EPHA Conference Systems, 30th EPHA Annual Conference

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Assessment of Regional Variation of Climate Change Induced Childhood Diarrhea in Ethiopia
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Last modified: 2019-02-20

Abstract


Background: Climate Change is currently emerging as one of posing challenges to address public health issues particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia. Climate change projection in Ethiopia shows quite alarming trend in which the mean annual temperature is projected to increase by 1.1 to 3.1% by 2060 and increases in the annual rainfall in Ethiopia. Besides, Child diarrhea under-five is still among the top ten diseases in Ethiopia.

Methodology: The study utilized review of published documents, researches, and data repositories of Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, Central Statistical Agency, and Ethiopian National Metrology Agency so as to analyze the level of association among the major influencing variables.

Results: Rainfall and temperature are found to be as the major significant influencing factors for the occurrence of childhood diarrhea. However, the sensitivity of regions on the effect of rainfall and temperature variability on childhood diarrhea is varying among regions even with similar agro-ecology or livelihood patterns.

Conclusion: The variability of rainfall and temperature has relatively different weights in the occurrence and impact of diarrheal diseases among regions.

Recommendation: Health strategies that focus on childhood diarrheal disease prevention and control program should be designed or re-designed by considering local specific climatic variability factors that affect childhood diarrhea diseases.