Prevalence of domestic violence against married women: A case study of Oiji Ward, a rural setting in North Central Nigeria

Background: In Nigeria, some provisions in the penal code still allow cultural acceptance of some forms of domestic violence, thereby providing avenue for many in the society to accept domestic violence as an accepted fact of life and as such many people live with it without feeling that it was anything wrong. In recent years, however, it has begun to be viewed as a criminal problem, as the case is increasing and is raising lot of concern especially regarding the victims. This study assessed the prevalence of domestic violence among married women in Oiji ward, a rural setting in Benue State, north Central Nigeria.Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional community-based descriptive survey of 384 married women selected by systematic sampling technique using structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20, with level of significance set at p< 0.05. Multiple logistic regression models were performed to investigate independent predictors that had significant chi-square by controlling for possible confounders.Results: Two hundred and fifty eight (67.2%) had experienced domestic violence of different types, ranging from physical assaults (19.5%), to emotional/mental torture (30.2%). The age of the women({OR= 3.191, (95% CI = 2.002-5.087) p=0.000}, age at marriage(({OR= 1.027, (95% CI= 0.508- 2.073), forced marriage{OR= 0.0136 (95% CI = 0.084-0.221) p=0.000}, monthly income {OR= 1.665 (95% CI = -1.081- 2.564) p=0.001}, and freedom of sex expression {OR= 3.917 (95% CI = 1.999 – 7.676) p=0.000} were the main predicting factors.Conclusion: Married should be not being forced and women empowerment, Gender based violence awareness campaigns and legal protection of women should be encouraged in the rural areas.Keywords: Married, Domestic violence, Correlates, Rural, Nigeri

Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators

Citizen science can play an important role in school science education. Citizen science is particularly relevant to addressing current societal environmental sustainability challenges, as it engages the students directly with environmental science and gives students an understanding of the scientific process. In addition, it allows students to observe local representations of global challenges. Here, we report a citizen science programme designed to engage school-age children in real-world scientific research. The programme used standardized methods deployed across multiple schools through scientist–school partnerships to engage students with an important conservation problem: habitat for pollinator insects in urban environments. Citizen science programmes such as the programme presented here can be used to enhance scientific literacy and skills. Provided key challenges to maintain data quality are met, this approach is a powerful way to contribute valuable citizen science data for understudied, but ecologically important study systems, particularly in urban environments across broad geographical areas

Disclosure of HIV positive status among persons attending antiretroviral clinic in Makurdi, Benue State: A cross-sectional survey

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Ownership and utilisation of insecticide treated nets among under five children and their caregivers in Makurdi, Nigeria, a cross sectional survey

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Determinants of Desire to Bear Children among Persons Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Lafia, Nigeria

HIV positive individuals are living longer and better quality life courtesy of increasing access to free antiretroviral therapy and therefore faced with decisions to consider childbearing. Little is known about the fertility desires of persons living with HIV and AIDS receiving antiretroviral treatment in our environment. The study was aimed at determining fertility desires among HIV positive persons receiving antiretroviral treatment in Lafia, Nasarawa State Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional study conducted on 320 patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Lafia, North central, Nigeria using semi structured, interviewer administered questionnaires. Descriptive, Chi square and bivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between desire for children and Sociodemographic variables. More than half of the participants (54.7%) desired to have children. Results from the logistic regression model indicated that younger age (OR: 5.09, 95% CI: 1.82-12.22), having no living children (OR:14, 95% CI: 2.34-87.55) were significant predictors of desire to have children. Participants who were not members of any support group were less likely to desire to have children (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.12-0.85). Majority of PLHIV desire to have children. Younger age, lower number of living children, membership of support group of PLHIV were significant predictors of desire to have children. We recommend that counseling on fertility desires and family planning should be introduced into the ARV programme.Keywords: Antiretroviral, Desire To Have Children, HIV, LafiaNigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 63, No. 5-6,201

Vaginal Trichomoniasis among Patients Attending Primary Health Care Centers of Jos, Nigeria

