant areas have died. We are developing a scheme which would enable diabetic patients to be treated at rural health centres by nurses trained in the principles of diabetes care which could greatly improve the outlook for diabetic patients in Ethiopia.

Research paper thumbnail of VCT clinic HIV burden and its link with HIV care clinic at the University of Gondar hospital

BMC Public Health, 2012

Background: Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is an important component of any HIV/AIDS con... more Background: Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is an important component of any HIV/AIDS control and prevention activities. VCT makes people aware of their HIV serostatus and enables early identification of those who need care. It is an important link to HIV care and support. The main aim of this study is to describe the HIV burden at VCT and define the relationship between the VCT Center and the HIV Chronic Care Clinic of the University of Gondar (UoG) Hospital. Methods: It is a record based descriptive study undertaken by using data collected by health professionals at the VCT center and the HIV chronic care clinic of the UoG Hospital. Patient data collected from 2005/06 to 2008/09 was investigated. Analysis was carried out using the SPSS version 16.0. Results: A total of 19,168 people were tested for HIV and a prevalence of 25.4% was obtained. 4298 HIV positive people were referred to the HIV chronic care clinic but only 27% actually registered at the clinic. Chi-square analyses showed residence, age and time of VCT visit showed significant relations with hospital care attendance. Conclusion: The overall HIV prevalence is high. The data obtained at the HIV care clinic regarding patients' clinical conditions at acceptance were incomplete. Improvements are required on the link between VCT and HIV care and documentation of data.

Research paper thumbnail of Type 1 diabetes in Africa: an immunogenetic study in the Amhara of North-West Ethiopia

Diabetologia, 2020

Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes... more Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes in a resource-poor rural African community. The study was initiated because reports of low autoantibody prevalence and phenotypic differences from European-origin cases with type 1 diabetes have raised doubts as to the role of autoimmunity in this and similar populations. Methods A study of consecutive, unselected cases of recently diagnosed, insulin-dependent diabetes (n = 236, ≤35 years) and control participants (n = 200) was carried out in the ethnic Amhara of rural North-West Ethiopia. We assessed their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and measured non-fasting C-peptide, diabetes-associated autoantibodies and HLA-DRB1 alleles. Leveraging genome-wide genotyping, we performed both a principal component analysis and, given the relatively modest sample size, a provisional genome-wide association study. Type 1 diabetes genetic risk scores were calculated to compare their ge...

Research paper thumbnail of Type 1 diabetes in Africa: an immunogenetic study in the Amhara of North-West Ethiopia

Diabetologia, 2020

Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes... more Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes in a resource-poor rural African community. The study was initiated because reports of low autoantibody prevalence and phenotypic differences from European-origin cases with type 1 diabetes have raised doubts as to the role of autoimmunity in this and similar populations. Methods A study of consecutive, unselected cases of recently diagnosed, insulin-dependent diabetes (n = 236, ≤35 years) and control participants (n = 200) was carried out in the ethnic Amhara of rural North-West Ethiopia. We assessed their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and measured non-fasting C-peptide, diabetes-associated autoantibodies and HLA-DRB1 alleles. Leveraging genome-wide genotyping, we performed both a principal component analysis and, given the relatively modest sample size, a provisional genome-wide association study. Type 1 diabetes genetic risk scores were calculated to compare their ge...

Research paper thumbnail of Type 1 Diabetes in a Resource-Poor Setting: Malnutrition Related, Malnutrition Modified, or Just Diabetes?

Current diabetes reports, Jan 14, 2018

Very little is known about the occurrence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in resource-poor countries an... more Very little is known about the occurrence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in resource-poor countries and particularly in their rural hinterlands. Studies of the epidemiology of T1DM in Ethiopia and similar countries in sub-Saharan Africa show that the pattern of presenting disease differs substantially from that in the West. Typically, the peak age of onset of the disease is more than a decade later with a male excess and a low prevalence of indicators of islet-cell autoimmunity. It is also associated with markers of undernutrition. These findings raise the question as to whether the principal form of T1DM seen in these resource-poor communities has a different pathogenesis. Whether the disease is a direct result of malnutrition or whether malnutrition may modify the expression of islet-cell autoimmunity is unclear. However, the poor prognosis in these settings underlines the urgent need for detailed clinical and epidemiological studies.

