Effect of Foreign Aids on Economic Growth in Nigeria

This study investigated the impact of foreign aids on economic growth in Nigeria using time series data spanned from 1990 to 2017. The research considered the secondary data that were gathered from CBN statistical bulletin 2017 and World Bank Data Indictors. Ordinary Least Square techniques was adopted in the study and used Augmented Dickey-Fuller Unit Root Test, co integration test, granger causality test, ECM to estimates data employed. The findings revealed that all the variables employed were stationary at first difference and integrated at the same order1(I), the co-integration test shows that variables are co-integrated at one co-integrating equation which means that there is a long run relationship. The Error Correction Model established that the error that caused disequilibrium in the short run is being corrected in the long-run at a speed of adjustment at 6%. The findings revealed real gross domestic product responds inversely to changes in official development assistance and foreign direct investment. Based on these findings the study concluded that foreign aids have a significant impact on economic growth in Nigeria. Different diagnostic tests are applied in order to confirm the major assumption of multiple regression analysis like multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. Therefore, the study recommends among others that government needs to formulate strong and effective education and healthcare policies to facilitate and attract investment in the sectors and improve their efficiency in the long-run that will influence productivity

Knowledge, attitude and practice of hygiene and sanitation in a Burundian refugee camp: implications for control of a Salmonella typhi outbreak

Introduction: A Salmonella typhi outbreak was reported in a Burundian refugee camp in Rwanda in October 2015. Transmission persisted despite increased hygiene promotion activities and hand-washing facilities instituted to prevent and control the outbreak. A knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of ongoing typhoid fever preventive interventions.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Mahama Refugee Camp of Kirehe District, Rwanda from January to February 2016. Data were obtained through administration of a structured KAP questionnaire. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis was performed using STATA software.Results: A total of 671 respondents comprising 264 (39.3%) males and 407 (60.7%) females were enrolled in the study. A comparison of hand washing practices before and after institution of prevention and control measures showed a 37% increase in the proportion of respondents who washed their hands before eating and after using the toilet (p < 0.001). About 52.8% of participants reported having heard about typhoid fever, however 25.9% had received health education. Only 34.6% and 38.6% of the respondents respectively knew how typhoid fever spreads and is prevented. Most respondents (98.2%) used pit latrines for disposal of feces. Long duration of stay in the camp, age over 35 years and being unemployed were statistically associated with poor hand washing practices. Conclusion: The findings of this study underline the need for bolstering up health education and hygiene promotion activities in Mahama and other refugee camp settings

Risk factors for transmission of Salmonella Typhi in Mahama refugee camp, Rwanda: a matched case-control study

Introduction: In early October 2015, the health facility in Mahama, a refugee camp for Burundians, began to record an increase in the incidence of a disease characterized by fever, chills and abdominal pain. The investigation of the outbreak confirmed Salmonella Typhi as the cause. A casecontrol study was conducted to identify risk factors for the disease. Methods: A retrospective matched case-control study was conducted between January and February 2016. Data were obtained through a survey of matched cases and controls, based on an epidemiological case definition and environmental assessment. Odd ratios were calculated to determine the risk factors associated with typhoid fever. Results: Overall, 260 cases and 770 controls were enrolled in the study. Findings from the multivariable logistic regression identified that having a family member who had been infected with S. Typhi in the last 3 months (OR 2.7; p < 0.001), poor awareness of typhoid fever (OR 1.6; p = 0.011), inconsistent hand washing after use of the latrine (OR 1.8; p = 0.003), eating food prepared at home (OR 2.8; p < 0.001) or at community market (OR 11.4; p = 0.005) were risk factors for typhoid fever transmission. Environmental assessments established the local sorghum beer and yoghurt were contaminated with yeast, aerobic flora, coliforms or Staphylococcus. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need of reinforcement of hygiene promotion, food safety regulations, hygiene education for beverage and food handlers in community market and intensification of environmental interventions to break the transmission of S.Typhi in Mahama

Integrating health intervention into existing program structure of the neglected tropical diseases: lessons learned from Yobe and Ebonyi states

