Jimma

Dilated cardiomyopathy DCM is a heart condition that causes enlargement and weakening of the hearts ventricles, leading to heart failure, especially in younger adults. This research evaluates the potential benefits of the drug bromocriptine in women of reproductive age with DCM. Bromocriptine has shown promise in treating a related condition called peripartum cardiomyopathy PPCM by reducing harmful hormone levels, and this study aims to see if it can help a broader group of women with DCM. The trial compares two groups of women with DCM one group receives bromocriptine 2.5 mg orally every day for 8 weeks along with standard heart failure treatment, and the other group receives placebo pills plus standard treatment. The study is randomized and open-label, meaning participants are assigned by chance to either group, and both groups receive guideline-directed medical therapy. Bromocriptines effects on heart function and safety will be closely monitored during the treatment period. Participants will be followed for up to 12 months, with assessments at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. These include tests of heart function, blood markers related to heart failure, clinical evaluations, and quality of life measures. Researchers will also track hospitalizations and functional improvements. The study will measure bromocriptine blood levels to understand how the drug behaves in this population, aiming to provide detailed information about its potential benefits and safety.

Researchers are actively monitoring the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide in healthcare workers, adults over 65, and schoolteachers. The study aims to estimate how common local and systemic side effects are for each vaccine brand, identify demographic and medical factors influencing side effects, and evaluate long-term consequences. It also compares the relative safety of different COVID-19 vaccines and examines how palliative drugs affect short-term side effect resolution. The project has two phases a cross-sectional survey and a prospective cohort study. Phase A uses an online questionnaire to collect information about short-term side effects occurring within 30 days after vaccination, covering either the first or second dose. Phase B follows volunteers interested in reporting long-term side effects and vaccine effectiveness after booster doses over five years, starting in 2022. Multiple COVID-19 vaccines are included, such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Janssen, CureVac, Novavax, and Covaxin. Participants provide self-reported data through validated online questionnaires about side effect onset, duration, and intensity. The study tracks local and systemic side effects within 30 days post-vaccination as primary outcomes, with unrecognized side effects as secondary outcomes. Volunteers are followed for long-term safety and vaccine effectiveness, with a total observation period extending up to five years. This ongoing monitoring helps researchers understand vaccine safety profiles and side effect patterns in different populations.

Researchers are evaluating an intervention to reduce non-communicable disease NCD risks among pregnant women attending routine antenatal care ANC in urban health centers across four Ethiopian cities. The study focuses on improving maternal health behaviors and pregnancy outcomes by addressing unhealthy diets, low physical activity, and air pollution exposure, factors linked to increased health risks for mothers and newborns and potential long-term NCD development. The trial compares two groups one receiving standard routine ANC and the other receiving structured lifestyle counseling integrated into ANC visits. This counseling targets diet, physical activity, and air pollution behaviors, supported by health worker training, facilitation by trained staff, and a digital ANC eRegistry for clinical decision support. The study is conducted in 77 urban health centers with about 1,268 pregnant women enrolled before 20 weeks gestation and followed through delivery. Participants attend routine ANC visits where data on birth weight and maternal behaviors are collected, alongside assessments of counseling quality and ANC service delivery. Additional biomarker studies analyze maternal and newborn samples for early NCD risk markers. Researchers monitor implementation feasibility and acceptability through surveys, routine data, and interviews. The total study duration covers pregnancy until delivery, with data collected at baseline, during pregnancy, and up to 18 months post-intervention for some measures.

This research focuses on severe acute malnutrition SAM in children aged 6 to 59 months, addressing the low treatment coverage for this serious condition. The study aims to evaluate an intervention called R-SWITCH, which uses community groups to enhance prevention, screening, referral, and treatment of SAM. The goal is to improve outpatient treatment program OTP coverage, understand challenges in implementing the intervention, and assess its cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The R-SWITCH intervention includes monthly group meetings of community groups called Alliance for Development AFD involving caregivers. It introduces weight-for-age Z-score <-3 as a new screening criterion and promotes family-led mid-upper arm circumference MUAC screening, as well as SAM awareness among fathers, community, and religious leaders. The intervention also involves follow-up and counseling during home visits by AFD leaders for children referred for SAM, those enrolled in OTP, and those who have recovered. Communication between health extension workers and AFDs is strengthened to support these efforts. Participants will be monitored over 24 months, with assessments including screening coverage, treatment coverage, growth monitoring, caregiver knowledge, vaccination status, and dietary factors. Researchers will measure SAM treatment coverage, adherence to treatment, weight gain, and treatment outcomes such as drop-out or recovery rates. This comprehensive data collection aims to provide insights into the interventions impact and to support efforts to reduce child malnutrition.

