Environment, Health and Wealth: Towards an Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

The management of municipal solid waste is one of the challenges facing the developing countries because governments, institutions, and private sectors have given solid waste management low priority and ignoring the implication it has on the general public. This is characterized by inefficient collection methods, insufficient coverage of the collection system and improper disposal. This paper presents the current solid waste management method adopted in Ado-Odo Ota local government and its associated challenges. Four locations (Iganmode area, Joju area, Ota market and toll gate area) were selected. These sites are points where the waste bins are located. A field work that involves the characterization and types of the waste generated, and frequency of collection from each site was carried out. A representative sample of 280 kg was used for the waste characterization and the result shows that about 64% of the wastes are recyclable with lots of organic waste that comprises of food and agricultural waste which can be used as compost. The only dump site in Ota was visited in order to obtain useful information concerning the present state of solid waste management. The study revealed that there is presently no investment made to the existing development plan to introduce a modern waste management system. The study suggests new approach that could be used by institutions and government agencies for municipal solid waste management to achieve sustainable and effective sanitation

Serum malondialdehyde levels during menstral cycle

Oxidative stress theory has been investigated to explain the pathological basis of many medical conditions. This study is thus aimed at examining the oxidative stress pattern during the different phases of physiological phenomenon of menstruation in-relation to the hormonal characteristics.Venous samples form the cubiteal vein was taken from 25 apparently well female subjects after a 12 hour overnight fasting during the three phases of their menstrual cycle. Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) activity was assayed in all the samples. There was no statistical difference between the mean values of MDA during the follicular and the ovulatory phase of menstruation. However, MDA level in the luteal phase was significantly different from the MDA levels during follicular and ovulatory phases. (p<0.05). Serum Malondialdhyde level significant increase concided with the increase progesterone and estrogenlevels during the luteal phase of menstruation which is characterized by foci and coalase necrosis. This may support the fact that oxidative stress theory has an important role to play in the physiological phenomenon of menstruatio

Improving undergraduate medical education in Nigeria: Insight into the past

The first three in the series of Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) lectures on “Frontiers in Medical Education,” in honor of  Professor Linus Ajabor, had focused on internship and postgraduate medical education. This fourth lecture is about the evolution of undergraduate medical education in Nigeria from its rudimentary beginning in 1930 to the present. Lessons from the past include the desirability of tailoring medical education toward meeting national needs, doing proper needs assessment before planning and implementation, setting minimum standards for training institutions, and enforcing these standards through a credible process of accreditation. Recommendations for the future  include a harmonization of the guidelines on minimum standards published by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the minimum  academic standards published by Nigeria’s National Universities Commission (NUC), and the conduct of joint accreditation by both agencies to maximize efficiency and reduce waste. There should also be mandatory training in pedagogy for clinician teachers, periodic curriculum reviews must be enforced, and simulation laboratories should be provided in all accredited medical schools. Key words: Curriculum; medical education; Nigeria; pedagogy; undergraduat

Community perception of quality of health care received and client satisfaction in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Quality of health care and client satisfaction are key elements in improving the performance of health systems. A community-based assessment was conducted to determine the level of client satisfaction and the perception of the quality of services received by citizens of Lagos State.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods, was conducted in four local government areas of Lagos State. Respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling technique. The survey instruments included an interviewer-administered, pre-tested questionnaire and a 10-itemed focus group discussion guide.Results: Two thousand respondents with a mean age of 37.6±10.21 years were recruited. Almost all respondents (98%) rated the health facilities to be clean, 96% felt they received effective treatment from their providers. Six out of ten respondents rated the waiting time to be short and 60% felt that most drugs were available. Eight-five percent opined that the quality of care received was good and 95% were satisfied with the services received. There was a significant correlation between quality of care and client satisfaction (ρ=0.145, p=0.001). Short waiting time was predictive of client satisfaction (OR=13.9, 95%CI, 5.68-33.33, p<0.001) and confidence in health care providers was predictive of both client satisfaction (OR=3.489, 95%CI, 1.554-7.835, p<0.001) and perception of good service quality (OR=2.234, 95%CI, 1.509-3.308, p<0.001).Conclusion: Adequate attention needs to be paid to factors affecting client satisfaction and perception of good service quality.Keywords: Quality; Client satisfaction; Health services; Health systems; Lago

Comparative efficacy of progressive resistance exercise and biomechanical ankle platform system on functional indices of children with cerebral palsy

Background: Progressive Resistance Exercise (PRE) and Biomechanical Ankle Platform System (BAPS) are two of the protocols available in managing children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). The comparative effects of these modalities on selected functional indices of ambulatory type CP were the focus of this studyMethods: Twenty-eight children with hemiplegic or diplegic CP receiving care at a tertiary health facility in Ibadan were consecutively recruited. They were systematically assigned into two intervention groups. Namely PRE, BAPS. Both groups received intervention twice weekly for 16 weeks. At baseline, 8 and 16 weeks of intervention balance and functional mobility were assessed using Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and modified timed-up-and-go test (TUG) respectively. Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact tests, One way and repeated measures ANOVA were carried out. Level of significance (p) was set at 0.05.Results: There were significant differences in the functional indices of participants in the BAPS group at the end of the intervention (p < 0.05). The two groups (BAPS and PRE) were not significantly different at baseline and 8 and 16 weeks (p > 0.05). All outcome measures increased in both groups from baseline to the end of the intervention period.Conclusion: The two intervention protocols demonstrated improvements in the areas assessed. Comparatively, both PRE and BAPS could be used to promote function in CP.Keywords: Cerebral Palsy, Biomechanical Ankle Platform System, Progressive Resistance Exercise, Functional Indicesn