BackgroundNigeria has a national policy on neglected tropical diseases (NTD) which is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and integrated into the health system at all government levels. A network of grassroots mobilizers, named community drug distributors (CDDs), deliver NTD drugs and commodities to rural and hard-to-reach communities throughout Nigeria.MethodsInterviews with state and local government coordinators of Nigerian NTD programs and focus group discussions with CDDs in Yobe and Ebonyi states were conducted to understand the working modalities of NTD programs in Nigeria to identify the potential of leveraging the NTD structure for additional health interventions such as COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. Collected data was coded and managed on NVivo version 12 using content analysis.Results and discussionThe study found that the NTD committee had the following: a structured planning and coordination process, a community mobilization approach for the effective delivery of routine Mass Administration of Medication (MAM) activities. Challenges encountered included little or no incentives for the CDDs, insecurity, transportation and logistics, and lack of equipment and drug commodities. Nigerian NTD health structures have a wide reach, with a presence in all states and local government areas (LGAs), and this has previously been leveraged to deliver commodities and interventions to rural and hard-to-reach communities for non-NTD health programs and could thus be used similarly for COVID-19 vaccination programs. The enablers of integrating health interventions into the NTD structure are increased availability of finances and manpower, while lack of financial incentives and partners’ buy-in were identified as possible. challenges.ConclusionThe study suggests that integrating COVID-19 interventions into the NTD program in Nigeria would be a significant accomplishment, as the existing structure can support future interventions. The study also highlights the efficiency of the NTD program’s modalities and processes, indicating that an organized structural system for public health interventions can. increase the services of existing interventions while allowing for the integration of future interventions

Honey increases sperm count in male albino rats by enhancing testosterone production

We investigated the effects of different doses of honey (H) and testosterone (T) on sperm count and reproductive hormones in male albino rats. Thirty-five male albino rats were randomly divided in a blinded fashion into 7 groups of 5 rats each. Group 1 (control) was given 0.2 ml of distilled water. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were given 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of H orally respectively. Groups 5, 6 and 7 were given 2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg of T intraperitoneally respectively. All doses of H significantly (P<0.05) increased sperm count in rats, while all the doses of T significantly reduced sperm count in rats. Plasma T was increased and FSH was reduced (P<0.001) by all the three doses of H. On the contrary, LH was significantly reduced (P<0.05) by 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of H but not by 400 mg/kg of H. All the three doses of T reduced the plasma T and LH in rats. Lastly, 5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg but not 2.5 mg/kg of T reduced FSH in rats. The results suggest that honey enhanced sperm count in rat by increasing testosterone production

Blood glucose-lowering effect of Telfairia Occidentalis : A preliminary study on the underlying mechanism and responses

The effects of aqueous extract of Telfairia Occidentalis leaf (TO) on plasma glucose, lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH), insulin and cortisol levels in rats were investigated. Thirty male Wistar rats (200 12250g) were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=6/group). Rats in the control group received 0.2 ml of normal saline while rats in other groups were orally treated with 100 or 200 mg/Kg of the extract for either 1 or 2 weeks. The results showed that there were significant increases in insulin and cortisol levels, decrease in glucose, and an insignificant increase in LDH activity in rats treated with 100 and 200 mg/Kg of the extract for 1 week. However, after 2 weeks of treatment with the same doses, there was no significant change in plasma insulin in the treated rats when compared with the control. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in plasma insulin levels when compared with what was obtained after one week of treatment. The reduction in plasma insulin was accompanied by increases in plasma glucose towards normal and significant increases in plasma cortisol and LDH activity. The results suggest that the blood glucose-lowering effect of Telfairia Occidentalis might be mediated at least in part by insulin. This effect elicited counterregulatory responses that included an increase in plasma cortisol and lactate dehydrogenase activity to probably stimulate cortisol-induced gluconeogenesis and favor lactate oxidation

Assessment of the willingness of doctors to work at coronavirus disease-19 treatment center

