The world population has increased significantly in urban areas since 1990. Ethiopia, the secondmost populous country in Africa, has experienced rapid urbanization, exerting immense pressure on land allocation in its emerging cities. To address housing demand, the Ethiopian government has prioritized cooperative housing allotments in regional cities; however, the sustainability of this approach remains understudied. This research examines three key objectives: (1) the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of cooperative housing development; (2) urban-rural connectivity challenges and their implications for peri-urban sustainability; and (3) the integration of sustainability considerations in property valuation practices. The study focuses on six emerging cities in West Gojam, East Gojam, North Gojam, and Awi zones (Debremarkos, Bure, Bahir Dar, Injibara, Mota, and Finote Selam), incorporating survey data from 357 households, supplemented by key informant interviews and focus group discussions with planners, property valuers, and municipal officials. Data were analyzed using the Relative Importance Index (RII) and exploratory factor analysis, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.First, the analysis of urban-rural linkages highlights governance and infrastructure deficits in peri-urban areas, such as poor road quality, inadequate public transport, and fragmented land management. These challenges hinder sustainable integration, necessitating coordinated planning, standardized land-use regulations, and investments in connectivity. Second, the study examines property valuation in city municipalities, revealing inconsistencies in procedures, outdated regulatory frameworks, and a lack of technological adoption (e.g., GIS, blockchain). Recommendations include digitizing valuation processes, aligning practices with market dynamics, and integrating sustainability criteria into regulatory standards. Third, the research assesses cooperative housing, identifying procedural inefficiencies, financial barriers, and informal practices like land flipping as threats to sustainability. Policy reforms, improved governance, and affordable financing mechanisms are proposed to enhance transparency and align cooperative housing with urban planning goals. Collectively, the findings underscore the need for holistic governance reforms, infrastructure investment, and stakeholder collaboration to foster equitable and sustainable urban development in Ethiopia. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers to address these interconnected challenges and advance national development objectives.Keywords: Allotment, Cooperative housing, Ethiopia, land development, Sustainability 

Background: Despite progress in reducing neonatal mortality rates in Ethiopia, the country still has a high neonatal mortality rate compared with the global average. Primary hospitals are critical in delivering basic neonatal care, particularly in rural areas. However, data on neonatal mortality and contributing factors in these settings are scarce. This study aimed to determine the survival status and predictors of neonatal mortality among neonates admitted to Bichena Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 638 neonates admitted to the Bichena Primary Hospital neonatal intensive care unit from January 1, 2021, to April 30, 2023. Neonates were selected via a consecutive sampling method. Data were collected from medical records using a pretested checklist. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the neonatal survival time, and a Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify independent predictors of neonatal mortality.
Results: Of the 638 neonates followed, 21.5% died during the study period. The overall incidence rate of death was 66.69 per 1,000 neonate days. Hypothermia, birth injury, perinatal asphyxia, preterm birth, maternal history of abortion, low birth weight, and neonatal hypoglycemia were independent predictors of neonatal mortality.
Conclusion and recommendation: The study found a high rate of neonatal mortality, exceeding rates reported in other regions of Ethiopia. Most predictors were preventable and treatable. Therefore, early identification of obstetric complications, immediate interventions and postnatal care are crucial to reduce neonatal mortality and enhance overall neonatal outcomes.
Keywords: Ethiopia; neonate; predictors; primary hospitals; survival status.

AbstractPurpose – This study aims to identify determinants of single-family residential property values and fill the gap by analyzing respondents’ willingness to pay/receive data alongside real transaction data. Ordinal logistic regression and ordinal least square regression were used.Design/methodology/approach – Ordinal logistic regression effectively analyzes willingness-to-pay/receive data, accommodating the ordered nature of property value responses while incorporating multiple influencing factors. Ordinal least square regression quantifies the impact of continuous and categorical predictors on real transaction data.
Findings – Findings revealed strong associations between property values and several variables. Analysis of willingness-to-pay/accept data from 232 respondents showed significant impacts of factors such as the number of rooms, site area, construction material, property orientation, property age and proximity to bus stations and the central business district (p < 0.05). Similarly, ordinal least square regression analysis of transaction data confirmed the significance of most of these factors, except for property orientation, which indicates the difference of preference in the local market or reporting inconsistencies, demand further investigation. Variables such as views, proximity to wetlands, roads, green areas, religious institutions and schools were statistically insignificant across both data sets (p > 0.05).
Practical implications – It provides a robust basis for housing and urban development strategies. The stakeholders such as real estate developers, urban planners and policymakers are encouraged to incorporate these findings into housing policies, land value capture initiatives and urban planning frameworks to enhance residential property value and align with sustainable urban development goals.
Originality/value – This study contributes original insights into single-family residential property valuation by integrating willingness-to-pay and transaction data, substantiating the determinants of property value.
Keywords Appraisal, Ethiopia, Housing, Ordinal least square regression, Residential property, Value