Research paper thumbnail of Demographic and Health Survey at Dabat District in Northwest Ethiopia: Report of the 2008 Baseline Survey

Ethiopian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Sep 1, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Effect of health extension workers led home-based intervention on hypertension management in Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open, 2022

IntroductionAlthough hypertension is highly prevalent in Ethiopia, it is poorly diagnosed, treate... more IntroductionAlthough hypertension is highly prevalent in Ethiopia, it is poorly diagnosed, treated and controlled. Poor access to care and a shortage of healthcare providers are major barriers. This study aims to evaluate the effects of health extension workers’ led home-based intervention on hypertension management in patients with hypertension in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia.Methods and analysisA two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted among 456 hypertensive patients. Adults aged ≥25 years who have a diagnosis of hypertension both in the home-based hypertension screening study and at another measurement prior to recruitment will be eligible for the study. Randomisation will be done at the kebele level. In the intervention clusters, trained health extension workers will provide home-based intervention for hypertensive patients every 2 months for 9 months. The primary outcomes of the trial will be clinical linkage and blood pressure changes, whereas th...

Research paper thumbnail of Blood Safety & Prevalence of Transfussion Transmissible Viral Infections Among Donors at the Red Cross Blood Bank in Gondar University Hospital

Research paper thumbnail of The problem of epilepsy and its care in rural Ethiopia

Ethiopian medical journal, 2008

BACKGROUND Jimma University Hospital (JUH) in south west Ethiopia has been running an integrated ... more BACKGROUND Jimma University Hospital (JUH) in south west Ethiopia has been running an integrated rural chronic disease programme since 1999, focusing on treatment of epilepsy, diabetes and heart disease. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this review is to compare clinical data of the epilepsy patients with those previously published from a similar programme in Gondar university, in the north west of the country. METHOD In November 2005, we identified a total of 1,250 patients with epilepsy from the JUH study with case records for analysis. Clinical data are documented in the case records using a structured questionnaire and follow-up chart. We entered the data into SPSS software and performed descriptive analyses. RESULTS The age of the patients was weighted towards teenage years and young adult life, very similar to that seen in Gondar. The majority of those presenting to the clinic were male (M:F = 1.6:1) and educational level in rural communities was poor. The seizure history was very sim...

Research paper thumbnail of The Association Between Multimorbidity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Clients Attending Chronic Outpatient Medical Care in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia: The Application of Partial Proportional Odds Model

Background Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) i... more Background Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a given person affects all aspects of individuals’ lives. Poor quality of life (QoL) is one of the major consequences of living with multimorbidity. Although healthcare aims to support multimorbid individuals to achieve better quality of life, little is known about the effect of multimorbidity on quality of life of patients attending chronic outpatient medical care in Ethiopia. Objectives This study aimed to determine the association between multimorbidity and quality of life among clients attending chronic outpatient medical care in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A multi-centered facility-based study was conducted among 1440 participants aged 40+ years attending chronic outpatient medical care. Two complementary methods (interview and review of medical records) were employed to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics and presence of chronic diseases. We used the ...

Research paper thumbnail of Seroprevalence of ovine brucellosis in South Wollo, North Eastern Ethiopia

American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Science, 2010

... 288 Seroprevalence of Ovine Brucellosis in South Wollo, North Eastern Ethiopia Mohammed Yesuf... more ... 288 Seroprevalence of Ovine Brucellosis in South Wollo, North Eastern Ethiopia Mohammed Yesuf, Sefinew Alemu, Wudu Temesgen, Hailu Mazengiac and Haileleul Negussie 1 2 2 3 2 ... 8. Eshetu, Y., J. Kassahun, P. Abebe, M. Beyene, B. Zewdie and A. Bekele, 2005. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Corrigendum: Determinants of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Unmatched case-control study

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Research paper thumbnail of Obstructive sleep apnea risk and determinant factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at the chronic illness clinic of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Frontiers in Endocrinology

