ABSTRACT
Family planning (FP) is a human right, and ensuring women's access to FP is central to protecting the health and wellbeing of mothers and children. Over the past two decades, Ethiopia has made FP service more widely available, increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate from 8% in 2000 to 41% in 2019. This remarkable fivefold increase can be attributed to the country's overall development, including investment in education (particularly for girls) and reduction in child marriage, as well as the adoption and implementation of several enabling FP policies and strategies. In Ethiopia, achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, information, and education, including FP, by 2030 means enhancing these effective government policies and programs. Achieving universal access requires increasing financial resources, including domestic financing through greater government commitment for commodity security and program implementation; strengthening public-private partnerships; and improving service delivery for populations that are hard to reach and/or in humanitarian crisis. The persistence of equity gaps due to regional and/or sociodemographic disparities and the low quality of FP service delivery challenge our progress in Ethiopia. The papers included in this supplement provide additional detail on the overall progress described in this commentary and highlight focal areas for improvement in responding to unmet needs. Current policies and services must adapt, maintain, and build upon these gains and focus on targeted actions in areas identified for improvement. We must sustain the hard-fought gains of the past decades and help shape the prosperous future we advocate for in our society by 2030 and beyond-Leaving No One Behind.
Subject(s)
Family Planning Policy , Family Planning Services , Child , Ethiopia , Female , Health Planning , Humans , Sex EducationABSTRACT
BackgroundAnti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests are being increasingly used for sero-epidemiological purposes to provide better understanding of the extent of the infection in the community, and monitoring the progression of the COVID-19 epidemic. We conducted sero-prevalence study to estimate prior infection with with SARS-CoV-2 in Addis Ababa. MethodsA cross-sectional study was done from April 23 to 28, 2020 among 301 randomly selected residents of Addis Ababa; with no known history of contact with confirmed COVID-19 person. Interviews on socio demographic and behavioural risk factor followed by serological tests were performed for SARS-CoV-2 IgM, and IgG antibodies, using COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Cassette. The test has sensitivity of 87{middle dot}9% and specificity of 100% for lgM; and a sensitivity of 97{middle dot}2% and specificity of 100% for IgG. RT-PCR test was also done on combined nasopharyngeal and oropharengeal swabs as an important public health consideration. FindingsThe unadjusted antibody-based crude SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was 7{middle dot}6% and the adjusted true SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was estimated at 8{middle dot}8% (95% CI 5{middle dot}5%-11{middle dot}6%) for the study population. Higher sero-prevalence were observed for males (9.0%), age below 50 years (8.2%), students and unemployed (15.6%), those with primary education (12.1%), smokers (7.8%), alcohol consumers (8.6%), chatt-chewers (13.6%) and shish smokers (18.8%). Seroprevalence was not significantly associated neither with socio-demographic not behavioral characteristics. According to the findings, possibly more individuals had been infected in Addis Ababa than what was being detected and reported by RT-PCR test suggestive of community transmission. The use of serological test for epidemiological estimation of the extent of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic gives a more precise estimate of magnitude which would be used for further monitoring and surveillance of the magnitude of the SARS CoV-2 infection.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of providing assisted reproductive services as part of routine HIV care and treatment in Ethiopia. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study using semistructured in-depth interviews was conducted at St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during July 2014 and July 2015. The interviews assessed the perspectives of healthcare providers (HCPs) regarding the reproductive desires of HIV-affected couples, on assisting them in achieving pregnancy, and on the facilitators and barriers to offering such services as part of routine HIV care. RESULTS: There were 40 HCPs from two SPHMMC clinics interviewed. All HCPs asserted that HIV-affected couples should have equal access to assisted reproductive services and most agreed that couples should have this access to reduce the risk of HIV transmission, even in the absence of underlying infertility. However, the HCPs cited systemic and structural barriers to the implementation and delivery of assisted reproductive services. CONCLUSION: The integration of assisted reproductive services into HIV care and treatment programs is acceptable and feasible to HCPs. Formal training of HCPs may improve the implementation of these services for HIV-affected couples in low-resource settings.
