RESUMO
Land management technology (LMT) adoption is one of Ethiopia's crucial strategies to combat soil depletion and promote agricultural production. However, there is scant information concerning the intensity, interdependent nature, and households' decision to adopt multiple LMTs. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify factors influencing households' decisions to adopt multiple LMTs and the intensity and interdependency of the technologies in the Goyrie watershed of southern Ethiopia. The data was collected from 291 randomly selected household heads, focus group discussion participants, and key informant interview respondents. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric methods like multivariate probit and ordered probit modeling, while the qualitative data was presented through content analysis. The result indicated that more than half of respondents (67 %) applied one or two LMTs. The highest complementary effects were observed in mixed soil bunds with desho grasses and manure applications. However, soil bunds and fanya-juu, manure application and agroforestry showed interchangeability with one another. Sex, education, family size, landholding size, access to development agents and credit institutions, training, and village membership increased the probability of adopting multiple LMTs, whereas age, land rent, and crop sharing discouraged the likelihood of households' decisions to adopt LMT. The results of the ordered probit model revealed that village membership and contact with extension agents highly encouraged the intensity of LMT adoptions. Thus, policymakers and planners should consider social, institutional, human asset, and technological related factors to increase adoption rates and intensity of land management technologies.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease known to cause significant numbers of morbidities and mortalities across the globe. In Ethiopia, its transmission is generally seasonal and highly unstable due to variations in topography and rainfall patterns. Studying the trends in malaria in different setups is crucial for area-specific evidence-based interventions, informed decisions, and to track the effectiveness of malaria control programs. The trend in malaria infections in the area has not been documented. Hence, this study aimed to assess the five-year trend in microscopically confirmed malaria cases in Dembecha Health Center, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara national regional state, Ethiopia. METHODS: A health facility-based retrospective study was conducted in Dembecha Health Center from February to April 2018. All microscopically confirmed malaria cases registered between 2011/12 and 2015/16 were carefully reviewed from laboratory record books and analyzed accordingly. RESULTS: A total of 12,766 blood films were requested over the last five years at Dembecha Health Center. The number of microscopically confirmed malaria cases was 2086 (16.34%). The result showed a fluctuating yet declining trend in malaria infections. The highest number of cases was registered in 2012/13, while the lowest was in 2015/16. Males and age groups >20 constituted 58.9% and 44.2% of the patients, respectively, being the hardest hit by malaria in the area. Malaria existed in almost every month and seasons. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species. The highest peak of malaria infections was observed in the late transition (October-December) 799 (38.3%) and early transition (May-June) 589 (28.2%) seasons. CONCLUSION: Although the results indicate a fluctuating yet declining trend, the prevalence of confirmed malaria cases in the area remains alarming and indicates a major public health burden. Therefore, close monitoring and intervention measures to control malaria infections in the area and also to tackle the dominant species, Plasmodium falciparum, are necessitated accordingly.
