Extent and Intensity of Extreme Drought in Some Parts of the Savanna Region of Nigeria

This study is on the extent and intensity of extreme drought in some parts of the Savanna Region of Nigeria. The region is prone to drought occurrences. Data used were from 1941 to 2010 and for eight stations scattered over the region. The Bhalme and Mooley Drought Index (BMDI) was used to depict extreme droughts occurrence. This was with the intention of finding out the percentage of extreme drought occurrences over a 70 year period (1941-2010).Results showed that extreme droughts were confined to stations in the extreme north of the study area and for limited time during the study period. Apart from these, other findings were made and are in the study. Also the effects of droughts especially extreme and the mitigation measures were looked at. Key Words: Extreme, Drought, Drought Intensity, Percentages, Sub-perio

Drought Trends in Areas Above Latitude 80 N of Nigeria

This study is on the trends and decadal analyses of drought characteristics in areas above latitude 8 0 N of Nigeria. Analysing tools such as Von Neumann ratio, Cramer tk test, Students t-test and Mann-kendall rank statistics were used to identify the drought characteristics between 1941 and 2010. This is with the aim of making recommendations in order to minimise the adverse effects of those characteristics on the populace, community and environment. Results showed that the area is witnessing increase in drought occurrence trend. Apart from this other findings were discussed in this study. Keywords: Decadal, Drought, Latitude, Randomness and Trend

Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, individual wealth status and patterns of delivery care utilization in Nigeria: a multilevel discrete choice analysis

Background: High maternal mortality continues to be a major public health problem in most part of the developing world, including Nigeria. Understanding the utilization pattern of maternal healthcare services has been accepted as an important factor for reducing maternal deaths. This study investigates the effect of neighborhood and individual socieconomic position on the utilization of different forms of place of delivery among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. Methods: A population-based multilevel discrete choice analysis was performed using the most recent populationbased 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys data of women aged between 15 and 49 years. The analysis was restriced to 15,162 ever-married women from 888 communities across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. Results: The choice of place to deliver varies across the socioeconomic strata. The results of the multilevel discrete choice models indicate that with every other factor controlled for, the household wealth status, women's occupation, women's and partner's high level of education attainment, and possession of health insurance were associated with use of private and government health facilities for child birth relative to home delivery. The results also show that higher birth order and young material age were associated with use of home delivery. Living in a highly socioeconomic disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with home birth compared with the patronage of government health facilities. More specifically, the result revealed that choice of facility-based delivery is clustered around the neighborhoods. Conclusion: Home delivery, which cuts across all socioeconomic strata, is a common practice among women in Nigeria. Initatives that would encourage the appropriate use of healthcare facilities at little or no cost to the most disadvantaged should be accorded the utmost priority.

Suggesting a Simple Scientific Method of Measuring Dew

ABSTRACT One of the most important forms of precipitation is dew. Like other forms of precipitation, dew is a source of moisture in the atmosphere of which its importance is of immense value to man, plants and in the continuity of the hydrological cycle. Dew is measured like any other weather elements daily and in the morning before sunrise. The method and instrument used for measuring dew are faced with a lot of problems compared to the merits associated with them. This study employs the use of cobalt chloride paper (5% solution of cobalt II chloride solution) or alternatively, filter paper. It was carried out in the synoptic station of the Department of Geography, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna over a period of 10 years (19998-2007). Summary of each year findings were analysed. Results showed that the method is an improvement over the earlier one quantitatively, and can easily be reverted to if in doubt of the measurement got.  Other findings are discussed in this paper. KEY WORDS: Academy, Bands, Chloride paper, Condensation, Dew, Deposition, Frost, Gauge, Humidity,     Precipitation, Radiu

Return Periods of Drought Intensities in Some Stations in Northern Nigeria

This study was on the return periods of the various drought intensities. This study was done with the intension of highlighting the likely return periods of these intensities (invisible, mild, moderate, severe and extreme) and call attention of the various stakeholders like farmers, herders and government at various levels to these. This situation will enable them to put in place individual and collective policies and measures in place to combat the droughts when they arrive. The Bhalme and Mooley Drought Index (BMDI) was used to indentify the intensities for the drought years in eight selected stations in the study area. It also showed the number of times that all intensities appeared during the study period. Thereafter the Return Period statistical tool was applied to the result from the BMDI. The outcome of the application of the return statistical tool being the likely years that all the intensities are to return to the study area. The result showed that the lesser the intensity the higher the likely rate of return. Results also indicated that drought of all intensities are likely to reoccur at faster rates in the region as a whole than within stations without extreme droughts. KEY WORDS: Return Periods, Invisible, Mild, Moderate, Severe, Extreme, BMD

