Geremew Tassew

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I have 15 years of professional experience in Food Science, Food Safety, Nutrition, Food Systems, Food Regulatory Affairs, Food and Nutrition Research, Food Fortification, and Business Development (BDS) Support for SME manufacturers in Ethiopia. Organizations include TNS Inc., EFDA, EPHI, and the Addis Ababa City Administration. I contributed to the National Food System activities as a Technical Expert in formulating various Food standards, a Food Safety Proclamation, an Electronic Food Inspection and Regulation System, and a National Food and Nutrition Policy and Strategy.

Furthermore, I provide capacity building and consulting services to national food regulators (Federal, regional, and district level inspectors) through programs such as inspection auditing of domestic and international food industries, food safety champion training (GMP, HACCP, ISO, GHP, and Food Safety Regulation, food risk analysis, and inspection). Aflatoxin, complementary food product development, nutritional composition of orange-fleshed sweet potato, and coffee leaf beverages are examples of research projects. My expertise includes technical guidance and professional support for the food business sectors (food processing industry, food importers, exporters, and food catering services), food safety training (GMP, GHP, HACCP, ISO 22000), food packaging, standardization, and product development.

I am currently engaged with TechnoServe as a Country Program Manager of the AINFP program (Alliance for Inclusive Nutritious Food Processing) www.ainfp.org, responsible for the overall leadership of the AINFP program, including country program strategy, quality, and impact.

IDTFSN-ETHIOPIA: HEALTHY NUTRITIONAL FOOD 4 HAPPY PLANET

Inclusionary digital transformation for food and nutrition results in safer and more nutritious food and possibilities for the community at every step along the value chain to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a healthy plate. Innovative solutions for changing food safety culture, food production, nutritious diets, improving and enhancing endogenous food, and increasing accessibility and affordability will all contribute to a nutrition-secure society.

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Aspergillus species and Aflatoxin Contamination of Pre and Post- Harvest Maize Grain in West Gojam, Ethiopia

Food Science & Nutrition, 2016

Contamination of maize by aflatoxins is of major concern because of the health hazards associated... more Contamination of maize by aflatoxins is of major concern because of the health hazards associated with it. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the level of Aspergillus species and Aflatoxin contamination in pre and post-harvest maize grain. Results indicated that from fifteen pre and fifteen post-harvest maize samples 77.7% of pre-harvest with level range from 3.13 to 63.66 μg/kg and 80% of post-harvest sample with level range from 9.02 to 139.8 μg/kg were contaminated by total aflatoxin. The mean total aflatoxin contamination was 18.38 μg/kg for pre-harvest and 43.36 μg/kg for post-harvest. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in 66.7% of pre-harvest maize with the mean level of 5.00 μg/kg and in 87.7% in post-harvest maize with the mean level of 9.86 μg/kg. To be precise, paired t-test statistical analysis for total and aflatoxin B1 in maize samples were showed that both total and aflatoxin B1 increased significantly from pre-harvest to post-harvest maize (p<0.05). About 66.7% of pre-harvest and 86.7% of post-harvest maize samples were exceed the acceptance limit of total aflatoxin and aflatoxin B1 recommended by European Union maximum limit. Aspergillus species contaminations in pre-harvest maize 53.3% of samples were contaminated by A. flavus = 26.7%, A. parasiticus = 13.3% and A. niger group = 13.3% and in post-harvest maize 79.9% of samples were contaminated by A. flavus = 46.6%, A. parasiticus = 20.0% and A. niger group = 13.3%. In conclusion, the results of the present study revealed that although it was expected that pre-harvest maize to have minimal Aspergillus and aflatoxin contamination, the contamination was high in pre harvest and significantly increase from pre-harvest to post harvest.

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Study on Aspergillus Species and Aflatoxin Levels in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Stored for Different Period and Storage System in Kewet Districts, Northern Shewa, Ethiopia

Food Science & Nutrition

Sorghum serves as staple food for over 100 million people in Sub-Saharan African countries. It is... more Sorghum serves as staple food for over 100 million people in Sub-Saharan African countries. It is the most important nutritional security crop and ranks third among major cereal crops in terms of area and production next to teff and maize in Ethiopia. However, Sorghum is susceptible to contamination by molds that produces aflatoxin that causes hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects on humans and animals. This study was conducted to assess Aspergillus species and aflatoxin level in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) stored under different storage system for different storage period. Thirty samples were analyzed for aflatoxin contamination using high performance liquid chromatography equipped with fluorescent detector and Aspergillus species were isolated and identified using phenotypic features in a potato dextrose agar culture media. About 56.7%, 16.7%, and 23.3% of the Sorghum samples were found to be contaminated with Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus parasiticus, respectively. The level of total aflatoxin, aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1, and aflatoxin G2 were in the range of 11.44 to 344.26µg/kg, 3.95 to 153.72µg/kg, 1.17 to 91.82µg/ kg, 9.87 to 139.64µg/kg, and 3.22 to 52.02µg/kg, respectively. The concentration of aflatoxin in all Sorghum samples surpassed the maximum level set by the European commission and therefore, deserves attention to control them across the Sorghum value-chain.