IntroductionObstructive sleep apnea is a sleep complaint among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients ... more IntroductionObstructive sleep apnea is a sleep complaint among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients that has a deleterious effect on health with immediate and long-term impacts. Despite its impacts, data on the magnitude and predictors of obstructive sleep apnea among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia is still limited. Thus, this study was conducted to determine how common a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea is and its predictors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving follow-up care at the chronic illness follow-up clinic at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and physical measurements with standard instruments were used to collect the required data. The collected data were entered into EpiData 4.6 and exported into STATA 14. Both Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Multimorbidity and adverse longitudinal outcomes among patients attending chronic outpatient medical care in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia

Frontiers in Medicine

BackgroundMultimorbidity is becoming more prevalent in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). H... more BackgroundMultimorbidity is becoming more prevalent in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the evidence base on the burden and its longitudinal outcomes are limited. This study aimed to determine the longitudinal outcomes of patients with multimorbidity among a sample of individuals attending chronic outpatient non communicable diseases (NCDs) care in Bahir Dar, northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based longitudinal study was conducted among 1,123 participants aged 40+ attending care for single NCD (n = 491) or multimorbidity (n = 633). Data were collected both at baseline and after 1 year through standardized interviews and record reviews. Data were analyzed using Stata V.16. Descriptive statistics and longitudinal panel data analyzes were run to describe independent variables and identify factors predicting outcomes. Statistical significance was considered at p-value <0.05.ResultsThe magnitude of multimorbidity has increased from 54.8% at baseline to 56.8% at 1 y...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence and genetic variability of occult hepatitis B virus in a human immunodeficiency virus positive patient cohort in Gondar, Ethiopia

PLOS ONE, Nov 19, 2020

Background Occult hepatitis B (OHB) is a major concern in HIV infected patients as it associates ... more Background Occult hepatitis B (OHB) is a major concern in HIV infected patients as it associates with a high risk of HBV reactivation and disease progression. However, data on the prevalence of OHB among HIV positive patients in Ethiopia is lacking. This study aims to determine the prevalence of OHB in HBV/HIV co-infected patients from Gondar, Ethiopia. Methods A total of 308 consented HIV positive patients were recruited from the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia. Clinical and demographic data of the participants were recorded. Plasma was tested for HBsAg and anti-HBc using commercial assays (Abbott Architect). In HBsAg negative anti-HBc positive patient samples, total DNA was isolated and amplified using nested PCR with primers specific to HBV polymerase, surface and precore/core regions, followed by Sanger sequencing and HBV mutational analysis using MEGA 7.0. Results Of the total study subjects, 62.7% were female, median age 38.4 years, interquartile range (IQR): 18-68, and 208 (67.5%) had lifestyle risk factors for HBV acquisition. Two hundred and ninety-one study subjects were HIV+/HBsAg-, out of which 115 (39.5%) were positive

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: Unmatched case-control study

Frontiers in Endocrinology

BackgroundPoor glycemic control is one of the most determinant factors for type 2 diabetes-relate... more BackgroundPoor glycemic control is one of the most determinant factors for type 2 diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. The proportion of type 2 diabetes mellitus with poor glycemic control remains high. Yet evidences on factors contributing to poor glycemic control remain scarce. The aim of this study is to identify determinants of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at a diabetes mellitus clinic in University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital-based case-control study was conducted from June to September 2020. Using convenience sampling techniques, a total of 90 cases and 90 controls with type 2 diabetes were recruited. The data were entered into Epidata version 4.6.0.2 and analyzed by Stata version 14. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between independent variables and glycemic control. Both 95% CI and p-value<0.05 were used to determine the level an...