Mortality, morbidity, and hospitalisations due to influenza lower respiratory tract infections, 2017: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Abstract BACKGROUND: Although the burden of influenza is often discussed in the context of historical pandemics and the threat of future pandemics, every year a substantial burden of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and other respiratory conditions (like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are attributable to seasonal influenza. The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2017 is a systematic scientific effort to quantify the health loss associated with a comprehensive set of diseases and disabilities. In this Article, we focus on LRTIs that can be attributed to influenza. METHODS: We modelled the LRTI incidence, hospitalisations, and mortality attributable to influenza for every country and selected subnational locations by age and year from 1990 to 2017 as part of GBD 2017. We used a counterfactual approach that first estimated the LRTI incidence, hospitalisations, and mortality and then attributed a fraction of those outcomes to influenza. FINDINGS: Influenza LRTI was responsible for an estimated 145 000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 99 000-200 000) deaths among all ages in 2017. The influenza LRTI mortality rate was highest among adults older than 70 years (16·4 deaths per 100 000 [95% UI 11·6-21·9]), and the highest rate among all ages was in eastern Europe (5·2 per 100 000 population [95% UI 3·5-7·2]). We estimated that influenza LRTIs accounted for 9 459 000 (95% UI 3 709 000-22 935 000) hospitalisations due to LRTIs and 81 536 000 hospital days (24 330 000-259 851 000). We estimated that 11·5% (95% UI 10·0-12·9) of LRTI episodes were attributable to influenza, corresponding to 54 481 000 (38 465 000-73 864 000) episodes and 8 172 000 severe episodes (5 000 000-13 296 000). INTERPRETATION: This comprehensive assessment of the burden of influenza LRTIs shows the substantial annual effect of influenza on global health. Although preparedness planning will be important for potential pandemics, health loss due to seasonal influenza LRTIs should not be overlooked, and vaccine use should be considered. Efforts to improve influenza prevention measures are neede

Temporal Analyses of Drought Intensities Occurrence within Recent Decades in Some Stations in Northern Nigeria

This study was on temporal analyses of  drought intensities occurrences in recent decades in some stations in Northern Nigeria. The region experiences drought occurrence often. Data used were from 1941 to 2010. The Bhalme and Mooley Drought Index (BMDI) was used to categorize drought occurrences into invisible, mild, moderate, severe and extreme within the decades used. This was with the intention of finding out their percentages of occurrences over a 70 year period (1941-2010) in those stations. Results show that low intensity drought prevailed in Northern Nigeria during the study period. It also indicated that extreme droughts were confined to the decades between 1971 and 2000 in those stations. Apart from these findings, others were discussed in the study. Measures on how to ameliorate and mitigate the effects of droughts, especially the dominant intensity types on the people, community and environment were suggested

Economic Evaluations of Adult Male Circumcision for Prevention of Heterosexual Acquisition of HIV in Men in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Meteorological Drought and Temperature in Sudano-Sahelian Region of Nigeria under Increasing Global Warming

This study examinesmeteorological drought and temperature in the Sudano-Sahelian region of Nigeria under increasing global warming. Rainfall data of 60 years (1961 to 2020) and temperature of 40 years (1981–2020) for nine stations were used to quantify drought occurrences as well as the pattern of temperature. The Bhalme and Mooley Drought Index (BMDI) and Student’s t-test were used to indicate if changes have occurred in the amount of rainfall and temperature (increase or decrease) over space and time in the study region. The BMDI was used because it is simple and able to depict historically documented droughts better than other indices. The student’s t-test was used to determine if the sub-period means of the series have altered significantly over time. Results show that the spatial and temporal occurrence and duration varied from one sub-area to another. Also, its intensity was mainly from mild to moderate. Results also show a consistent alternation between drought and wet years over the study period. The trend of temperature shows a tendency towards decreasing temperature during the period of study although it was not significant. The study concludes that the study region experiences climate variability that may well be part of global climate change

Evaluation of soil-gas radon concentrations from different geological units with varying strata in a crystalline basement complex of southwestern Nigeria

The aim of this study is to determine the variation of soil-gas radon concentrations from different rock formations in Ogbomoso, southwestern Nigeria. The radon concentrations at different five geological domains in Ogbomoso are determined with respect to depth. The measurements varied from the surface (0 cm) to 100 cm depth, with an interval of 20 cm. At all the geological domains (Porphyroclastic, Granite, Quartzite, Migmatite and Banded gneiss), radon has its minimum emission over migmatite at 0 cm, while its maximum emissions occured over granite and banded gneiss at 80 cm. The overall soil-gas radon concentrations in Ogbomoso varied from 0.06 to 26.5 kBq/m3, which is within the natural limit of 0.4 to 40 kBq/m3 based on the International Commission on Radiological Protection’s recommendation. An F-ratio of 6.989 and a p-value of 0.001 were obtained for the first inferential hypothesis, while an F-ratio of 2.489 and a p-value of 0.076 were obtained for the second inferential hypothesis using ANOVA test. The post hoc (using Tukey HSD and Duncan) tests revealed that at 60 + cm, depth controls the level of radon concentrations being emanated from the subsurface. The pollution index in Ogbomoso is of level 1 at 80 cm and level 0 (safe limit) at other depths. In conclusion, the soil-gas radon emission depends on the local geology and lithological sequences (depths). Cracks that could act as passage for indoor radon at the floors of the buildings around the polluted zones should be avoided in order to have a sustainable city