Researchers are conducting a multicenter, prospective observational study to determine how often complications occur in the post-anesthesia care unit PACU and to identify factors linked to these complications. The study focuses on surgical patients recovering from anesthesia in Ethiopia and will compare findings with data from a hospital in Spain. Understanding these complications and their causes can help improve patient care and safety in the perioperative period. The study will include adult patients admitted to PACUs after surgery under general, regional, or monitored anesthesia at four hospitals. Researchers will monitor patients for complications such as lung problems, blood flow issues, temperature changes, or pain using questionnaires and physical exams. The study runs from February 15, 2025, to June 30, 2025, and collects data for analysis without altering patient treatment. Participants will be observed for up to eight hours after surgery in the PACU, during which their health status and any complications will be recorded. Data collection involves physical exams and questionnaires to track complications and associated factors. The research aims to provide valuable insights to healthcare providers and policymakers to enhance PACU care and patient safety in these settings.

Researchers are investigating how nutrition education affects the diet quality and food preferences of preschool children attending kindergarten schools in the Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. This study recognizes that early childhood dietary habits influence long-term health and productivity. It aims to address the low dietary diversity in the region through a structured educational approach using a cluster randomized controlled trial design. The intervention involves weekly nutrition education for parents delivered through printed leaflets in local languages and mobile messaging via Telegram. At the same time, children receive bi-weekly nutrition sessions led by trained health professionals following WHO recommendations. The study compares these education efforts against standard care across ten schools, divided into intervention and control groups, over a six-month period. Participants will be assessed at the start and end of the study for their diet quality using the Mean School-Lunch Dietary Diversity Score and for healthy dietary preferences. Data will be collected and analyzed to compare changes between groups. Parents and children will engage in nutrition education activities while researchers monitor dietary habits to evaluate the impact of the program.

Researchers are evaluating whether taking azithromycin as a preventive treatment can reduce the risk of death in adults with advanced HIV disease. This is a Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving multiple centers. The study aims to understand if azithromycin prophylaxis can lower mortality compared to a placebo in this vulnerable population. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either an oral azithromycin tablet or a matching placebo tablet once daily for 28 days. After this treatment period, they will be followed for 24 weeks to measure the main outcome of all-cause mortality. The total study participation will last 48 weeks to monitor both short-term and longer-term effects. During the study, participants will undergo assessments to track survival and hospitalizations at 12 and 24 weeks after starting the treatment. Researchers will closely monitor health outcomes and any hospital stays to evaluate the impact of azithromycin prophylaxis. Safety and adherence will be followed throughout the trial to ensure accurate measurement of results.

This research aims to study the heart problems that can occur in adult patients with sepsis and how these heart issues affect the course and outcome of the disease. The study will be conducted at Jimma University Medical Center in Ethiopia from May 2025 to May 2026, focusing on adults aged 18 and older diagnosed with sepsis. Participants will be divided into groups based on whether they have heart involvement, identified through symptoms, blood tests, ECG, and echocardiography. The study will explore how these cardiac issues persist, affect functional ability, and influence survival over one year using statistical methods. The study includes two groups one receiving standard treatment for sepsis without signs of heart problems, and another group treated for sepsis along with additional management for heart failure when indicated. Both groups will be followed for 9 to 12 months, with ongoing assessment of cardiac symptoms and treatment effects. Data collection will use structured forms, and advanced analyses will evaluate survival and predictors of adverse outcomes. Participants will be monitored regularly over one year to observe survival and changes in heart abnormalities. Evaluations will include clinical assessments, biomarker tests such as troponin and BNP, ECG, echocardiography, and quality of life measurements using standardized tools. The main outcome is a combination of survival and persistence or resolution of heart problems at 1, 3, and 6 months after hospital discharge. The study will also assess functional capacity and quality of life at six months. Safety and disease progression will be closely followed throughout the study period.