Trichomoniasis is widely distributed all over the world and remains a common infection among female patients attending sexually transmitted disease clinics. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of trichomonal infection in HIV/AIDS and non-HIV control groups of patients in a population of women. We conducted a simple cross-sectional study in Primary health care centers in Jos metropolis during December 2006 to December 2007. Seven hundred high vaginal swabs were collected; 350 from HIV positive and another 350 from HIV-negative groups of patients attending antenatal and GOPD clinics in primary health care centers in Jos metropolis and analysed for microscopy and culture in Jos University Teaching Hospital. Data on epidemiologic indices from the patients, using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were collected. The result shows 17% (n=120/700) rate of trichomoniasis among all participants in the study. The prevalence rate of trichomoniasis among persons with HIV was 24% while it was found to be 10.3% among HIV negative group. The difference was statistically significant (x2 =23.172; df=1; p<0.05)).The rate of co-infection of T. vaginalis in Bacterial vaginosis was 42% (n=50/120) , while it was 24%(n=29/120) in candidiasis. The singles had a 35% high rate of trichomonal infection. The infected women had a mean age of 26 years, and a mean number of 3 intra-vaginal sex partners per week. In conclusion therefore there was a high prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis in HIV/AIDS group of patients compared to non-HIV group in the study. We therefore recommend local HIV prevention strategies to target such women with trichomonal infection for intervention efforts, especially in HIV endemic area of sub-continent of Africa to further reduce the burden of HIV in the population

Assessment of Infrastructure and Commodity Supply in Nigeria Private Health Facilities: Implication on the implementation for Maternal and Child Care Policies

The Government of Nigeria provides health infrastructure, equipment and essential commodities to government owned health facilities, with the exclusion of private health facilities. This study assessed the privately owned health care services provisions, with regard to service delivery rooms / area, utilities, equipment and training and commodity availability. A cross sectional study was carried out on seventeen randomly selected privately owned health care delivery facilities, in North Central, North West, South East and South-South regions of Nigeria. Using Pathfinder International integrated services delivery assessment tool. Result showed that all the private health facilities were connected to National grid for power (electricity) supply. 4 out of the 17 (23.53%) had inadequate lighting within the facilities, and supply of water was very good in 9 (52.94%) of the facilities accessed and only 3 (17.65%) had in adequate supply of water. Hot air ovens (auotclave) were used by 58.82% of the facilities for sterilization of instruments. Only 5.88% and 23.53% of the facilities had Norplant implant insertion /removal kits and mini laparotomy kits respectively. Vasectomy kit was not very common in the facilities accessed. All the facilities had sphygmomanometers and stethoscopes. It can be concluded from this study that the state of the physical infrastructural facilities of the private sector health facilities is generally adequate for delivery of maternal and child health services. Though there is significant absence of systemic approach to quantification of health commodities and availability of essential commodities. It is therefore recommended that federal government and private nonprofit organizations should support the private sector commodity consumption and family planning programmes for reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates. Ongoing review of the National Reproductive Health Policy should include private sector health facilities.Keywords: Private Health Facilities, Maternal and Child Health, Infrastructure and commodities provisionThe Tropical Journal of Health Sciences Vol 19 No 1 (January 2012

Lassa fever in a physician and his children: a case report

Introduction: We report a confirmed case of Lassa fever in a physician and two of his children with the aim ofreminding healthcare workers on the risk of acquiring and  transmitting Lassa fever. Methods: A 55 year old male physician presented with acute febrile illness with no response to antimalarial and antibiotic drugs necessitating referral to the teaching hospital. On review, he had fever, headache, generalized malaise, cough, abdominal pain and diarrhea and was 0 febrile (T-38.5°C). Patient was treated for septicaemia with ceftriaxone. He developed subconjunctival haemorrhages and bleeding from injection sites that progressed to multiple organ dysfunction (coagulopathy, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome and circulatory collapse). An assessment of acute viral haemorrhagic fever (Lassa fever) was made. Resuscitation was unsuccessful and he died. The Physician had treated a patient with symptoms consistent with Lassa fever who also died. Results: Lassa fever was confirmed by RT-PCR test. Lassa fever was also confirmed in two of the physician's children who were treated successfully with ribavirin. One of the children had sensorineural deafness. Conclusion: The risk of transmitting Lassa fever to other people especially family members is high and the need to practice universal precaution cannot be over emphasised. A high index of suspicion is crucial for the early detection of Lassa fever if mortality and spread to other people is tobe curtailed. Key words: Children, Close Contacts, Lassa fever,  Physician.  High Med Res J 2013;13:56-5