Essential maternal health service disruptions in Ethiopia during COVID 19 pandemic: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: COVID 19 pandemic has challenged the resilience of the most effective health systems in the world. The Ethiopian Ministry of health tried to ensure the continuation of essential maternal health services during the pandemic. Despite several individual studies conducted on the impact of COVID 19 on maternal health services, no evidence can summarize the extent of impact as a nation and which essential maternal health service is most affected. METHOD: A systematic review was conducted to summarize the extent of disruption of essential maternal health services and identify the most affected service in the era of the COVID pandemic in Ethiopia. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines were followed. Comprehensive literature was searched using international databases PubMed, Google scholar, and African Online Journal to retrieve related articles. Descriptive analysis was made to answer the review objective. RESULT: Overall, 498 articles were retrieved using our search strategy and finally 8 articles were included in the review. We found, ANC (26.35%), skilled birth attendance (23.46%), PNC (30%), family planning (14%), and abortion care (23.7%) maximum disruption of service utilization due to the pandemic. PNC service was the most significantly affected service unit followed by the ANC unit. CONCLUSION: Essential maternal health services have been significantly disrupted due to COVID 19 pandemic in Ethiopia. It is expected from all stakeholders to prioritize safe and accessible maternity care during the pandemic and the aftermath and take lesson to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.

Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is the promising strategy to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the success of this strategy will rely mainly on the rate of vaccine acceptance among the general population. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and its determinants in Ethiopia. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and Web of Sciences database to retrieve related articles. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used for this study. Funnel plot and Eggers test were done to assess publication bias. Cochrane Q-test and I2 statistic were done to chick evidence of heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was computed based on the study region and the study population. Data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA version 14 statistical software. Weighted inverse variance random effect model was run to estimate the pooled prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies with 5,029 study participants were included. The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Ethiopia was 51.64% (95%CI; 43.95%-59.34%). Being male (AOR = 4.46, 1.19-16.77, I2 = 88%), having secondary and above educational status (AOR = 3.97, 1.94-8.12, I2 = 69%), good knowledge (AOR = 3.36, 1.71-6.61, I2 = 93%), and positive attitude (AOR = 5.40, 2.43-12.00, I2 = 87%) were determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was low. Being male, having secondary and above educational status, good knowledge, and positive attitude were the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. High level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the general population is crucial to achieve herd immunity in the community. Therefore, policymakers, vaccine campaign program planners, and stakeholders should target to improve public awareness of vaccination that enhances vaccine acceptance and in turn helps to control the pandemic.

COVID-19 Preventive Measure Practices and Knowledge of Pregnant Women in Guraghe Zone Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus which emerged in Wuhan. Recently this virus has rapidly spread throughout Ethiopia. The current preventive measure practices and knowledge have gaps. Therefore this study aimed to assess COVID-19 preventive measure practices and knowledge of pregnant women in Guraghe Zone hospitals. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 27-August 27, 2020 among pregnant women in Guraghe zone hospitals. Systematic random sampling technique were employed to select 403 participants. Data were checked manually for completeness, cleaned, and stored in Epi Data and exported to SPSS for further analysis. Variables which have a P-value less than 0.25 on bivariate analysis were taken to multivariate analysis. A P-value of less than 0.05 and 95% confidence level was used as a cut-off point for presence of association in multivariate analysis. RESULTS: COVID-19 preventive measure practice and knowledge of pregnant women visiting Guraghe Zone hospitals was 76.2% and 54.84%, respectively. Those aged 20-24 (AOR=1.22, 95% CI=1.15-22.24), 25-29 (AOR=1.32, 95% CI=1.20-20.25), and 30-34 (AOR=2.57, 95% CI-2.32-43.38) were more likely to practice COVID-19 preventive measures. Those residing in urban area (AOR=2.16, 95% CI=1.24-3.77) and perceiving that COVID-19 is worst for people with chronic disease (AOR=5.12, 95% CI=1.73-15.17) were more likely to practice COVID-19 preventive measures. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 preventive measure practices and knowledge were low. Age, residence, and perception of COVID-19 on chronic disease were independent factors associated with preventive measure practices. Pregnant women aged ≥35 need to be counseled on practices of preventing COVID-19 by their healthcare providers.