In Amhara region of Ethiopia, armed conflict was affecting the multiple dimensions of human life, encompassing social structures, economic systems, education access, healthcare availability, and political landscapes. This research report aimed to comprehensively analyze the socio-economic and political consequences of the ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, particularly in the East and West Gojjam Zones. By employing an integrated research approach, the study investigated three main themes: economic effect, social effect, and political implications. The economic aspect assessed effects on household poverty, living costs, market dynamics, and key economic sectors using poverty indices and other metrics. Social effect had been evaluated through health and education facilities, maternal and child health services, availability of medical supplies, and humanitarian costs like displacement and loss of lives. Additionally, political ramifications, including effects on democratic institutions, crime, human rights violations, and local governance structures explored properly. A stratified random sampling technique was employed. Cross-sectional household survey was conducted from 1078 urban and rural households. Data collected through surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and document reviews in selected towns and districts within the East and West Gojjam Zones, ensuring representation of affected populations. A comparative analysis technique was used to compare the parameters before and after the ongoing armed conflict. The findings of the study revealed that the ongoing armed conflict in East and West Gojjam Zones has resulted in profound economic, social, and political consequences. Due to the conflict, households are experiencing increasing poverty as a result of unstable markets, rising living expenses, and disrupted livelihoods. Financial insecurity has increased as a result of large losses in important industries including trade and agriculture. The region's economic resilience has been further strained by the conflict's significant human and material costs. Regarding to the social effect, public health and education services have been negatively damaged by the conflict on a social level. Medical supply shortages and decreased use of maternity and child health services plague health institutions, and disruptions in education services restrict access to educational possibilities. There has been a significant humanitarian cost, with long-term social instability brought on by relocation and fatalities. Finally, in terms of politics, the war has undermined democratic institutions and systems of government. While human rights breaches continue to be a major concern, insecurity has increased due to the proliferation of crimes like looting and extrajudicial killings. The instability of local administration has complicated recovery attempts. The findings aim to deepen understanding of the conflict's effects, informing evidence-based interventions and policies for mitigating adverse effects and promoting sustainable peace and development. In order to address these effects and guarantee long-term peace and prosperity in the study area, priorities should be given to conflict resolution and peace building efforts followed by development of recovery programs such as reconstruct social services, restore economic stability, and fortify political institutions. Key Words: Armed conflict; socioeconomic effect; Political effect; Amhara Region; East Gojjam Zone; West Gojjam Zone; Ethiopia

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) holds signifcant agricultural and nutritional importance in Ethiopia; yet, its pro-duction faces challenges, including suboptimal nitrogen fertilizer management. Te aim of this review was to review the possibleefect of nitrogen fertilizer levels on the production of cabbage in Ethiopia. Nitrogen fertilization signifcantly infuences cabbageyield and quality. Moderate to high levels of nitrogen application enhance plant growth, leaf area, head weight, and yield.However, excessive nitrogen levels can lead to adverse efects such as delayed maturity, increased susceptibility to pests anddiseases, and reduced postharvest quality. In Ethiopia, small-scale farmers use diferent nitrogen levels for cabbage cultivation. InEthiopia, NPSB or NPSBZN fertilizers are widely employed for the growing of various crops such as cabbage. 242 kg of NPS and79 kg of urea are the blanket recommendation for the current production of cabbage in Ethiopia. Te existing rate is not conducivefor farmers. Terefore, small-scale farmers ought to utilize an optimal and cost-efective nitrogen rate to boost the cabbage yield.Furthermore, the efectiveness of nitrogen fertilization is infuenced by various factors including the soil type, climate, cabbagevariety, and agronomic practices. Integrated nutrient management approaches, combining nitrogen fertilizers with organicamendments or other nutrients, have shown promise in optimizing cabbage production while minimizing environmentalimpacts. Te government ought to heed suggestions concerning soil characteristics such as the soil type, fertility, and additionalfactors such as the soil pH level and soil moisture contents.