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Baseline Malaria Prevalence at the Targeted Pre-elimination Districts in Ethiopia

Background: Encouraged by the success in malaria control and prevention strategies, several malar... more Background: Encouraged by the success in malaria control and prevention strategies, several malaria endemic countries have adopted elimination strategies worldwide. Accordingly, Ethiopian ministry of health launched malaria elimination with a stepwise approach by primarily targeting the low-transmission districts and their adjacent areas/zones in order to shrink the country’s malaria map progressively. Hence, this community survey was conducted to establish baseline malaria information at the preliminary phase of elimination for measuring future intervention success in elimination goal. Methods: Community based cross-sectional survey was conducted at twenty malaria elimination targeted districts selected from five regional states and one city administration in Ethiopia. The GPS enabled smart phones programmed with Open Data Kit were used to enumerate 9326 study households and collect data from 29,993 residents. Care Start™ Malaria HRP-2/PLDH Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) were used f...

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Effect of co-infection with parasites on severity of COVID-19

SummaryBackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection results i... more SummaryBackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection results in a spectrum of clinical presentations. The effect of co-infection with parasites on the clinical features of COVID-19 is unknown.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled consecutive COVID-19 patients and screened them for intestinal parasitic infections. Patients were followed during hospitalization for clinical outcomes. Patients with parasitic co-infection were compared to those without parasitic co-infection. The primary outcome was the proportion of COVID-19 patients who developed severe disease. Factors associated with the development of severe disease were determined by logistic regression.ResultsA total of 515 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were screened for intestinal parasites, of whom 267 (51.8%) were co-infected with one or more parasites. Parasitic co-infection correlated inversely with COVID-19 severity. Severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients without...

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Screening of Some Medicnal Plants of Ethiopia for Their Molluscicidal Activities and Phytochemical Constituents

Schistosomiasis infection is on the rise in Ethiopia, affecting a substantial portion of the prod... more Schistosomiasis infection is on the rise in Ethiopia, affecting a substantial portion of the productive force. The transmission and life cycle of the schistosome parasite is effected between the molluscan intermediate host and the definitive host, i.e. man. Medicinal plants with molluscicidal properties have paramount importance for the local control of snails. This study was focused on the preliminary phytochemical and laboratory investigation of the molluscicidal properties as well as evaluation of the acute toxicity of the aqueous extracts of 19 different medicinal plants belonging to 23 families on mice. The effect of the aqueous extracts of 19 medicinal plants on experimental snails, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Bulinus sp. and Physa acuta were evaluated. Portions of the same extracts were used for the identification of the major class of secondary metabolites. Determination of the LD 50 of the extracts also carried out. Out of the tested plant extracts belonging to these plant families, four plants, viz., Albizia gummifera, Balanites aegyptica, Hedera helix and Warbrugia ugandensis exhibited promising molluscicidal activities against Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Bulinus sp. and Physa acuta. The chemical profile of the crude aqueous extracts showed the presence of some secondary metabolites viz., polyphenols, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and glycosides. Acute toxicity studies of the promising plant on mice showed medium lethal dose (LD 50) values ranging from 150 mg per Kg-450 mg per Kg when the aqueous extracts were administered intraperitonealy. The crude extracts of the plants demonstrating stronger molluscicidal effect and safety on non-target organism stresses the need for extended laboratory and field evaluation, which could then be employed to play an important role in schistosomiasis control.

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Progress in health among regions of Ethiopia, 1990–2019: a subnational country analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