Research paper thumbnail of Feasibility of Virtual Simulation-Based Diabetes Foot Care Education in Patients with Diabetes in Ethiopia: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 2022

Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly growing global public health problem; the number of adults with di... more Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly growing global public health problem; the number of adults with diabetes is expected to increase from 424.9 million in 2017 to 628.6 million in 2045. Approximately 80% of diabetic patients live in low-and middle-income countries where access to care may be limited. For example, in Ethiopia, diabetes care is often rudimentary, and formal, structured diabetes education is almost non-existent. One potential solution to the lack of diabetes management education for patients could be virtual simulation-based diabetes education incorporating the contextual realities of patients in Ethiopia. Despite its great potential to improve glycemic control, delay diabetes-related complications and reduce mortality associated with diabetes, the feasibility of virtual simulation-based diabetes self-management education has not been studied in low-and middle-income settings. Objective: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the feasibility of a virtual simulation-based Diabetes Foot Care Education (DFCE) program among adult patients with diabetes in Ethiopia. Methods: A randomized controlled feasibility study including participants from University of Gondar Referral Hospital (UoGRH) will be conducted. A sample of 40 participants will be recruited, of which 20 participants will receive the virtual simulation-based education program, and the other 20 participants will continue with their usual diabetes care. After the education program, a questionnaire and structured interview will be used to explore the feasibility (acceptability, practicality) and the potential impact of virtual simulation-based DFCE intervention in patients with diabetes. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 25 using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, paired sample t-test, and factorial ANOVA at significance levels of less than 0.05. Discussion: Our study seeks to understand the perceived usefullness and usability of virtual simulation-based diabetes foot care education on behavioural (diabetes foot-care knowledge, foot self-care practices, and foot self-care efficacy). Furthermore, the study will provide insight to assist in the development of technologically assisted and contextually designed DFCE programs. Trial Registration Number: NCT04841291 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier).

Research paper thumbnail of Diabetes in Ethiopia: overcoming the problems of care delivery

Research paper thumbnail of Magnitude of metabolic syndrome in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

PLOS ONE, 2021

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is becoming a major public health problem globally; it is cl... more Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is becoming a major public health problem globally; it is clear that the burden of MetS is rapidly increasing the rates of non-communicable diseases (NCD). In Ethiopia studies done so far have shown a large disparity in magnitude of the prevalence of MetS and were mainly institution-based studies. Therefore, this study assess the prevalence of MetS among adults who are residing in Gondar city using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) assessment tool. The findings are imperative to developing and strengthening national NCD prevention and control programs. Methods This study was conducted in Gondar city Northwest Ethiopia in 2018. It employs a community-based cross-sectional study design among 3,227 individuals 18 years of age or older. Data was collected using the WHO stepwise tool, lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC) body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose levels (FG), ...

Research paper thumbnail of Genetic characterization of Echinococcus species in eastern Ethiopia

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 2019

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease with considerable economic and public ... more Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease with considerable economic and public health burden worldwide, particularly affecting developing countries like Ethiopia. To initiate effective prevention and control of CE, comprehensive data on the local lifecycles of the various species/genotypes of Echinococcus are needed. In the present study, conducted in eastern Ethiopia, a total of 1106 livestock animals were examined at three slaughterhouses, which resulted in combined prevalence of morphologically and molecularly confirmed CE of 8.4% (75/891) in cattle, 1.1% (1/95) in sheep, 0.0% (0/95) in goats and 12.0% (3/25) in camels. All cystic lesions recovered during post mortem examination were assessed for cyst condition and underwent molecular characterization by PCR and sequencing of a 1081 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. A total of 175 cysts belonged to E. granulosus s.s. (n = 165), E. ortleppi (n = 6) and E. canadensis G6/7 (n = 4). Of all examined cysts, only 14 were fertile and contained protoscoleces, all from the lungs of cattle: 5 were E. granulosus s.s., 6 E. ortleppi and 3 E. canadensis G6/7. In sheep, only one sterile liver cyst of E. granulosus s.s. was found, while in camels seven sterile or caseated/calcified cysts of E. granulosus s.s. and E. canadensis G6/7 were found in liver and lungs. In conclusion, the prevalence of CE was rather low compared to other regions of Ethiopia, and, based on the number of fertile cysts, three Echinococcus spp. contributed almost equally to transmission. Cattle seem to be, epidemiologically, the most important livestock species. Our data provide a substantial basis for more detailed investigations of the transmission dynamics of CE in the study area.

