Author Archives: Bernt Lindtjørn

Does location matter? A study of malnutrition amongst Ethiopian children

Posted on by

Each month, a paper is selected by one of the Editors of the five Nutrition Society Publications (British Journal of Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, Nutrition Research Reviews, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society and Journal of Nutritional Science). This month, Seifu Hagos Gebreyesus’ paper on ‘Local spatial clustering of stunting and wasting among children under the age of 5 years: implications for intervention strategies’ was selected.

Seifu wrote on The Nutrition Socienty Blog:

As malnutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia, we aimed to find out how the acute and chronic forms of undernutrition occur in the districts and kebeles (a kebele is the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia). Such knowledge could be helpful in improving our understanding of the distribution of undernutrition on a local scale, as well as designing targeted nutrition intervention programmes.

For this purpose, we surveyed children aged less than five years, who were found in 1744 households. We measured children’s height, weight, and the geographic locations (latitudes and longitudes) of households. Using data from 2371 children aged less than five years of age, we evaluated how malnutrition is distributed within a district and kebeles.

Although many believe that undernutrition is equally distributed within an area, we found that children living in locations within a district are more susceptible to undernutrition than children in other locations but living in the same district. For example, children living in these locations were 1.5 times more likely to be stunted and 1.7 times more likely to be severely stunted than children living in other locations within the district. Similarly, in some kebeles, children living in some small areas experience more acute malnutrition (wasting and severe wasting).

Our finding has important implications to nutritional intervention strategies. Stunting and wasting are not equally distributed in an area, suggesting that planning of nutrition interventions may need to consider the variations in the vulnerability.

To help accelerate the reduction of malnutrition, it could be important to consider targeting locations where more susceptible children live. The approach would help reach children who are most likely to benefit from intervention programmes.

We recommend that this research needs to be repeated in other areas of Ethiopia and other developing countries. We also would like to recommend further study possibly using an implementation research approach to evaluate the feasibility, advantages and effectiveness of targeting nutritional interventions.

More malaria among wasted children

Posted on by

Shikur B, Deressa W, Lindtjørn B. Association between malaria and malnutrition among children aged under-five years in Adami Tulu District, south-central Ethiopia: a case–control study. BMC Public Health 2016; 16(1): 1-8.

Background: Malaria and malnutrition are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in under-five children in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Malnutrition is the associated cause for about half of the deaths that occur among under-five children in developing countries. However, the relationship between malnutrition and malaria is controversial still, and it has also not been well documented in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess whether malnutrition is associated with malaria among under-five children.

Methods: A case–control study was conducted in Adami Tulu District of East Shewa Zone in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Cases were all under-five children who are diagnosed with malaria at health posts and health centres. The diagnosis was made using either rapid diagnostic tests or microscopy. Controls were apparently healthy under-five children recruited from the community where cases resided. The selection of the controls was based on World Health Organization (WHO) cluster sampling method. A total of 428 children were included. Mothers/caretakers of under-five children were interviewed using pre-tested structured questionnaire prepared for this purpose. The nutritional status of the children was assessed using an anthropometric method and analyzed using WHO Anthro software. A multivariate logistic analysis model was used to determine predictors of malaria.

Results: Four hundred twenty eight under-five children comprising 107 cases and 321 controls were included in this study. Prevalence of wasting was higher among cases (17.8 %) than the controls (9.3 %). Similarly, the prevalence of stunting was 50.5 % and 45.2 % among cases and controls, respectively. Severe wasting [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) =2.9, 95 % CI (1.14, 7.61)] and caretakers who had no education [AOR = 3, 95 % CI (1.27, 7.10)] were independently associated with malarial attack among under-five children.

Conclusion: Children who were severely wasted and had uneducated caretakers had higher odds of malarial attack. Therefore, special attention should be given for severely wasted children in the prevention and control of malaria.

Joint PhD Programme

Posted on by

Joint-PhDs are doctorates, which are done at two degree-awarding institutions. This doctorate means that you are fully registered in two universities, having to comply with admission requirements, and assessment regulations at both institutions, and it will result in one jointly awarded PhD (one diploma with the two university logos).

The other benefits for students are:

  • Access to complementary facilities and resources
  • Exposure to two cultural approaches to research
  • International student mobility
  • Enhanced acquisition of research and transferable skills, such as negotiation skills, use of videoconferencing, adaptability…
  • Better networking opportunities

Recently, Hawassa University and the University of Bergen agreed on such a joint PhD degree.