The Lancet, 2022

Background Previous Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) studies hav... more Background Previous Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) studies have reported national health estimates for Ethiopia. Substantial regional variations in socioeconomic status, population, demography, and access to health care within Ethiopia require comparable estimates at the subnational level. The GBD 2019 Ethiopia subnational analysis aimed to measure the progress and disparities in health across nine regions and two chartered cities. Methods We gathered 1057 distinct data sources for Ethiopia and all regions and cities that included census, demographic surveillance, household surveys, disease registry, health service use, disease notifications, and other data for this analysis. Using all available data sources, we estimated the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), total fertility rate (TFR), life expectancy, years of life lost, years lived with disability, disability-adjusted life-years, and risk-factorattributable health loss with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for Ethiopia's nine regions and two chartered cities from 1990 to 2019. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, cause of death ensemble model, Bayesian metaregression tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, and other models were used to generate fertility, mortality, cause of death, and disability rates. The risk factor attribution estimations followed the general framework established for comparative risk assessment. Findings The SDI steadily improved in all regions and cities from 1990 to 2019, yet the disparity between the highest and lowest SDI increased by 54% during that period. The TFR declined from 6•91 (95% UI 6•59-7•20) in 1990 to 4•43 (4•01-4•92) in 2019, but the magnitude of decline also varied substantially among regions and cities. In 2019, TFR ranged from 6•41 (5•96-6•86) in Somali to 1•50 (1•26-1•80) in Addis Ababa. Life expectancy improved in Ethiopia by 21•93 years (21•79-22•07), from 46•91 years (45•71-48•11) in 1990 to 68•84 years (67•51-70•18) in 2019. Addis Ababa had the highest life expectancy at 70•86 years (68•91-72•65) in 2019; Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz had the lowest at 63•74 years (61•53-66•01) for Afar and 64.28 (61.99-66.63) for Benishangul-Gumuz. The overall increases in life expectancy were driven by declines in under-5 mortality and mortality from common infectious diseases, nutritional deficiency, and war and conflict. In 2019, the age-standardised all-cause death rate was the highest in Afar at 1353•38 per 100 000 population (1195•69-1526•19). The leading causes of premature mortality for all sexes in Ethiopia in 2019 were neonatal disorders, diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, stroke, HIV/AIDS, ischaemic heart disease, cirrhosis, congenital defects, and diabetes. With high SDIs and life expectancy for all sexes, Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Harari had low rates of premature mortality from the five leading causes, whereas regions with low SDIs and life expectancy for all sexes (Afar and Somali) had high rates of premature mortality from the leading causes. In 2019, child and maternal malnutrition; unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing; air pollution; high systolic blood pressure; alcohol use; and high fasting plasma glucose were the leading risk factors for health loss across regions and cities. Interpretation There were substantial improvements in health over the past three decades across regions and chartered cities in Ethiopia. However, the progress, measured in SDI, life expectancy, TFR, premature mortality, disability, and risk factors, was not uniform. Federal and regional health policy makers should match strategies, resources, and interventions to disease burden and risk factors across regions and cities to achieve national and regional plans, Sustainable Development Goals, and universal health coverage targets. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Effect of Functional Property and Anti-Nutritional Factor of Kocho- Flaxseed Flat Bread in Ethiopia

Kocho is one of the main energy sources fermented products of Ensete Vetricosum and the most comm... more Kocho is one of the main energy sources fermented products of Ensete Vetricosum and the most common food in southern Ethiopia. Study was designed to assess functional property and anti-nutritional factor of kocho-flaxseed flat bread. In order to investigate, two factors flaxseed varieties and blending ratio 95:05, 90:10, and 85:15 of kocho to flaxseed flour with control 100% kocho flour using completely randomized design. Result showed the functional properties were observed to have water absorption capacity (4.08, 4.26 and 4.43 ml/g); oil absorption capacity (2.48, 2.58, 2.40 and 2.65 ml/g); solubility values (3.90, 4.20 and 4.06%); Swelling power (5.03, 5.23 and 6.31%,) in blending of kocho with flaxseed varieties of Belay 96, Jeldu and Kulumusa 1 respectively, having no significant difference (p > 0.05) between them and better performance from kocho flour WAC (2.52 ml/g), OAC (2.65 ml/g), solubility (1.50 %) and SP (8.88%). Effect of variety and blending ratios on antinutritio...

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Effect of Treatment on the Beta Carotene Retention of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Varieties grown in Hawassa, Ethiopia

Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 2021

Biochemical Compositions and Functional Properties of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Variety in Hawassa, Ethiopia

Orange-fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) varieties are potential for food security promoted root crop a... more Orange-fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) varieties are potential for food security promoted root crop and better source of vitamin A nutrition in the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a known staple food in southern Ethiopia. This study was designed to evaluate mineral composition, antinutrient level and functional properties of orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties Kulfo and Tulla. In order to investigate the samples, each variety 8kg roots were harvested from Hawassa Agricultural and Research Institute. The Results showed the dietary Ca, Fe, Zn, and K contents of Kulfo and Tulla orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties respectively were Ca (22.14mg/100g, 18.78 mg/100g); Fe (20.83 mg/100g, 7.47 mg/100g); Zn (3.63 mg/100g, 1.23 mg/100g) and K (3064.68 mg/100g, 1469.13 mg/100g). Similarly phytate and tannin content of Kulfo and Tulla orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties respectively were (432.10 mg/100g, 89.29 mg/100g) and (89.36 mg/100g, 40.02 mg/100g). The mineral composition ...

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