Research paper thumbnail of Access to diabetes treatment in northern Ethiopia

Diabetic Medicine, 1998

Treatments for diabetes in Ethiopia are at present only available in hospitals so many patients m... more Treatments for diabetes in Ethiopia are at present only available in hospitals so many patients must travel great distances to obtain insulin, tablets, and diabetes education. We reviewed all 496 people with diabetes attending the diabetic clinic at Gondar Hospital (281 with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (DM) and 215 with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) DM. Half of the patients came from rural areas, all but 3 of them travelling more than 20 km, one-quarter of them more than 100 km and 33 patients (13%) more than 180 km. It is likely that many patients who fail to attend from the more distant areas have died. We are developing a scheme which would enable diabetic patients to be treated at rural health centres by nurses trained in the principles of diabetes care which could greatly improve the outlook for diabetic patients in Ethiopia.

Research paper thumbnail of VCT clinic HIV burden and its link with HIV care clinic at the University of Gondar hospital

BMC Public Health, 2012

Background: Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is an important component of any HIV/AIDS con... more Background: Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is an important component of any HIV/AIDS control and prevention activities. VCT makes people aware of their HIV serostatus and enables early identification of those who need care. It is an important link to HIV care and support. The main aim of this study is to describe the HIV burden at VCT and define the relationship between the VCT Center and the HIV Chronic Care Clinic of the University of Gondar (UoG) Hospital. Methods: It is a record based descriptive study undertaken by using data collected by health professionals at the VCT center and the HIV chronic care clinic of the UoG Hospital. Patient data collected from 2005/06 to 2008/09 was investigated. Analysis was carried out using the SPSS version 16.0. Results: A total of 19,168 people were tested for HIV and a prevalence of 25.4% was obtained. 4298 HIV positive people were referred to the HIV chronic care clinic but only 27% actually registered at the clinic. Chi-square analyses showed residence, age and time of VCT visit showed significant relations with hospital care attendance. Conclusion: The overall HIV prevalence is high. The data obtained at the HIV care clinic regarding patients' clinical conditions at acceptance were incomplete. Improvements are required on the link between VCT and HIV care and documentation of data.

Research paper thumbnail of Type 1 diabetes in Africa: an immunogenetic study in the Amhara of North-West Ethiopia

Diabetologia, 2020

Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes... more Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes in a resource-poor rural African community. The study was initiated because reports of low autoantibody prevalence and phenotypic differences from European-origin cases with type 1 diabetes have raised doubts as to the role of autoimmunity in this and similar populations. Methods A study of consecutive, unselected cases of recently diagnosed, insulin-dependent diabetes (n = 236, ≤35 years) and control participants (n = 200) was carried out in the ethnic Amhara of rural North-West Ethiopia. We assessed their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and measured non-fasting C-peptide, diabetes-associated autoantibodies and HLA-DRB1 alleles. Leveraging genome-wide genotyping, we performed both a principal component analysis and, given the relatively modest sample size, a provisional genome-wide association study. Type 1 diabetes genetic risk scores were calculated to compare their ge...

Research paper thumbnail of Type 1 diabetes in Africa: an immunogenetic study in the Amhara of North-West Ethiopia

Diabetologia, 2020

Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes... more Aims/hypothesis We aimed to characterise the immunogenic background of insulin-dependent diabetes in a resource-poor rural African community. The study was initiated because reports of low autoantibody prevalence and phenotypic differences from European-origin cases with type 1 diabetes have raised doubts as to the role of autoimmunity in this and similar populations. Methods A study of consecutive, unselected cases of recently diagnosed, insulin-dependent diabetes (n = 236, ≤35 years) and control participants (n = 200) was carried out in the ethnic Amhara of rural North-West Ethiopia. We assessed their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and measured non-fasting C-peptide, diabetes-associated autoantibodies and HLA-DRB1 alleles. Leveraging genome-wide genotyping, we performed both a principal component analysis and, given the relatively modest sample size, a provisional genome-wide association study. Type 1 diabetes genetic risk scores were calculated to compare their ge...