Background: An estimated 75.8 under-five deaths per 1000 live births occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with under-five mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This study was based on secondary data sources from 33 Sub-Saharan countries’ recent Demography and Health surveys from 2010 to 2020. A weighted sample of 360,397 under-five children was included in the study. Bayesian multilevel binary logistic regression was fitted using the brms R package. Besides, leave one out information criteria was used for model comparison. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and its 95% credible interval (CrI) were reported for significant factors associated with under-five mortality. Clinical trial number: not applicable. Results: The prevalence of under-five mortality in sub Saharan Africa was 62 per 1000 live births (95%CI (56.29, 68.29). In sub region of SSA, it was 65 in central, 52 in eastern, 50 in southern and 73 in western region per 1000 live births. Multiple birth (AOR = 5.27; 95%CrI: 4.72, 5.87), number of under-five children 3 to 5 (AOR = 3.31; 95%CrI: 3.01, 3.60), caesarean section delivery (AOR = 1.64; 95%CrI: 1.47, 1.83), being unmarried (AOR = 1.16; 95%CrI 1.08, 1.26), using unimproved toilet (AOR = 1.08;95%CrI: 1.02, 1.16), birth order of 4th to 6th (AOR = 1.18; 95%CrI:1.1, 1.25),were risk factors of under-five mortality. Whereas, being female (AOR = 0.86; 95%CrI: 0.82, 0.91), preceding birth interval of 24–35 months (AOR = 0.61; 95%CrI: 0.57, 0.65) and above 36 months (AOR = 0.48; 95%CrI: 0.43, 0.49), ANC visit (AOR = 0.80; 95%CrI: 0.74 0.86), contraceptive use (AOR = 0.57; 95%CrI: 0.53, 0.61), were preventive factors of under-five mortality. Conclusion: Under-five mortality remains the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the risk factors of under-five mortality were found to be preventable. Policymakers and other stakeholders should enhance maternal education, lengthen birth interval, ANC visit, improved toilet facilities and, giving special attention to small size child and cesarean section delivery to reduce under-five mortality. Keywords: Under-five mortality, Associated factors, Bayesian, Sub-saharan Africa, DHS

Property valuation is a critical process in estimating the fair market value of a property during a transaction and title transfer, which has significant implications for tax collection, infrastructure development, and economic growth of one’s country. However, due to the absence of standardized valuation frameworks, Ethiopia’s valuation system is inconsistent between the government estimations and actual market values. It is also a reliance on the arbitrary estimation of brokers and influenced by deliberate agreements between sellers and buyers to undervalue real properties. These factors contribute the loss of potential government revenue in real property transaction. Thus, this study assesses the challenges and future prospects of real property valuation for title transferring during transactions in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The study focuses on inconsistencies in real property valuation practices, its implication for tax revenue, and the role and influence of brokers in the actual real property market. This study employs a mixed research approach by combining surveys, interviews, and document reviews to investigate the discrepancies between the government estimated value, the actual market value at which the property was transacted, and the agreed-up transaction price reported by both the seller and buyer. The findings of this study reveal significant gaps in the Ethiopia’s real property valuation system, including reliance on non-standardized valuation frameworks, outdated construction material prices, an irregular update to land grading and pricing, and the dominance of broker-led valuation characterized by arbitrary estimations, contributes to inaccurate valuation of real property leading to tax evasion and government revenue loss. The study reveals and analyzes how these practices cause revenue loss to the government, with documented cases showing significant differences between property value in the actual market and the value agreed upon by two parties (buyer and seller) used for tax assessment. Moreover, it identifies procedural inefficiencies, such as the absence of standardized valuation systems, reliance on nonprofessional brokers, and weak enforcement mechanisms, all of which aggravate inequities in real property valuation, transaction, and revenue collection. In order to address these issues, the study recommends adopting and implementing international valuation standards, regular updates to construction material prices, land grading and pricing systems, and the implementation of strict regulatory frameworks for brokerage practices. Through the integration of Ethiopia’s valuation system with global best practices, this research aims to ensure reasonable taxation and improve revenue collection for fostering sustainable economic growth in the region. The findings contribute to the border discussions on land administration reform in developing economies, emphasizing the need for institutional capacity building and legal framework development.Keywords: Real property, Valuation, Title Transfer, Broker, Amhara region

Abstract Background: Hospitals usually encounter human, capital, and financial resource constraints which alerts the efficient use of allocated resources more than ever. Health system managers are required to identify inefficient hospitals and the drivers of the inefficiencies. Although there are multiple studies examining the efficiency of public hospitals in East Africa, their findings are often variable and inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to review published articles on technical efficiency of public hospitals in East African countries. Methods: A systematic search of published articles on the technical efficiency of public hospitals was employed using Pubmed, Cochrane library, and google scholar and thirteen studies were included to this review. The studies were described in terms of their publication year, sample size, inputs and outputs used in the efficiency analysis, and the technical efficiency levels. Finally, we assessed their quality and estimate the mean technical efficiency using meta-analysis. Results: The technical efficiency score of public hospitals varied across countries in east Africa which ranged from 0.64 ± 0.34 in Tanzania to 0.99 ± 0.03 in Ethiopia. The mean technical efficiency was 0.82 (95% CI = 0.56, 1.07) for primary hospitals and 0.88 (95% CI = 0.82, 0.95) for secondary level hospitals. Technical efficiency of public hospitals was negatively correlated with the number of hospitals (the sample size) and positively correlated with the number of inputs and outputs included in the efficiency analysis. Conclusions: This review revealed that the technical efficiency of public hospitals in east Africa requires an improvement. To enable effective and efficient hospital management and improvement in hospital efficiency, health man-agers and policymakers must identify the drivers of hospital inefficiency. Systematic reviews on public hospital efficiency, which are currently rare in Africa, should be conducted on a much larger scale in order to create more, and validated information for use in policy-making. Trial registration: This review protocol was registered and approved by the international prospective register of systematic reviews with a Protocol ID: CRD42023444729. Keywords: Technical efficiency, Hospitals, Data envelopment analysis, East Africa, Systematic review