This programme is funded by The South Ethiopia Network of Universities in Public Health (SENUPH), and nine PhD students have been registered at the home institution which in this case is Hawassa University. The currently available financial support is for staff at Hawassa, Dilla and Wolaita Sodo universities. We plan to admit seven more students (four women and three men) in September 2016.

You can get more information about the admission requirements and about topics that this programme will prioritise by writing to Dr Eskindir Loha or to Professor Bernt Lindtjørn.

The structure of the joint PhD programme can be downloaded here.

Combining long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying for malaria prevention in Ethiopia: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

Posted on by

Wakgari-Trials-protocolDeressa W, Loha E, Balkew M, Hailu A, Gari T, Kenea O, Overgaard HJ, Gebremichael T, Robberstad B, and Lindtjørn B. Combining long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying for malaria prevention in Ethiopia: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. Trials 2016, 17:20

Background
Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are the main malaria prevention interventions in Ethiopia. There is conflicting evidence that the combined application of both interventions is better than either LLINs or IRS used alone. This trial aims to investigate whether the combination of LLINs (PermaNet 2.0, Vestergaard Frandsen, Lausanne, Switzerland) with IRS using propoxur will enhance the protective benefits and cost-effectiveness of the interventions against malaria and its effect on mosquito behavior, as compared to each intervention alone.

Methods/Design
This 2 x 2 factorial cluster randomized controlled trial is being carried out in the Adami Tullu district in south-central Ethiopia for about 116 weeks from September 2014 to December 2016. The trial is based on four arms: LLINs + IRS, LLINs alone, IRS alone and control. Villages (or clusters) will be the unit of randomization. The sample size includes 44 clusters per arm, with each cluster comprised of approximately 35 households (about 175 people). Prior to intervention, all households in the LLINs + IRS and LLINs alone arms will be provided with LLINs free of charge. Households in the LLINs + IRS and IRS alone arms will be sprayed with carbamate propoxur once a year just before the main malaria transmission season throughout the investigation. The primary outcome of this trial will be a malaria incidence based on the results of the rapid diagnostic tests in patients with a fever or history of fever attending health posts by passive case detection. Community-based surveys will be conducted each year to assess anemia among children 5–59 months old. In addition, community-based malaria prevalence surveys will be conducted each year on a representative sample of households during the main transmission season. The cost-effectiveness of the interventions and entomological studies will be simultaneously conducted. Analysis will be based on an intention-to-treat principle.

Discussion
This trial aims to provide evidence on the combined use of LLINs and IRS for malaria prevention by answering the following research questions: Can the combined use of LLINs and IRS significantly reduce the incidence of malaria compared with the use of either LLINs or IRS alone? And is the reduced incidence justifiable compared to the added costs? Will the combined use of LLINs and IRS reduce vector density, infection, longevity and the entomological inoculation rate? These data are crucial in order to maximize the impact of vector control interventions on the morbidity and mortality of malaria.

Trial registration
PACTR201411000882128 (8 September 2014).

Highland malaria in Ethiopia

Posted on by

Abebe Animut Ayele defenAbebe [1]ds on Friday 15 January 2016 his PhD degree at the University of Bergen with a dissertation:

“Anopheles species and malaria transmission risk in a highland area, south-central Ethiopia.” 

Anopheles arabiensis is the primary malaria vector in the lowlands of Ethiopia. In the highland Butajira area, a typical area of highland Ethiopia, the entomological aspects of the disease remain poorly described.

The study describes the entomological aspects of malaria transmission by highlighting on the abundance, host feeding preferences, entomological inoculation rates (EIRs) and risk of households’ exposure to malaria infectious Anopheles bites over two years. The study was done at three different altitudes ranging from 1800 to 2300 m.

Ten species of larval stages and nine species of adult stages of anophelines occurred in the area. The streams were the main breeding habitats of the anophelines. Anopheles arabiensis was the most prevalent species, and was found to feed on human and cattle with a similar preference. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infected Anopheles arabiensis and Plasmodium vivax infected Anopheles pharoensis were caught in the low- and mid-altitude villages. Also, houses with open eaves had higher density of malaria infectious Anopheles arabiensis.

Abebe Animut Ayele was born in 1968 in Gojjam in Ethiopia. He completed his bachelor’s degree in biology and his master’s degree in medical parasitology from Addis Ababa University where he works as a lecturer. He started his PhD training at the Centre for International Health, University of Bergen in 2008 with Professor Bernt Lindtjørn as main supervisor and Associate Professor Teshome Gebre-Michael as co-supervisor.