Objectives: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently ravaging the entire world. Doctors as well as other healthcare workers as front-liners in tackling this disease are at a higher risk of exposure to the virus and its potential consequences. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge of doctors on the mode of transmission of the virus, to assess their willingness and readiness to work at the COVID-19 treatment center, to identify factors that affect their willingness to work at the treatment center, and to assess their knowledge on infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.Materials and Methods: All medical doctors who attended the COVID-19 sensitization and preparedness meeting with the management of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State Nigeria, were recruited into the study after an informed consent was obtained. Study period spanned from the beginning of April 2020 to middle of June 2020. A structured, pre-tested questionnaire was administered to collect relevant information.Results: A total of 112 doctors that were in attendance had the questionnaires administered to them; however, 106 (94.64%) questionnaires were returned. Out of these, 64.2% had correct knowledge of the mode of transmission of COVID-19. We observed that only 34.9% of doctors were willing to work in the treatment center while 1.9% were indifferent. The perceived lack of adequate training and insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff were major reasons why some doctors were not willing to work in these centers. Fifty percent of the participants got the correct meaning of donning and doffing and three quarters of them had good knowledge of IPC practice.Conclusion: We found in our study that a substantial number of doctors were unwilling to work in COVID-19 treatment areas due to a number of factors including perceived inadequate PPE and inadequate knowledge. The factors that would influence their willingness to work in COVID-19 treatment center were more training, provision of inducement or extra allowances and life insurance schemes. We recommend that in addition to putting emphasis on training, re-training, and providing appropriate equipment, special inducement allowance, and life insurance for healthcare workers might be helpful to encourage them to work in COVID-19 treatment centers

Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis Surveillance in Nigeria From 2010 to 2016, Prior to and During the Phased Introduction of the 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Historically, Nigeria has experienced large bacterial meningitis outbreaks with high mortality in children. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), and Haemophilus influenzae are major causes of this invasive disease. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, we conducted longitudinal surveillance in sentinel hospitals within Nigeria to establish the burden of pediatric bacterial meningitis (PBM). METHODS: From 2010 to 2016, cerebrospinal fluid was collected from children <5 years of age, admitted to 5 sentinel hospitals in 5 Nigerian states. Microbiological and latex agglutination techniques were performed to detect the presence of pneumococcus, meningococcus, and H. influenzae. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction and serotyping/grouping were conducted to determine specific causative agents of PBM. RESULTS: A total of 5134 children with suspected meningitis were enrolled at the participating hospitals; of these 153 (2.9%) were confirmed PBM cases. The mortality rate for those infected was 15.0% (23/153). The dominant pathogen was pneumococcus (46.4%: 71/153) followed by meningococcus (34.6%: 53/153) and H. influenzae (19.0%: 29/153). Nearly half the pneumococcal meningitis cases successfully serotyped (46.4%: 13/28) were caused by serotypes that are included in the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The most prevalent meningococcal and H. influenzae strains were serogroup W and serotype b, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine-type bacterial meningitis continues to be common among children <5 years in Nigeria. Challenges with vaccine introduction and coverage may explain some of these finding. Continued surveillance is needed to determine the distribution of serotypes/groups of meningeal pathogens across Nigeria and help inform and sustain vaccination policies in the country

Honey increases sperm count in male albino rats by enhancing testosterone production

We investigated the effects of different doses of honey (H) and testosterone (T) on sperm count and reproductive hormones in male albino rats. Thirty-five male albino rats were randomly divided in a blinded fashion into 7 groups of 5 rats each. Group 1 (control) was given 0.2 ml of distilled water. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were given 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of H orally respectively. Groups 5, 6 and 7 were given 2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg of T intraperitoneally respectively. All doses of H significantly (P<0.05) increased sperm count in rats, while all the doses of T significantly reduced sperm count in rats. Plasma T was increased and FSH was reduced (P<0.001) by all the three doses of H. On the contrary, LH was significantly reduced (P<0.05) by 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of H but not by 400 mg/kg of H. All the three doses of T reduced the plasma T and LH in rats. Lastly, 5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg but not 2.5 mg/kg of T reduced FSH in rats. The results suggest that honey enhanced sperm count in rat by increasing testosterone production