Assessment of post intervention of geohelminth infection and risk factors among school aged children in the most endemic area of Kano, Nigeria

This study is an initial attempt at determining the prevalence of geohelminth infections among school aged children (SAC) in the most endemic area of Kano State as well as risk factors associated with the infection and the impact of deworming programme in SAC. A retrospective study on the prevalence of geohelminth infection in the 44 Local Government Areas (LGA) of Kano State was conducted. A stratified random sampling technique was used for sample collection. A total of 3000 children were recruited aged 6-15 years. Retrospective study showed that none was of high endemicity. The present status of geohelminth showed that only hookworm was present among SAC with a prevalence of 2.2% and intensity was light (mean: 17 epg). Risk factors that predispose SAC to geohelminth infection like eating outside home, poor hand washing practice, and nail biting were found not to be significantly associated with hookworm infection except risk factor like walking bare footed which was significantly associated with hookworm infection. In conclusion, Prevalence of geohelminth infection in Kabo LGA prior to deworming was 35.1% and post intervention among SAC was generally low (2.2%). The observed low prevalence of geohelminth infection could be attributed to the success of the deworming programme carried out in the district in 2013. Risk factors like poor hand washing practice (2.3%), walking bare footed (2.6%) and eating outside home (2.6%) were pre-dominant among SAC

Socio-demographic and clinical factors predicting time to presentation for children with pneumonia in Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: Pneumonia is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in children, and the time to presentation is a recognized contributor towards disease severity and outcome.Objectives: The current study aimed to explore the influence of some socio-demographic and clinical factors in children with pneumonia on the time to presentation at a health facility in Ilorin, North Central Nigeria.Materials and method: A prospective cross-sectional study of 167 children with pneumonia was done. The duration of the various symptoms and first presentation to a health facility was obtained. Time to presentation was categorized as 0–2 days (early), 3–5 days (intermediate) and greater than five days (late). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors of either early or intermediate presentation compared with late presentation. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results: Fifty-one (30.5%) children with pneumonia had an early presentation, 73 (43.7%) had intermediate presentation and 43 (25.7%) were late in presentation. Predictors of early presentation were younger age (OR 0.96, 95%CI 0.93–0.99), higher respiratory rates (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01–1.06) and bronchopneumonia (OR 6.93, 95%CI 1.52–31.63). Predictors of intermediate presentation were families with few number of children (OR 0.73, 95%CI 0.57–0.92) and bronchopneumonia (OR 3.41, 95%C.I. 1.02–11.38).Conclusion: Infancy and families with few children are socio-demographic features that are likely to determine early-to-intermediate presentation of children with pneumonia while high respiratory rates and bronchopneumonia are disease related factors that predict early presentation.Keywords: Socio-demographic, Children, Pneumonia, Time to presentation, Nigeri

National and subnational governance and decision-making processes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria: an empirical analysis

Governance of the COVID-19 pandemic required decision-makers to make and implement decisions amidst uncertainty, public pressure and time constraints. However, few studies have attempted to assess these decision-making processes empirically during health emergencies. Thus, we aimed to understand governance, defined as the process of decision-making and implementation of decisions, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. We conducted key informant interviews and focus group discussions with national and subnational government officials, civil society organisation (CSO) members, development partners and academic experts. Our study identified several themes on governance and decision-making processes. First, Nigeria established high-level decision-making structures at the federal and state levels, providing clear and integrated multisectoral decision-making mechanism. However, due to the emergence of conflicts between government levels, there is a need to strengthen intergovernmental arrangements. Second, while decision-makers relied on input from academic experts and CSOs, additional efforts are required to engage such stakeholders in decision-making processes, especially during the early stages of health emergencies. Third, Nigeria’s previous experiences responding to disease outbreaks aided the overall response, as many capacities and coordination mechanisms for cohesive action were present. Fourth, while decision-makers took a holistic view of scientific, social and economic factors for decision-making, this process was also adaptive to account for rapidly evolving information. Lastly, more efforts are needed to ensure decisions are inclusive, equitable and transparent, and improve overall public trust in governance processes. This study provides insights and identifies opportunities to enhance governance and decision-making processes in health emergency responses, aiding future pandemic preparedness efforts

Prevalence And Determinants Of Drug Abuse Among Youths In A Rural Community In North Western Nigeria

Drug abuse is a global public health problem that impacts negatively on health, family, society, educational and professional life. Majority of youths ignorantly depend on one form of substance or the other for various daily activities such as social, educational, political and moral. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of drug abuse among youths in a rural agrarian community in North Western Nigeria. A cross-sectional, community baseddescriptive study conducted among 359 rural youths aged 15-35 years. The study was conducted from 19th September 2016 to 14th October 2016.An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data which was analyzed using SPSS (version 20). The prevalence of drug abuse was 10% and the most abused drug was Tramadol (52.8%). There was a statistically significant association between drug abuse and the following variables: Type of family (P=0.025); occupation of respondents (P=0.001) and monthly income (P= 0.005). Farming occupation was a determinant of drug abuse. Farmers were 6.52 times more likely to abuse drugs than non-farmers (OR= 6.52, 95% C.I: 2.25 – 18.91,P=0.001). The result indicated that youth in the study area abuse drugs such Tramadol and Marijuana and farming occupation was a determinant of drug abuse. For effective control of drug abuse in the study area, there is need for health education campaigns on harmful effects of drug abuse.Key words: Drug abuse, prevalence, determinants, youth, rural, Nigeri