Research Article
Prevalence of HBV and HCV Co-infection with HIV Among Women Seeking Abortion Care at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Dessie, Ethiopia
Ismail Ebrie Ali,
Lubaba Sied Awol*
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2026
Pages:
1-6
Received:
12 November 2025
Accepted:
24 November 2025
Published:
26 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijmri.20260201.11
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Abstract: Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are major causes of chronic infections and significant public health challenges, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Co-infection of HIV with HBV or HCV leads to accelerated disease progression and increased morbidity. Women seeking abortion care represent a population at higher risk of exposure to these infections due to unsafe procedures and multiple sexual exposures. Aims to determine the prevalence and associated factors of HBV and HCV co-infection with HIV among women seeking abortion care at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Dessie, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2025 among 146 women seeking abortion care. Socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were tested for HBsAg, anti-HCV, and HIV antibodies using rapid tests confirmed by ELISA. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression was applied to identify risk factors, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV infections were 6.2%, 2.1%, and 3.4%, respectively. Co-infections were observed in 1.4% (HBV/HIV) and 0.7% (HCV/HIV) of participants. Multiple sexual partners (AOR = 4.5; 95% CI: 1.5–13.7), unsafe abortion history (AOR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.12–9.17), and needle injury (AOR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.08–10.21) were significantly associated with infection. Conclusion: HBV, HCV, and HIV infections remain prevalent among women seeking abortion care in Dessie. Strengthening routine screening, vaccination, and health education is recommended to prevent co-infection and improve maternal health.
Abstract: Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are major causes of chronic infections and significant public health challenges, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Co-infection of HIV with HBV or HCV leads to accelerated disease progression and increased morbidity. Women seeking abortion care re...
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Research Article
The Use of Traditional Medicine in the Management of Common Illnesses in Rural Ethiopian Communities
Mohammed Zeinu Hassen*
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2026
Pages:
7-16
Received:
17 November 2025
Accepted:
2 December 2025
Published:
29 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijmri.20260201.12
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Abstract: Traditional medicine continues to play a central role in the health practices of rural Ethiopian communities, where access to biomedical services is often limited and cultural traditions remain strong. The reliance on herbal remedies, ritual healing, and indigenous diagnostic methods reflects centuries of accumulated knowledge passed through oral traditions and apprenticeship systems. In many villages, plants such as Artemisia abyssinica and Croton macrostachyus are used to treat malaria and gastrointestinal disorders, while spiritual rituals address conditions believed to be linked to social or supernatural causes. The persistence of these practices is not only a matter of necessity but also of identity, as healing is closely tied to community values and religious beliefs. Research indicates that traditional healers occupy respected positions within rural society, often serving as the first point of contact for patients with common illnesses. Their treatments are shaped by ecological knowledge of local plants, as well as symbolic interpretations of illness that differ from biomedical frameworks. While modern health services have expanded in Ethiopia, rural populations continue to rely on traditional medicine for conditions such as respiratory infections, maternal health problems, and childhood fevers. This reliance raises important questions about safety, efficacy, and the potential for collaboration between traditional and biomedical systems. The article examines the historical roots of Ethiopian traditional medicine, the types of illnesses managed through indigenous practices, and the role of healers in sustaining community health. It also considers the interaction between traditional and modern healthcare, highlighting both tensions and opportunities for integration. Through case studies and ethnographic accounts, the discussion situates traditional medicine within broader debates about cultural continuity, medical pluralism, and rural health strategies in Africa.
Abstract: Traditional medicine continues to play a central role in the health practices of rural Ethiopian communities, where access to biomedical services is often limited and cultural traditions remain strong. The reliance on herbal remedies, ritual healing, and indigenous diagnostic methods reflects centuries of accumulated knowledge passed through oral t...
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Research Article
Identification of Two CRB1 and AHI1 Pathogenetic Variants in an Iranian Family with Two Syndromic and Non-Syndromic Inherited Retinal Disorders
Fahimeh Beigi,
Masoud Reza Manaviat,
Nasrin Ghasemi*
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2026
Pages:
17-22
Received:
15 October 2025
Accepted:
8 December 2025
Published:
29 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijmri.20260201.13
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Abstract: Background: Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is one of the most common inherited retinal disorders characterized by rod-cone dystrophy nystagmus, strabismus, with decreased vision after birth, photophobia, cataracts and keratoconus. In the study, we found different genotypes in patients with two different non-syndromic and syndromic patterns in an Iranian family with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP). Materials and methods: The proband’s variant were detected by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) using True Sight One Clinical Exome (TSO) panel of 234 genes related to Inherited retinal dystrophies. The pathogenicity of the variants was determined based on their allele frequency in the Genome aggregation database (gnomAD), In silico prediction tools for new missense and splicing variants, following that it performed cosegregation data in the family. The variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing using specific primers. Results: Molecular study of NGS and following sanger sequencing showed two variants in different CRB1 and AHI1 genes in the patients of family. In the study in proband (VI:2) revealed a homozygous frameshift variant in the exon 6 of the CRB1 gene (NM_201253.2; c.1576C>T; p. (Arg526*)) and in other member of the family a homozygous missense variant in the exon 15 of the AHI1 gene. Patients affected to LCA and a patient affected to Joubert syndrome (JBTS) presented different clinical features. Conclusions: In the present study. NGS is considered as the most new and powerful sequencing technique to detect causal variants in different genes. In the family identified two different molecular genetic characteristics of patients with (LCA) and mild JBTS which is involved retinal degeneration which are known to cause severe inherited retinal dystrophies.
Abstract: Background: Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is one of the most common inherited retinal disorders characterized by rod-cone dystrophy nystagmus, strabismus, with decreased vision after birth, photophobia, cataracts and keratoconus. In the study, we found different genotypes in patients with two different non-syndromic and syndromic patterns in an ...
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