Integration of nonlinear loads in modern power systems has led to many issues arising mainly dueto the generation of harmonic currents and the presence of reactive power, both having adverseeffects on power quality and grid stability. Harmonic currents cause increased losses, overheatingof equipment, and voltage distortions, while reactive power imbalances result in inefficiencies inpower delivery and compromised system performance. To overcome these problems, a Shunt ActivePower FIlter design and an optimal control strategy for harmonic mitigation and reactive powercompensation are proposed in this paper. The design incorporates an optimized anti-windup PIcontroller for DC-link voltage regulation and an optimized output filter to enhance the quality of theinjected current. This design is formulated as an optimization problem and solved using the GoldenJackal Optimizer. MATLAB/Simulink simulations validate the proposed method under differentoperating conditions, covering dynamic change of loads and unbalanced grid conditions. The resultshows a remarkable reduction in Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of grid current, and reactive powercompensation meanwhile maintaining the stability of the grid.Keywords: Golden Jackal optimization, Shunt active power filter (SAPF), Optimal control, Power quality,Current harmonics compensation

Every year, millions die in road accidents globally, imposing significant economic and humanitariancosts. While road traffic accidents are a major health concern, many developing countries, includingEthiopia, struggle to address this issue effectively. Ethiopia ranks second in East Africa for severe roadtraffic accidents, highlighting the need for improved injury reduction strategies. This study introduces anovel approach by chronologically identifying and prioritizing accident black spots in the studied area,Ethiopia. This method provides a valuable tool for transportation authorities and traffic police to targethigh-risk areas for immediate intervention. Focusing on the Dembecha-Injibara highway segment,the study employs both descriptive and inferential analyses, using the Zegeer method to calculateaccident rates. It also uses factors of weight contributing to road traffic accidents and their severityto rank accident-prone areas. The findings reveal that areas near Finote Selam, Banja, and Burie arehighly prone to severe accidents, with specific accident frequencies and priority values identified.Recommendations are offered to address these high-risk areas and mitigate severe traffic accidents inthe study region.Keywords: Road Traffic accidents, Severity, Prioritization and identification of Black Spot

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is an important cereal crop grown in arid and semiarid regions where water and otherresources are limited. Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns have resulted in frequent droughts, which caused significantyield loss in sorghum. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in sorghum cultivation due to its resilience to climatechange and potential source of food and income. The symbiotic interaction of sorghum with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)has been found to induce several physiological and molecular changes that improve the ability of sorghum to withstand droughtstress. This symbiotic relationship enhances water and nutrient uptake, osmotic adjustment, activation of stress-responsive genes,stomatal regulation, and antioxidant defense, leading to improved drought tolerance in sorghum. Agricultural practices such asreduced tillage, cover cropping, intercropping, crop rotation, and the use of organic amendments promote the diversity andeffectiveness of AM fungal symbiosis. Such agricultural practices create more favorable conditions for AM fungal establishmentand growth while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. In this review, we highlight AM fungal symbiosis on sorghumgrowth, physiology, and molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of AM fungal symbiosis under moisture deficitconditions. Overall, the present review elucidates sorghum production and breeding success in Ethiopia, the symbiotic mechanismsbetween plants and AM fungi, the prospects of biofertilizers in sustainable agriculture, the potential of AM fungal symbiosis as asustainable approach to improve sorghum production and its synergistic effect with other crop management practices.Keywords: Arbuscular Mycorrhizae; biofertilizer; drought tolerance; sorghum; sustainability; synergistic

