To assess the prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care (ENC) practices among Ethiopian mothers using the 2023 Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) dataset.

A cross-sectional analysis of the nationally representative 2023 PMA Ethiopia survey.

A total of 1933 mothers with complete data on ENC practices were included.

Ethiopia, using a multi-stage stratified cluster sample.

ENC, defined as the adoption of at least four of five WHO-recommended practices: immediate drying, delayed bathing, skin-to-skin contact, clean cord care and early initiation of breastfeeding.

Overall, 32.1% (95% CI 28.1% to 36.0%) of mothers practised at least four ENC components. Coverage was highest for immediate drying (95.4%) and delayed bathing (87.3%), but lower for skin-to-skin contact (53.6%) and clean cord care (64.5%). Health facility delivery showed a strong association with higher ENC practice (adjusted OR (AOR)=106.00; 95% CI 46.14 to 243.54). Mothers who were spouses, rather than household heads, had higher odds of practising ENC (AOR=2.88; 95% CI 1.20 to 6.89) and those mothers with parity two or three had higher odds of practising ENC compared with first-time mothers (AOR=2.00; 95% CI 1.33 to 3.02 and AOR=3.39; 95% CI 1.76 to 6.53, respectively). Lack of postnatal care attendance was negatively associated with ENC (AOR=0.56; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.85). Regional disparities were observed, with mothers in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ region being significantly less likely to practise ENC compared with those in Addis Ababa (AOR=0.31; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.64). All results are based on weighted data to ensure national representativeness.

The prevalence of ENC practices remains low in Ethiopia. Health facility delivery, maternal role in the household, parity and region of residence were significant predictors of ENC practice. Strengthening facility-based delivery, promoting maternal empowerment and addressing regional disparities are essential to improving newborn health outcomes in the country and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.

The aim of this study was to explore current safety practices and improvement strategies for safety measures.

A qualitative descriptive method was utilised from January to February 2025, employing both convenience and purposive sampling techniques. A total of 51 direct observations, 8 focus group discussions and 19 key informant interviews were conducted as part of the data collection.

This study was conducted in health institutions, Woreda health offices and Zonal health offices within the Awi Zone of Ethiopia.

Comprising frontline health professionals, case team leaders, facility administrators and health officials at both the woreda and zonal levels.

The data analysis identified two principal themes: ‘safety measures practice’ and ‘improvement strategies’. Safety practices varied from low to moderate. Five areas were found to have ways to improve safety measures: infrastructure and supply chain management, training and capacity-building, community engagement, policy strengthening and enforcement and human resources management with behavioural change interventions.

The implementation of safety measures was inconsistent. To enhance safety measures, addressing individual behaviours and issues that are structural, cultural and systemic is essential. Encouraging participation, fostering teamwork and implementing regular monitoring can help make safety practices a routine part of the organisation. This would make the workplace safer, improve healthcare and enhance the overall effectiveness of the healthcare system. This study provides valuable insights that can inform the development of effective implementation strategies in other resource-limited settings.