Research paper thumbnail of Type 1 Diabetes in a Resource-Poor Setting: Malnutrition Related, Malnutrition Modified, or Just Diabetes?

Current diabetes reports, Jan 14, 2018

Very little is known about the occurrence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in resource-poor countries an... more Very little is known about the occurrence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in resource-poor countries and particularly in their rural hinterlands. Studies of the epidemiology of T1DM in Ethiopia and similar countries in sub-Saharan Africa show that the pattern of presenting disease differs substantially from that in the West. Typically, the peak age of onset of the disease is more than a decade later with a male excess and a low prevalence of indicators of islet-cell autoimmunity. It is also associated with markers of undernutrition. These findings raise the question as to whether the principal form of T1DM seen in these resource-poor communities has a different pathogenesis. Whether the disease is a direct result of malnutrition or whether malnutrition may modify the expression of islet-cell autoimmunity is unclear. However, the poor prognosis in these settings underlines the urgent need for detailed clinical and epidemiological studies.

Research paper thumbnail of Demographic and Health Survey at Dabat District in Northwest Ethiopia: Report of the 2008 Baseline Survey

Ethiopian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Sep 1, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Effect of health extension workers led home-based intervention on hypertension management in Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open, 2022

IntroductionAlthough hypertension is highly prevalent in Ethiopia, it is poorly diagnosed, treate... more IntroductionAlthough hypertension is highly prevalent in Ethiopia, it is poorly diagnosed, treated and controlled. Poor access to care and a shortage of healthcare providers are major barriers. This study aims to evaluate the effects of health extension workers’ led home-based intervention on hypertension management in patients with hypertension in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia.Methods and analysisA two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted among 456 hypertensive patients. Adults aged ≥25 years who have a diagnosis of hypertension both in the home-based hypertension screening study and at another measurement prior to recruitment will be eligible for the study. Randomisation will be done at the kebele level. In the intervention clusters, trained health extension workers will provide home-based intervention for hypertensive patients every 2 months for 9 months. The primary outcomes of the trial will be clinical linkage and blood pressure changes, whereas th...

Research paper thumbnail of Blood Safety & Prevalence of Transfussion Transmissible Viral Infections Among Donors at the Red Cross Blood Bank in Gondar University Hospital

Research paper thumbnail of The problem of epilepsy and its care in rural Ethiopia

Ethiopian medical journal, 2008

BACKGROUND Jimma University Hospital (JUH) in south west Ethiopia has been running an integrated ... more BACKGROUND Jimma University Hospital (JUH) in south west Ethiopia has been running an integrated rural chronic disease programme since 1999, focusing on treatment of epilepsy, diabetes and heart disease. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this review is to compare clinical data of the epilepsy patients with those previously published from a similar programme in Gondar university, in the north west of the country. METHOD In November 2005, we identified a total of 1,250 patients with epilepsy from the JUH study with case records for analysis. Clinical data are documented in the case records using a structured questionnaire and follow-up chart. We entered the data into SPSS software and performed descriptive analyses. RESULTS The age of the patients was weighted towards teenage years and young adult life, very similar to that seen in Gondar. The majority of those presenting to the clinic were male (M:F = 1.6:1) and educational level in rural communities was poor. The seizure history was very sim...

Research paper thumbnail of The Association Between Multimorbidity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Clients Attending Chronic Outpatient Medical Care in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia: The Application of Partial Proportional Odds Model

Background Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) i... more Background Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a given person affects all aspects of individuals’ lives. Poor quality of life (QoL) is one of the major consequences of living with multimorbidity. Although healthcare aims to support multimorbid individuals to achieve better quality of life, little is known about the effect of multimorbidity on quality of life of patients attending chronic outpatient medical care in Ethiopia. Objectives This study aimed to determine the association between multimorbidity and quality of life among clients attending chronic outpatient medical care in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A multi-centered facility-based study was conducted among 1440 participants aged 40+ years attending chronic outpatient medical care. Two complementary methods (interview and review of medical records) were employed to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics and presence of chronic diseases. We used the ...