Disasters in Nigeria: A Public Health Perspective

Background: Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth with some fragile demographic, socio-economic and health indices. The country has been having its own share of both natural and man-made disasters. This paper discussed an overview of disasters and some socio-demographic characteristics of Nigeria, factors in vulnerability of disasters, public health impacts and issues in disaster management in Nigeria among others from a public health perspective and the way forward.Methods: The authors undertook full searches (September-November, 2012) of original research, reports and reviews using Medline, pubMed, Embase and World Health Organisation (WHO) database. Search words were disaster, disasters in Nigeria, and public health impacts. Part of the data used was personal communications and in-press publications.Results: The results revealed significant number of disasters in Nigeria, such as plane crashes, oil pipeline fire explosions, collapsed buildings, terrorist attacks, civil strife, and flood, among others. Some of the identified issues that hampered quick response and recovery included poor and ineffective search and rescue operations, poverty, poor public and community education on disaster management, among others.Conclusion: There is need for public and community education on disaster and its management, disaster preparedness, wellcoordinated and effective search and rescue operations, capacity building, tackling corruption and poverty reduction.Keywords: Disaster, Public Health, Public Education, Disaster Mitigation, Nigeri

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

hospital waste management as a potential hazard in selected primary healthcare centres in zaria nigeria

The operations of health facilities generate waste; a common characteristic of hospitals and Primary Healthcare centres. However, improper handling of hospital waste constitutes potential risks to the environment and human health. Unfortunately, hospital waste management is not yet carried out with a satisfactory level of safety in many parts of the globe, especially in the underdeveloped world. This study was carried out with the aim of assessing hospital waste management practices among selected Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in Zaria, Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out between October 2012 and March, 2013 using staff of the PHCs and an interviewer-administered questionnaire, checklist and participant observations. Majority of the staff of the PHCs were nurses (37%) and the knowledge score of all the staff was 5 out of 10 (50%). About 73% had training on hospital waste management 31% had reported injury by sharps. Also, 66% use protective hand gloves while doing their work. Wheel barrow was the commonest method of transporting waste and open burning was the final method of waste disposal by the PHCs. There is a need for safer means of waste disposal among the medical facilities visited. It was, therefore, recommended among others that funds should be made available to the PHCs. This is to ensure the acquisition of all facilities needed in hospital waste management and disposal. There should be training and re-training of health staff on current hospital waste management to meet global best practices. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v33i2.1

Five Year Review of Disease Profile of Inmates in Three Prison Formations in Kaduna State, Nigeria: A Case Control Study

Prisons have been in existence in most parts of Nigerian since her inception as a country and it has served as correctional institutions for custody, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration. The inmates are reported to exhibit poorer health status than the general population due to overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions which provided a favourable breeding ground for various disease conditions. However, existing information on the overall disease profile of Nigerian prisons is scanty. This study assessed a five year disease profiles of inmates in three prison formations in Kaduna state, northwestern, Nigeria. A retrospective study of 24,327 cases of the inmate's monthly morbidity statistics from January 2007 to December 2011 was carried out. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software packages was used for data analysis. Psychiatric cases (24.1%) constituted the most prevalent disease category among inmates. This was followed by gastrointestinal diseases (22.6%), diseases of the respiratory tract (10.9%), dermatology/allergy (5.4%) and cardiovascular diseases (2.4%). Among the specific conditions examined malaria (21.6%) was found to be the most prevalent condition, followed by accidents/deliberate harms (3.6%), and tumours (0.6%). Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS constitute 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. There is a huge communicable and non communicable disease burden among inmates in Kaduna State, Nigeria. We recommend health education, adequate sanitation, proper nutrition and mental care interventions in order to provide adequate health care to inmates.Keywords: Inmates, Disease profile, Kaduna State, Nigeria

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

Hospital Waste Management as a Potential Hazard in Selected Primary Healthcare Centres in Zaria, Nigeria

The operations of health facilities generate waste; a common characteristic of hospitals and Primary Healthcare centres. However, improper handling of hospital waste constitutes potential risks to the environment and human health. Unfortunately, hospital waste management is not yet carried out with a satisfactory level of safety in many parts of the globe, especially in the underdeveloped world. This study was carried out with the aim of assessing hospital waste management practices among selected Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in Zaria, Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out between October 2012 and March, 2013 using staff of the PHCs and an interviewer-administered questionnaire, checklist and participant observations. Majority of the staff of the PHCs were nurses (37%) and the knowledge score of all the staff was 5 out of 10 (50%). About 73% had training on hospital waste management 31% had reported injury by sharps. Also, 66% use protective hand gloves while doing their work. Wheel barrow was the commonest method of transporting waste and open burning was the final method of waste disposal by the PHCs. There is a need for safer means of waste disposal among the medical facilities visited. It was, therefore, recommended among others that funds should be made available to the PHCs. This is to ensure the acquisition of all facilities needed in hospital waste management and disposal. There should be training and re-training of health staff on current hospital waste management to meet global best practices.http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v33i2.1