The Role of Women in Providing and Improving Household Food Security in Sudan: Implications for Reducing Hunger and Malnutrition

Relevant and consistent with the recent growing interest to assess the contribution of women to economic activities in Sudan, this study seeks to assess women’s contribution to their household food supply and nutrition status in rural Sudan. As for the contribution of the research, the research is expected to contribute to improve the understanding of the important contribution of women to economic activities and in particular in providing and improving household food security in Sudan and thus valuing the potential role of women in reducing hunger and malnutrition. Agricultural production (farm and livestock products) with supplemental resources (processed and preserved food items) and substitute resources (forest trees and wild food products) represent the available resources for the household food consumption in rural Sudan. Income generating activities along with other possible income sources (cash crops, trees products, pension, assets, remittance from migrants, and savings sources) provide household with income to afford foods. The finding of this study implies that in most rural areas in Sudan women are more capable than men in terms of the ability to use and allocate the available resources for the purpose to improve food security for their families. For the purpose of this paper, improvement of the household food security refers to the expanding availability and accessibility of nutritional food on sustainable basis. In this regard this study has indicated that women in rural Sudan play a crucial role in improving their household food security, as they contribute to food production, enhance dietary quality and consumption diversity. Therefore, based on the findings in this paper, the major policy implication is that crucial role of women in this context can greatly be enhanced through adoption of supportive national and local development policy

Gastrointestinal Fistula: Audit of management in a remote hospital

Background: The management of gastrointestinal fistula continues to present considerable challenge to the surgeon in general and gastrointestinal surgeon in particular. Objectives: To audit the management and report the outcome of the gastrointestinal fistula in aremote hospital. Setup: Eldamazeen Hospital is a regional hospital in the Blue Nile state, south east of Sudan. Methods: Retrospective analysis of demographic and clinical data of patients with gastrointestinal fistula admitted to the surgical department in the period from Feb 2003 through Feb 2008. Results: 10(83.3%) patients had high out-put fistula. Two fistulas were complex and 10 were simple. The small intestine was the commonest site of fistula followed by the large bowel. The commonest causes of the gastrointestinal fistula are emergency operations for stab wounds, laparotomy and caesarean section. The overall mortality rate is 2(16, 7%) patients mainly due to inter-abdominal abscesses. Conclusion: Conservative treatment with nutritional support is the corner stay for successful treatment. However, early surgical management of septic foci should be considered.Keywords: Eldamazeen, laparotomy, caesarean, abscesses

Progressive Multifocal Leuoencephalopathy(PML) in HIV Patient

In the conservative Muslim community’s lack of transparency and awareness to resultant bad consequences that mislead practicing doctors, delay in the diagnosis and increase in costs of treatment and worsen of morbidity of the disease is the ultimate consequence. Three phases arerecognized in the natural history of infection by the human  immunodeficiency virus (HIV): (a)An early or acute phase lasting several weeks with infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms, (b) an intermittent or chronic phase, with active low-grade viral replication, lasting several years and (c) the final stage or crises, which corresponds to the clinical phase of AIDS. The virus may enter the nervous system at the time of sero-conversion. However the clinical picture of dementia appearslater, when there is marked immunodeficiency. There are many causes for CNS lesions in patients with HIV as vascular, viral, bacterial, myco-bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and neoplastic causes. Human immunodeficiency virus leucoencephalopathy (HIVL) is an uncommon and rapidly progressive form of AIDS dementia complex (ADC) that has remained poorly understood. Here we report a rare case of Progressive Multifocal Leuoencephalopathy (PML) in a case of HIV/AIDS who was not willing to disclose her diagnosis till late in the disease

Identification Of Risk Sources In Construction Project Networks And The Efficient Means Of Managing Network Risks

      The construction industry is a complex and dynamic sector that involves many interconnected project networks. Despite significant advancements in risk management practices, risks are inherent in construction project networks, and they can significantly impact the performance and success of these networks. This research aims to identify the risk sources commonly encountered in construction project networks and explore efficient ways to manage network risks. The study employed a literature review approach to gather data from existing literature and identify gaps in the current understanding of risk management practices in construction project networks. The findings demonstrate that risk management in construction projects is not solely about identifying and mitigating potential threats but also about creating positive relationships among stakeholders, such as clients, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers

Editorial – University Staff and Student Protection from COVID-19: Strategic Measures for Teaching and Learning in Resource-limited Setting

