Predicting the short and long term effects of food price inflation, armed conflicts, and climate variability on global acute malnutrition in Somalia.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition poses a substantial challenge in Somalia, impacting approximately 1.8 million children. This critical issue is exacerbated by a multifaceted interplay of factors. Consequently, this study seeks to examine the long-term and short-term effects of armed conflicts, food price inflation, and climate variability on global acute malnutrition in Somalia. METHODS: The study utilized secondary data spanning from January 2015 to December 2022, sourced from relevant databases. Two distinct analytical approaches were employed to comprehensively investigate the dynamics of global acute malnutrition in Somalia. Firstly, dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) simulations were applied, allowing for a nuanced understanding of the short and long-term effects of armed conflicts, food price inflation, and climate variability on malnutrition. Additionally, the study employed kernel-based regularized least squares, a sophisticated statistical technique, to further enhance the robustness of the findings. The analysis was conducted using STATA version 17. RESULTS: In the short run, armed conflicts and food price inflation exhibit positive associations with global acute malnutrition, particularly in conflict-prone areas and during inflationary periods. Moreover, climatic variables, specifically temperature and rainfall, demonstrate positive associations. It is important to note that temperature lacks a statistically significant relationship with global acute malnutrition in the short run. In the long run, armed conflicts and food price inflation maintain persistent impacts on global acute malnutrition, as confirmed by the dynamic ARDL simulations model. Furthermore, both temperature and rainfall continue to show positive associations with global acute malnutrition, but it is worth noting that temperature still exhibits a non-significant relationship. The results from kernel-based regularized least squares were consistent, further enhancing the robustness of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Increased armed conflicts, food price inflation, temperature, and rainfall were associated with increased global acute malnutrition. Strategies such as stabilizing conflict-prone regions, diplomatic interventions, and peace-building initiatives are crucial, along with measures to control food price inflation. Implementing climate adaptation strategies is vital to counter temperature changes and fluctuating rainfall patterns, emphasizing the need for resilience-building. Policymakers and humanitarian organizations can leverage these insights to design targeted interventions, focusing on conflict resolution, food security, and climate resilience to enhance Somalia's overall nutritional well-being.

Prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women at Hargeisa Group Hospital, Somaliland.

BACKGROUND: Anemia remains a major global public health issue, affecting around 24.8% of the world's population in both developing and developed countries. Pregnant women in developing countries are particularly susceptible, with 38.2% affected worldwide. Anemia is also a major contributor to maternal mortality, with 510,000 maternal deaths globally, of which 20% occur in developing countries and are related to anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent form, impacting 1.3 to 2.2 billion individuals, with 50% being women of reproductive age. AIM: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of anemia in pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Hargeisa Group Hospital (HGH), Somaliland. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 360 pregnant women, who sought ANC at HGH from July 15 to August 6, 2023. The study subjects were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and participants' current medical charts, including hemoglobin levels. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 20). RESULTS: The study revealed an overall prevalence of anemia among pregnant women at 50.6% (95% CI: 45.40 - 55.72%). Anemia severity was categorized as mild (33.0%), moderate (54.9%), and severe (12.1%). Factors statistically associated with anemia included gestational age in the third trimester (AOR = 3.248, 95% CI: 1.491-7.074), lack of ANC visits (AOR = 6.828, 95% CI: 1.966-23.721), and absence of iron supplementation (AOR = 29.588, 95% CI: 2.922-299.713). Notably, a higher consumption of meat per week was associated with a reduced risk of anemia (AOR = 0.198, 95% CI: 0.104-0.379). CONCLUSION: The study underscores the severity of anemia in pregnant women within the range considered as severe public health problem by WHO. It is crucial to emphasize effective prenatal care, improve dietary practices, and promote the provision of iron supplements. Enhanced maternal education on Anemia during ANC visits has the potential to reduce Anemia prevalence and mitigate adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Prevalence and associated factors of acute diarrhea among under-five children living in Hargeisa Internally Displaced Persons, Somaliland: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Introduction: in developing countries, diarrhea is a major cause of child death among those under five years old. Dehydration, malnutrition, delayed physical development and early childhood mortality are the major consequences of diarrheal diseases. In Somaliland, diarrheal diseases have been endemic and a major problem since 1994, with epidemics occurring annually. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of acute diarrhea among children under five years old living in Hargeisa Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Somaliland. Methods: a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of children under five from August to September 2020 in Hargeisa IDPs. A total of 383 mothers were selected using single population proportional formula. Data was entered, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS version 22. To explore the association between variables, bivariate logistic regression was performed for each independent variable with the dependent variable. Variables with a p-value of < 0.05 were adjusted in multivariate logistic regression. Finally, variables with a p-value < 0.05 were recognized as determinants of acute diarrheal disease. Results: the prevalence of diarrhea among children under five living in Hargeisa IDPs was 51% (95% CI: 46%-56%). Children older than one year (AOR= 3.59, 95% CI: 2.05-5.20), those not exclusively breastfed (AOR= 4.01, 95% CI: 3.27-4.60), those not given colostrum milk (AOR= 36.41, 95% CI: 25.76-47.90), those drinking water stored in jerry-cans (AOR = 4.90, 95% CI: 1.31-8.39), and those with poor hand washing practices (AOR = 5.74, 95% CI: 1.38-7.82) were more likely to develop diarrhea than their counterparts. Conclusion: this study concludes that the prevalence of diarrhea was very high (51%). Lack of awareness of exclusive breastfeeding and colostrum feeding, storing drinking water in unprotected containers, and poor hand-washing practices were identified as significant predictors for childhood diarrhea (p-value < 0.05).

Prevalence and factors associated with immunization coverage among children under five years in Mohamed Mooge health center, Hargeisa, Somaliland: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Routine immunization contributes greatly to reduction in mortality from vaccine preventable diseases among children. The Somaliland Demographic and Health survey, 2020 revealed that only 13.7% of children in Marodijeh (Hargeisa) region had received all recommended vaccines, which is far below the World Health Organization (WHO) target of 80%. We therefore, assessed factors associated with immunization coverage among children under five years at Mohamed Mooge Health Center in Hargeisa, Somaliland. METHODS: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted on 174 systematically sampled, consented mothers that visited Mohamed Mooge Health Center for antenatal care during December 2022 to May 2023. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS and the relationship between dependent and independent variables was checked chi-square test at p ≤ 0.05. Finally, candidate variables were tested by using multivariate logistic regression in order to control potential confounders and the result was presented using AOR and 95% confidence interval. Model fitness was checked using Hosmer-Lemeshaw goodness of fit test with P > 0.05 for fitness. Multicollinearity between variables was checked using correlation coefficients at 0.80 or higher.  RESULT: Among 174 study participants, the prevalence of overall vaccine completion in this study was 55.3%. Women who had being aware about childhood immunization on BCG vaccination (AOR = 3.887; 95% CI: 1.275, 6.844), pentavalent (AOR = 11.385; 95% CI: 5.424-14.464), and measles (AOR = 3.074; 95% CI: 1.822-6.130) had higher odds of having immunized their children. Mothers who had employment had higher odds of having their children immunized against measles (AOR = 4.069; 95% CI: 1.822-6.130) compared to those who had not. CONCLUSIONS: Full immunization coverage was lower than the target set by the World Health Organization in this study area. The current study revealed that, the mother's awareness of childhood vaccinations on BCG, pentavalent, measles and employment status of mothers were positively associated with immunization coverage. To promote vaccination coverage, the government should implement a national awareness campaign on childhood immunization and increase the number of outreach services.