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellites (DM), especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, presents significant challenges for healthcare systems. Effective blood glucose management is essential for preventing serious complications, and telehealth offers a promising approach to improve patient engagement and adherence. The effectiveness of telehealth on blood glucose management should be investigated. The evaluated metric for diabetes management plans in this study was the change in blood glucose levels, specifically HbA1c, as an indicator of glycemic control. The impact of telehealth interventions on these outcomes was analyzed across various patient groups. This review conducts a comprehensive analysis of the current literature to offer insights that can guide clinical practices and inform policymakers about the advantages of telehealth in managing diabetes.
Methods: In this study, several evidence-based databases and relevant clinical trial registries were searched to evaluate the effects of telehealth on blood glucose management among patients with diabetes. The included studies were randomized controlled trials that compared telehealth with traditional in-person management. Microsoft Excel was used to extract and sort the data before it was exported to STATA/MP 17.0 for analysis. A weighted inverse variance random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval was employed to pool the data. Egger's test and Cochrane I2 statistics were used to assess publication bias and heterogeneity, respectively.
Result: This review identified six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving a total of 3,995 patients, with 2,022 in the telehealth intervention group and 1,973 in the control group, conducted across the USA, Asia, and Europe. The analysis showed a significant improvement in blood glucose control for patients using telehealth, evidenced by a Standard Mean Difference (SMD) of 0.20 (95% CI: 0.10-0.29; p < 0.001), with USA studies reflecting the highest SMD of 0.24 and diabetic veterans showing an even greater SMD of 0.41.
Conclusion and recommendations: This study demonstrates that telehealth interventions significantly enhance blood glucose management among patients with diabetes. The findings highlight the need for healthcare systems to prioritize telehealth integration into diabetes management protocols while developing tailored interventions to meet the diverse needs of various patient populations.

Keywords: Blood glucose; Diabetes mellitus; HbA1c; Meta-analysis; Systematic review; Telehealth.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of intestinal schistosomiasis in students atBochesa Elementary School in the wetlands of Lake Ziway.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 384 students was conducted in May 2016. Intestinal schistosomiasis wasexamined using the Kato-Katz technique. For the association between the prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasisand categorical variables, the chi-square (𝜒2 ) test was used. A binary logistic regression was applied.Results: The overall prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was 25.52%. Males were more infected (17.45%)than women (8.07%), and the difference was significant (𝜒2 = 17.756; P

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of malaria in individuals visiting health centers in the wetlands of Bahir Dar Zuria District, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used on 422 study participants from three selected health centers from February to March 2020. Plasmodium parasite detection was examined using thick and thin blood smears, with a rapid diagnostic test. The chi-square (χ2) test was used to analyze the association between the prevalence of malaria and categorical variables, whereas binary logistic regression was used to identify potential risk factors using SPSS Version 25. For all types of tests, P-values below 0.05 were considered significant.
Results: The overall prevalence of malaria observed at the selected health centers around the wetlands of Bahir Dar Zuria District was 23.90% (95% confidence interval: 20.30-27.70%). There was a higher prevalence of malaria in males (39.78%) than in females (11.44%). The younger age group (16-30 years) was the most affected (47.76%), compared with the remaining 0-2 (19.23%), 3-15 (8.64%), 36-45 (37.25%), and above 45 years age groups (13.01%). Individuals with bed net-using habit decreased the risk of malaria infection by 99.70% compared with their counterparts (adjusted odds ratio: 0.003, 95% confidence interval: 0.001-0.011).
Conclusions: In this study, the wetlands of Bahir Dar Zuria District were found conducive to the survival and reproduction of mosquitoes, and the occurrence of malaria prevalence was very high. Therefore, wetland management practices and community mobilizations that might decrease vector abundance and malaria transmission should be strengthened in the study area.