Abebe-coverThe thesis can be downloaded here 

The publications in his thesis include:

Animut A, Gebre-Michael T, Balkew M, Lindtjorn B. Abundance and dynamics of anopheline larvae in a highland malarious area of south-central Ethiopia. Parasit Vectors. 2012;5:117.

Animut A, Balkew M, Gebre-Michael T, Lindtjorn B. Blood meal sources and entomological inoculation rates of anophelines along a highland altitudinal transect in south-central Ethiopia. Malar J 2013; 12(1): 76.

Animut A, Balkew M, Lindtjorn B. Impact of housing condition on indoor-biting and indoor-resting Anopheles arabiensis density in a highland area, central Ethiopia. Malaria journal 2013;12(1):393.

Clustering and malnutrition

Posted on by

Gebreyesus SH, Mariam DH, Woldehanna T, Lindtjorn B. Local spatial clustering of stunting and wasting among children under the age of 5 years: implications for intervention strategies. Public Health Nutr. 2015:1-11.

Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the clustering of undernutrition indicators of children under the age of 5 years in relation to different scales.

Design A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed. We collected anthropometric data, geographic locations/elevations of households and other data from visited households. We used a retrospective purely spatial Poisson probability model to identify and locate clusters (high rates) of stunting and wasting using the software SaTScan™ version 9·1·1. We ran a logistic regression model to help evaluate the causes of clustering.

Settings Six villages in the Meskane Mareko District (38·45763°E, 8·042144°N) of southern Ethiopia.

Subjects We surveyed 2371 children aged <5 years, who were found in 1744 households.

Results We found a micro-level variation in the risk of stunting and wasting within the studied district. We found the most likely significant clusters for wasting and severe wasting in two of the six villages. For stunting, a single large cluster size of 390 cases (304·19 expected) in 756 households was identified (relative risk=1·48, P<0·01). For severe stunting, a single cluster size of 106 cases (69·39 expected) in 364 households was identified (relative risk=1·69, P=0·035).

Conclusions We conclude that the distribution of wasting and stunting was partly spatially structured. We identified distinct areas within and between villages that have a higher risk than the underlying at-risk population. Our analysis identified the spatial locations of high-risk areas for stunting that could be an input for geographically targeting and optimizing nutritional interventions.

 

Cattle and Control of Malaria

Posted on by

Massebo F, Balkew M, Gebre-Michael T, Lindtjorn B. Zoophagic behaviour of anopheline mosquitoes in southwest Ethiopia: opportunity for malaria vector control. Parasites & vectors 2015; 8(1): 645.

Background

Increased understanding of the feeding behaviours of malaria vectors is important to determine the frequency of human-vector contact and to implement effective vector control interventions. Here we assess the relative feeding preferences of Anopheles mosquitoes in relation to cattle and human host abundance in southwest Ethiopia.

Methods

We collected female Anopheles mosquitoes bi-weekly using Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) light traps, pyrethrum spray catches (PSCs) and by aspirating from artificial pit shelters, and determined mosquito blood meal origins using a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

Both Anopheles arabiensis Patton and An. marshalli (Theobald) showed preference of bovine blood meal over humans regardless of higher human population sizes. The relative feeding preference of An. arabiensis on bovine blood meal was 4.7 times higher than that of human blood. Anopheles marshalli was 6 times more likely to feed on bovine blood meal than humans. The HBI of An. arabiensis and An. marshalli significantly varied between the collection methods, whereas the bovine feeding patterns was not substantially influenced by collection methods. Even though the highest HBI of An. arabiensis and An. marshalli was from indoor CDC traps collections, a substantial number of An. arabiensis (65 %) and An. marshalli (63 %) had contact with cattle. Anopheles arabiensis (44 %) and An. marshalli (41 %) had clearly taken bovine blood meals outdoors, but they rested indoors.

Conclusion

Anopheles mosquitoes are zoophagic and mainly feed on bovine blood meals than humans. Hence, it is important to consider treatment of cattle with appropriate insecticide to control the zoophagic malaria vectors in southwest Ethiopia. Systemic insecticides like ivermectin and its member eprinomectin could be investigated to control the pyrethroid insecticides resistant vectors.

Accessibility to TB control services improves in South Ethiopia

Posted on by

Dangisso, M. H., et al. (2015). “Accessibility to tuberculosis control services and tuberculosis programme performance in southern Ethiopia.” Glob Health Action 8: 29443.

BACKGROUND: Despite the expansion of health services and community-based interventions in Ethiopia, limited evidence exists about the distribution of and access to health facilities and their relationship with the performance of tuberculosis (TB) control programmes. We aim to assess the geographical distribution of and physical accessibility to TB control services and their relationship with TB case notification rates (CNRs) and treatment outcome in the Sidama Zone, southern Ethiopia.

