Agricultural livelihood resilience in the face of recurring droughts: Empirical evidence from northeast Ethiopia

The main purpose of this study was to characterize the livelihood resilience of smallholder farmers in the face of recurring droughts in northeast Ethiopia. The data was collected using a cross-sectional survey of 274 households and five focus group discussions. Principal component analysis and multiple linear regression models were employed to analyze the data. The Livelihood Resilience Index (LRI), framed on absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities, was used to quantify the households' livelihood resilience. The results indicated that about 57% of the surveyed respondents were non-resilient, while 43% were resilient to different degrees. Abay Tekeze watershed (ATW) livelihood zone exhibits the highest proportion of resilient households (57.4%), while North Wollo highland belg has the lowest proportion (22.7%). The high resilience in ATW was attributed to the relatively lower persistence of droughts, better accessibility in enabling institutions, more access to agricultural inputs, and the training and support given to farmers. The better-off were more resilient (90.9%) than the medium (52.1%) and the poor (34.6%) households. Among the latent dimensions, sensitivity with β value -0.372, climate change and variability (-0.33), and enabling institutions and environments (0.288) showed a significant (p < 0.0001) influence on LRI. This was followed by adaptive capacity and food access (0.249), agricultural practice and technology (0.213), and asset possession (0.19), in respective order. It implies that the absorptive capacity of households showed the leading influence in determining LRI, while adaptive and transformative capacities had nearly similar low effects. Thus, it is recommended that future planning for building livelihood resilience and drought risk interventions in the area should address the levels of resilience identified and the relative importance of each latent dimension indicated.

Agricultural drought assessment and monitoring using MODIS-based multiple indices: the case of North Wollo, Ethiopia

Agriculture is the most sensitive sector which has largely been affected by the impacts of drought. The study aims to detect and characterize agricultural droughts using MODIS-based multiple indices in North Wollo, Ethiopia. Two Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets (MOD13Q1 and MOD11A2) for the period 2000 to 2019 were used to generate Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST). Accordingly, NDVI anomaly, Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) were computed to characterize agricultural droughts during the crop growing season. Both the NDVI anomaly and VCI confirmed that there was no single drought-free year in the area throughout the study period. TCI showed relatively exaggerated drought stress than the other indices. However, VHI indicated lower area coverage and a lower level of stress than its aggregates (VCI and TCI). Specifically, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, and 2015 were all identified as severe drought years, where over 60% of the area was affected by droughts. Results of the regression analysis indicated that VCI, TCI, and VHI were having significant positive trends with precipitation in the majority of the districts. Using the aggregated drought frequency of each index, 13.5, 73.7, and 12.8% of the area were under moderate, high, and extremely high levels of agricultural drought occurrence, respectively, and the likelihood of implied risks. Therefore, all the districts of North Wollo were affected by persistent drought stress. Such drought recurrences have the potential to impose significant impacts on the agro-based livelihoods of the local community demanding ongoing drought monitoring and the application of effective early warning systems.

Nearly one-in-five mothers avoid colostrum in North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study

Colostrum contains antibodies that protect the newborn against disease. Despite this fact, many Ethiopian mothers see colostrum feeding as a cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. These mothers believe that colostrum must discard to alleviate this effect. However, the cause of this misconception about colostrum was not well researched, particularly in this study area. The main aim of the present study was to assess colostrum avoidance and associated factors among mothers having children aged 6-59 months in North Wollo Zone, Northeastern Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used for the statistical analysis. The prevalence of colostrum avoidance was 19 % (95 % CI 15⋅03, 22⋅89 %) among mother-child pair aged 6-59 months. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the most important predictors were breast-feeding initiation Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 6⋅369; 95 %, Confidence Interval (CI) (3⋅067, 13⋅224), pre-lacteal feeding AOR 3⋅464; 95 % CI (1⋅721, 6⋅973), shared household decision about child feeding AOR 3⋅585; 95 % CI (1⋅563, 7⋅226), Index child sex AOR 2⋅103; 95 % CI (1⋅015, 4⋅358) and health facility delivery AOR 3⋅033; 95 % CI (1⋅293, 7⋅117). The colostrum avoidance in the present study was 19 %. The study recommends the promotion of institutional delivery, timely initiation of breast-feeding, the shared household decisions about child feeding, avoiding sex preferences and stopping pre-lacteal feeding were critically important.

Effects of home delivery on colostrum avoidance practices in North Wollo zone, an urban setting, Ethiopia: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Colostrum is the first liquid that is produced in the first few days after delivery. It is the perfect first food for newborns which is considered as an infant's first immunization. Despite of this fact colostrum is discarded as unclean and bad for the infant's health. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the factors associated with colostrum avoidance in Woldia, Kobo and Lalibela town administrations of North Wollo zone.

METHODS

A quantitative community based cross sectional study was employed in March 2015 on 810 mothers of children aged less than 24 months. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis were employed to identify the factors associated with colostrum avoidance. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable model were identified as predictors of colostrum avoidance practices.

RESULTS

Colostrum was discarded by 12.0% (95%CI: 10.0-14.0%) of mothers of children aged less than 24 months. In multivariable logistic regression analysis late initiation of breastfeeding [AOR (95% CI) =2.03 (1.18, 3.49)], prelacteal feeding [AOR (95% CI) =3.38 (1.83, 6.24)], mothers not living with their husband [AOR (95% CI) = 2.24 (1.22, 4.12)] and delivering the index child at home [AOR (95% CI) =2.92 (1.521, 5.59)] were independent positive predictors of colostrum avoidance practices.

CONCLUSION

The foundation of any nutrition package for the prevention of childhood malnutrition is the promotion of an optimal breastfeeding practices, including colostrum feeding, in the community. Therefore, promoting institutional delivery, early initiation of breastfeeding and creating awareness on the dangers of prelacteal feeding and the advantages of colostrum feeding are recommended interventions to reduce colostrum avoidance practices in the study area.

The burden of and risk factors for active trachoma in the North and South Wollo Zones of Amhara Region, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Trachoma is a disease of the eye, caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, which can lead to blindness if left untreated. Ethiopia is one of the most trachoma-affected countries in the world. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and associated risk factors for active trachoma among children in selected woredas of North and South Wollo Zones in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

METHODS

This study was a community-based, cross-sectional study, which was conducted from October to December 2014 among children aged 1-8. A four-stage random cluster sampling technique was employed to select the study areas and participants. From each selected household, one child was clinically assessed for active trachoma. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical data. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between predictor variables and active trachoma.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of active trachoma among 1358 children was found to be 21.6% (95% CI: 19.4-23.8%). When analyzed by the presence or absence of individual WHO simplified system signs of active trachoma, trachomatous inflammation-follicular cases constituted18% (95% CI: 15.9-20.2%), while 4.7% (95% CI: 3.6-5.8%) were trachomatous inflammation-intense cases. Ocular discharge (aOR = 5.2; 95% CI: 3.3-8.2), nasal discharge (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.7), time taken to fetch water (aOR = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01-0.05), frequency of hand and face washing (aOR = 4.4; 95% CI: 1.1-17.8), and access to a latrine (aOR = 0.006; 95% CI: 0.001-0.030) were found to be independently associated with the presence of active trachoma.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high burden of active trachoma among children in the study areas. Lack of personal hygiene and limited access to a safe water supply and latrines were associated with increased prevalence of active trachoma. In order to reduce the burden of active trachoma, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement components of the SAFE strategy should be upgraded in the study areas.