Keywords: Bahir Dar Zuria; Malaria; Prevalence; Rapid diagnostic test; Wetlands.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections occur in patients under medical care, which is a major public health issue in hospitals worldwide. The prevalence is two to three folds higher in developing countries compared to developed countries. Inanimate objects used by healthcare professionals such as gowns, mobile phones, and stethoscopes are highly prone to bacterial contamination from the healthcare setting. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of published data on the bacterial profile and susceptibility patterns of an isolates.
Objective: To determine the bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from inanimate objects used by healthcare professionals and associated factors at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from inanimate objects from April 10, 2023 to June 30, 2023 using simple random sampling technique with lottery method. Socio-demographic data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A swab sample from healthcare professionals' gowns, mobile phones, and stethoscopes were collected and inoculated onto blood agar, chocolate and MacConkey agar. Isolates were identified and characterized by colony morphology, Gram staining and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed in all isolates by the disk diffusion technique on Muller Hinton agar according to CLSI, 2022 guidelines. Data was entered into EPI-Data and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression model was used. Variables with p-value ≤ 0.25 in bivariable logistic regression was fitted to multivariate logistic regression analysis. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 with 95%CI was considered statistically significant.
Result: A total of 376 healthcare professionals' inanimate objects were included from 191 study participants. Overall, 60.1% (226/376) (95%CI: 55.1-65) inanimate objects were contaminated. The proportion of bacterial contamination was (65.1%; 82/126), (60.3%; 76/126) and (54.8%; 68/124) for mobile phones, gowns and stethoscopes, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent isolate accounting (22.1%; 83/376) followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (17.0%; 64/376), Escherichia coli (8.8%; 33/376) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.9%; 18/376). Working in gynecology/ obstetrics wards (AOR: 8.69; 95%CI: 1.09-69.41, P = 0.041), did not disinfect mobile phones (AOR: 2.69; 95%CI: 1.15-6.25; P = 0.021) and stethoscopes regularly (AOR: 3.06, 95%CI: 1.23-7.59; P = 0.016), carry mobile phones with patient care materials (AOR: 2.72; 95%CI: 1.18-6.29, P = 0.019) and not taken infection prevention training (AOR:3.91; 95%CI:1.71-8.93; P = 0.001) were significantly associated with bacterial contamination.Most Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and amoxacilline-clavunic acid, while Gram-positive isolates showed high level of resistant to penicillin. On the other hand, meropenem, for Gram-negative and clindamycin for Gram-positive bacteria showed lower level of resistance. Multidrug resistance among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were (62.6%; 92/147) and (75.3%; 64/85), respectively with over all MDR (67.2%, 156/232).
Conclusion: Inanimate objects commonly used by healthcare professionals are important sources of bacterial contamination. S. aureus, S. epidermidis and E. coli were the predominant isolates. Most Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to ampicillin while Gram-positive isolates showed high level of resistant to penicillin. All healthcare professionals should regularly disinfect their inanimate objects to prevent bacterial colonization and potential spread of infection.

In many regions of Ethiopia, particularly in the study area, high-quality livestock feed is scarce, particularly during the dry season.Indigenous browse species could potentially ofer alternative sources of feed, but their potential has not been fully exploited, owingto a lack of detailed information. Without detailed information on the nutritional value of indigenous browse species, it is difcultto assess their suitability as feed sources. Tis knowledge gap indicates that even if these plants are abundant, they may not be usedefectively because their nutritional benefts are not well understood. Te objective of the present study was to fll this gap bysystematically evaluating the biomass yield and nutritional content of indigenous browse species. Te mean biomass yields forvarious indigenous browse species varied signifcantly (p < 0.05) among species, with Ficus thonningii producing the highest,whereas the biomass yields of Vernonia amygdalina were the lowest. Arundinaria species exhibited the highest NDF content(68.5%), whereas V. amygdalina had the lowest NDF content (46.8%). Te crude protein content varied signifcantly (p < 0.05)among the species, with Acacia albida having the highest (20.3%), whereas the crude protein content of Carissa edulis was thelowest (13.3%). Hence, the crude protein content of all indigenous browse species is sufcient to meet the maintenance needs ofcattle, sheep, and goats because, as stated by Kearl and NRC, the crude protein levels required for maintenance in these animalsrange from 7% to 10%. Te crude protein content of indigenous browse species is sufcient to meet the milk production re-quirements of sheep and goats because the crude protein levels required for milk production for these animals range from 12% to16%. For lactating dairy cows and growing beef cattle, Kearl recommended CP values of 14%–18% and 12%–16% required,respectively. Terefore, indigenous livestock producers should incorporate these species into their production systems to enhanceproductivity. Tis approach can also help mitigate the high costs associated with concentrate feeds, which are typically expensive.Keywords: biomass; browse species; nutritional composition; species composition