DESIGN: We carried out an ecological study to assess physical accessibility to TB control facilities and the association of physical accessibility with TB CNRs and treatment outcome. We collected smear-positive pulmonary TB (PTB) cases treated during 2003-2012 from unit TB registers and TB service data such as availability of basic supplies for TB control and geographic locations of health services. We used ArcGIS 10.2 to measure the distance from each enumeration location to the nearest TB control facilities. A linear regression analysis was employed to assess factors associated with TB CNRs and treatment outcome.

RESULTS: Over a decade the health service coverage (the health facility-to-population ratio) increased by 36% and the accessibility to TB control facilities also improved. Thus, the mean distance from TB control services was 7.6 km in 2003 (ranging from 1.8 to 25.5 km) between kebeles (the smallest administrative units) and had decreased to 3.2 km in 2012 (ranging from 1.5 to 12.4 km). In multivariate linear regression, as distance from TB diagnostic facilities (b-estimate=-0.25, p<0.001) and altitude (b-estimate=-0.31, p<0.001) increased, the CNRs of TB decreased, whereas a higher population density was associated with increased TB CNRs. Similarly, distance to TB control facilities (b-estimate=-0.27, p<0.001) and altitude (b-estimate=-0.30, p<0.001) were inversely associated with treatment success (proportion of treatment completed or cured cases).

CONCLUSIONS: Accessibility to TB control services improved despite the geographic variations. TB CNRs were higher in areas where people had better access to diagnostic and treatment centres. Community-based interventions also played an important role for the increased CNRs in most areas.

Start of PhD programme at Hawassa University

Posted on by

In October, the PhD programme started at Hawassa University. This is a joint programme between Hawassa University and the University of Bergen.

Nine students started, and have chosen a research topic, and are working to finalize their research plans. Some of these topics include

  1. Community-based management of acute malnutrition
  2. Measuring the occurrence of maternal, neonatal and childhood diseases, and analyze their use of health services (two students)
  3. Can an intervention to reduce the oral and physical abuse by health workers on women during labour improve the health for the mother and child?
  4. Does intimate partner violence and depression during pregnancy adversely affect maternal health during delivery, and the health of the newborn?
  5. To describe the vulnerability to food shortages by examining food insecurity, food intake and nutritional status over one year in Wolaita.
  6. Is the nutritional transition taking place in Wolaita increasing the occurrence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes?
  7. Can better use of the iron-rich amaranth plant reduce the occurrence of iron eficiency anaemia?
  8. School health.

Childhood tuberculosis in Ethiopia

Posted on by

Dangisso, MH, Datiko DG and Lindtjørn B. (2015). “Low case notification rates of childhood tuberculosis in southern Ethiopia.” BMC Pediatr 15(1): 1-10.

Abstract

Background  Childhood tuberculosis (TB) is a public health concern causing considerable mortality. However, control of childhood TB receives little attention. The control efforts could be inadequate because of challenges associated with difficulties in diagnosing the disease in children. Understanding the burden of the disease among children is important to assess the ongoing transmission of the disease in a community and improving TB control efforts. This study was carried out to assess TB case notification rates (CNRs) and treatment outcomes in children aged less than 15 years over a ten-year period.

Methods  Data were collected from unit TB registers from all health facilities providing TB treatment in the Sidama Zone in Ethiopia. We analysed the CNRs and treatment outcomes by age category, gender, and place of residence. We used logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with treatment outcomes and to control for confounding.

Results  A total of 4,656 cases of children less than 15 years of age were notified as diagnosed and treated for TB, constituting 13 % of all notified TB cases in the study area. The mean CNRs per 100,000 children less than 15 years were 30 for all new cases of TB, 28 for rural cases, 67 for urban cases, 28 in boys, and 32 in girls. The proportions of treatment success were 82 % for new and 77 % for retreatment cases for the entire study period and increased to 93 % for new cases in 2012 (X2 trend, P < 0.001). Children less than five years old had a lower treatment success [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.64 (95 % CI, 0.52-0.80)] and higher deaths [AOR 2 (95 % CI, 1.27–3.12)]. The proportion of children who died during treatment among children in the less than 2-year-old age group was three times higher than children in the 2 year and above age groups [AOR 3.34 (95 % CI, 1.92–5.82)].

Conclusion  The CNRs of childhood TB were low in Sidama. Children less than 5 years old had a higher proportion of deaths. Efforts need to be made to improve the diagnosis and treatment of TB among children.