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Physician burnout syndrome

Background: The medical profession is the second largest official profession in Sudan. The fast spread of information technology in the eve of the second millennium has created an atmosphere of great expectations, that medical doctors should be updated, skillful, enthusiastic, kind, treat patients, train registrars teach medical students and develop high moral and ethical attitudes. Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to high light the Physician Burnout Syndrome and its relation to unintentional medical errors and society lack of satisfaction. Methods: Brief literature review and observations from the current atmosphere of medical practice in Sudan. Conclusion: Early detection is the responsibility of the administration and medical colleagues to save victims of the Physician Burnout Syndrome and prevent medical errors, unintentional laxity, disregard and/or malpractice.Key words: Physician burnout

Intra-abdominal lymphangioma with ascriasis as diagnostic predicament

Lymphangiomas are rare tumours. About 90% of lymphangiomas manifest in children at the age of three years1. The sex ratio is roughly equal in childhood2. In young patients lymphangiomas are preferentially located in head, neck and axilla, but they also occur sporadically in variousparenchymal organs e.g. spleen, liver and bones. When it is diffuse as multifocal disease [lymphangiomatosis] during adulthood, it develops as superficial cutaneous lymphangioma or as intra-abdominal lymphangiomas. The male to female ratio for intra-abdominal lymphangiomas3 is 3:1. Here we present a case of intra-abdominal lymphangioma in a 14- year old boy who presented as a diagnostic dilemma

Ormond's disease – case report

Retroperitonel fibrosis is a rare disease that occasionally faces the general surgeon as a case of retroperitoneal tumour. Ureteric stenting may succeed in relieving urinary obstruction, however, these stents are only for temporal use. For this reason and to exclude presence of retroperitoneal tumours, surgical ureterolysis remains the corner stone for saving the kidneys from the ultimate fate of renal failure. Steroids are of help when added to the surgical therapy. Recently tamoxifen was reported to be the treatment of choice in primary retroperitoneal fibrosis. Here, we describe the management of 2 cases of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis one in a police officer with diabetes mellitus and the other in a housewife. Keywords: bilateral hydronephrosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, surgical ureterolysis, bilateral hydronephrosis, tamoxifen Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 1(1) 2006: 67-7

The Mysterious, Threat We Will Confront Mycobacterium Chelonae

Background: Surgical wound infection is an internationally recognized complication which is expected to get cured in few days time. Lack of antibiotic policies added to the existing chaos in free market policies is expected to end up with mysterious resistant organisms soon in future. Objectives: To report our experience with 52 key hole protracted surgical wound infections in 23 patients. Patients and methods: Demographic data of patients who suffered post operative subcutaneous wound nodules following minimal access surgery, duration of the disease and its clinical manifestations as well as results of investigations were collected and analysed. Results: Two males and 21 females, age range 27-65 (median 42) years had 32 key-hole wound nodules and 20 persistent discharging wounds that had appeared in an average but latent period of nine weeks (range three weeks to sixmonths after surgery). Only two cultures were positive for Mycobacterium chelonae. Conclusion: Mycobacterium chelonae should be suspected in protracted surgical wounds and treated promptly with meticulous frequent dressings, wound excision and clarithromycin plus ceftazidime. Keywords: surgical wounds, subcutaneous, mycobacterium, catalase, resistant organisms.Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 3 (2) 2008: pp. 133-13

Prospective Randomised Controlled Trial of Teaching Medical Students Behavioural Sciences

Background: In the last few decades, medical professionalismcame upas a challenging issue to teach and assess.Objective: To compare the level of understanding of the medical professionalism, medical ethics and human rights among the first year and fifth year medical students at Omdurman Islamic University in Sudan.Methods: Prospective randomised controlled trial. Students were randomized in to four groups during teaching of behavioural sciences which was given at different spectra in the different groups. Responders were 365(91.25%), they were 143(39.2%) first year males, 141(38.6%) first year females split in two groups and 81(22.2%) fifth year mixed male and female.Conceptual understanding of medical ethics, professionalism, human rights and the religion values as part of the university requirement were assessed with a pretested questionnaire.Results: Of the fifth year students 69(86.3%) were able to describe triggering organisational help for patients as an advocacy and 119(83.2%) first year male students were able to identify that availing medical facilities to the disabled and the vulnerable groupsas basic human right. Themajority (>90%) of all students were described well professional integrity and 132(93%) of first year medical students were able mention correctly the differences between the Healer and the professional and 83(58.5%) of fifth year students specified the confidentiality issue in taking informed consent, respectively. However, the students' categorised the regulation of organ transplantation and tissue engineering has human rights followed by Religion Teachings bases.Conclusion: Teaching medical ethics, human rights, professionalism and University requirements to the first year medical students and gains during the practical experience of the clinical clerkship have a considerable impact on the student perception of these subjects. Gains are expected to improve if these issues are integrated in all areas of the curriculum.Key words: Professionalism, Human rights, Medical ethics, medical student