Adequacy of Bristol stool form scale in the assessment of stools by mothers of healthy infants in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: An important complaint of mothers is the stool form of their infants. In the evaluation of stool forms, healthcare workers usually depend on mothers’ reports which are subjective and influenced by interpretation bias by health care personnel. There is therefore the need for an objective method of describing stool forms. In the present study, we evaluated the utility of the 7-point Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) when used by mothers of healthy Nigerian infants. Materials and Methods: The mothers of 122 healthy infants delivered at term, with infants less than six months of age attending the Infant Welfare Clinics of two health facilities in Ibadan, South West, Nigeria for routine immunisation were enrolled. Mothers were requested to identify their child’s most recent stool form using the 7-point BSFS. Results: The mean ± SD age of the 122 study infants was 80 ±41.6 days (range 4-180 days). Eighty-eight (72.1%) infants were exclusively breastfed and 34 (27.9%) were on mixed feeding. Almost all (120; 98.4%) mothers felt that the BSFS adequately described their infants’ stools. The most commonly reported stool types were T ype 6 (56.7%) and T ype 7 (33.3%). There was no association between reported stool consistency and infant feeding type, level of maternal education and number of previous babies nursed. Conclusion: This study indicated that BSFS may be a reliable tool for mothers to describe stool consistency in healthy Nigerian infants

Client waiting time in an urban primary health care centre in Lagos

Background: Primary Health Care is the usual entry point into the health system and has the potential to touch the lives of most people. However one of the reasons for poor uptake of health services at primary health care facilities in Nigeria is long waiting time. This study was carried out to assess client waiting time and attitude towards services received at an urban Primary Health Centre in Lagos State.Methodology: The study design was quasi experimental (before and after) with a descriptive, cross sectional study component. Client flow analysis and client exit interviews were conducted among consenting patients attending the General Out patient Clinic within the first 2 weeks of July 2013, using flow analysis charts and an interviewer- administered questionnaire. Four doctors from the Teaching Hospital's Department of Community Health started attending to patients as the intervention, and the flow analysis charts were administered in the immediate post intervention period. Analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social sciences version 19.Results: The majority of clients interviewed were females (80%). Client waiting time was long with patients spending an average of 137.6±70 minutes before seeing a doctor for an average of 8.6±12 minutes. Over 90% of clients had a favourable attitude towards the services received at the PHC, although 54.3% felt improvements were needed. The waiting time reduced to an average of 88.7±45 minutes upon an increase in the number of doctors providing medical consultations.Conclusion: Reducing client waiting time at Primary Health Care centres is achievable and may improve patronage and ultimately serve as a cost effective strategy in health care delivery on a national scale.Keywords: Client waiting time, Primary health care,  Flow analysi

Cervical Cancer Awareness and Screening Uptake among Rural Women in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Cervical cancer is the most common cause of female genital cancer and female cancer deaths in developing countries such as Nigeria. The most recent government estimates put the number of new cases at 25,000 per year. According to the latest global estimates, 493, 000 new cases occur each year and 274,000 women die of the disease annually. This study therefore determined the awareness, knowledge and use of cervical cancer screening services among rural women in Lagos State, Nigeria.Method: A cross sectional, descriptive study design was adopted and a total of 400 women were studied. Data was collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire elicited information about socio-demographic characteristics, awareness, knowledge and use of screening services. Univariate and bivariate analyses were done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Significance level at 5%Results: Age range of study participants was 25-65years and a mean age of 38.9± 9.51 years. Most of the respondents (85.0%)were not aware of cervical cancer. However, amongst those who were aware of cervical cancer, 66.7% got the information from the media. Only a few (13.3%) of the respondents have ever been screened and none of the screening was in the last 3 years. Majority (86.7%) of the respondents expressed willingness to undergo cervical cancer screening.Conclusion: There was low awareness of cervical cancer and screening uptake among the respondents and the overall knowledge was equally poor. However, the respondents showed a strong willingness for screening. There is need for community education and awareness among the rural women at large as this would engender a more positive attitude and increased use of screening services

Impact of constructivist instructional approach on grade 12 learners' understanding of stationary points in differential calculus

With the realization that traditional instructional approach has not yielded satisfactory results, quasi-experimental and descriptive research designs were employed to investigate whether the application of constructivist instructional approach in the learning of stationary points in differential calculus by Grade 12 learners in South Africa would improve conceptual learning. Three Gauteng high schools of 204 Grade 12 learners constituted the research fields – one served as the control group while the other two represented the experimental group. Being a mixed-method research, quantitative data were gathered through pre-test and post-test while qualitative data were collected from classroom observations. Both inferential and descriptive statistical methods of data collection and analysis were used. The results obtained indicate that the experimental group demonstrated a better understanding of the concept of stationary points than the control group.Mathematics EducationM. Sc. (Mathematics Education

Differential toxicity of two murine endothelial cells to ROS duress: Understanding oxidative stress-induced blood-brain barrier dysfunction

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDThe blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical interface between the blood circulation and brain tissue which performs critical selection of circulating molecules that gain access to the brain tissue. Its unique ability to adjust to changes in the constituents of the blood circulation confer in the BBB a dynamic nature enabling changes in its properties to suit the homeostatic needs of the brain. Dysfunction of the BBB has been established to be pivotal to the initiation and/or maintenance of an array of neurological disorders, most of which involve the production of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in their pathophysiology. Thus, clinical trials of exogenous antioxidant agents have been proposed and initiated, with most results being inconclusive. Extensive studies of the impact, capacity and plasticity of endogenous antioxidants in the cells that constitute the blood-brain barrier, especially the brain endothelial cells, therefore, became necessary for the rational choice, timing, and the mode of application of antioxidants in the management of oxidative stress-mediated neurological diseases